Gladiatorial contests hold a central place in our perception of Roman behavior. They were also a big influence on how Romans themselves ordered their lives. Attending the games was one of the practices that went with being a Roman. The Etruscans who introduced this type of contest in the sixth century BC, are credited with its development but it is the Romans who made it famous.(Adapted from Tacitus) A surviving feature of the Roman games was when a gladiator fell he was hauled out of the arena by a slave dressed as the Etruscan death-demon Charun....

• Word Count: 3227
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School

The audience is introduced to this threat in the beginning of the play when the Roman Soldiers see Antony as 'a strumpet's fool' (1.1.13) where as Antony finds a 'new heaven , new earth ' in the love of Cleopatra. ... Shakespeare does not mention any racism as racism was unknown before Renaissance period. ...

• Word Count: 2903
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School