I, Claudius by Robert Graves (Book Analysis) E-Book

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• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: BrightSummaries.com
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 25

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of I, Claudius with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of I, Claudius by Robert Graves, the fictionalised autobiography of the titular character, who unexpectedly became emperor in CE 41. Claudius was seen as a fool by his family and was sidelined from the power struggles at the heart of the imperial dynasty, which both kept him out of danger and enabled his rise, and made him a brilliant, insightful observer of the debauchery and turmoil of the early Roman Empire. I, Claudius won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Hawthornden Prize, and was followed by the acclaimed sequel Claudius the God, which provides an account of Claudius’ time as emperor.

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• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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Leseprobe

ROBERT GRAVES

ENGLISH NOVELIST, POET, BIOGRAPHER AND TRANSLATOR

Born in Wimbledon in 1895.Died in Deyá in 1895.Notable works:Goodbye to All That (1929), autobiographyThe White Goddess:A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth (1948), poetic mythologyThe Greek Myths (1955), dictionary of Greek mythology

Born into a privileged background, Robert Graves was educated at Charterhouse School and Oxford University. At the outbreak of World War One he enlisted as an officer in the army and began to write the realistic war poems which first made him famous. Between 1916 and 1975 he wrote more than 120 books, including 55 collections of poetry and 15 novels. In 1957 he published his translation of Suetonius’ The Twelve Caesars, which he had drawn on for I, Claudius. He wrote the Claudius novels at his home in Majorca, where he went in 1929 after completing his autobiography, Goodbye to All That. Graves was awarded the prestigious James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Hawthornden Prize for I, Claudius which, along with its sequel Claudius the God, was made into a BBC drama series starring Derek Jacobi. He was married twice, first to the artist Nancy Nicholson, with whom he had four children, then to Beryl Hodge, with whom he had another four.

I, CLAUDIUS

THE PREQUEL TO CLAUDIUS THE GOD

Genre: historical novelReference edition: Graves, R. (1978) I, Claudius. London: Penguin Books.1stedition: 1934Themes: power, empire, republic, succession, rivalry, nepotism, omens and prophecies

I, Claudius is a historical novel, presented as the autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, who reigned between CE 41 and 54. Claudius was born in 10 BCE, and the story covers his life from his birth up until his unexpected accession as emperor at the age of 51. We read of complex family relationships and violent power struggles as various factions contend with one another to ensure that their particular favourite is in line to become the next emperor. Some, such as Claudius’ grandmother Livia, wife of the Emperor Augustus, resort to murder to eliminate those who stand in their way. Claudius stammered and was lame, and was regarded by his family as a fool and therefore not a threat. He spent his time up to his accession as emperor studying literature and writing history. Robert Graves researched his sources carefully, drawing on a number of classical Roman writers, including Suetonius and Tacitus. The novel was an instant success, both with reviewers and with the public, and Graves followed it up with a sequel, Claudius the God, which relates the life of Claudius after he became emperor.

SUMMARY