Asterix and Cleopatra

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Asterix and Cleopatra
(Astérix et Cléopâtre)
Asterixcover-6.jpg
Cover of the English edition
Date1969
Main characters Asterix and Obelix
Series Asterix
Publisher Dargaud
Creative team
Writers René Goscinny
Artists Albert Uderzo
Original publication
Published in Pilote magazine
Issues215–257
Date of publication1963
LanguageFrench
Translation
Translator Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge
Chronology
Preceded by Asterix and the Banquet
Followed by Asterix and the Big Fight

Asterix and Cleopatra ( French : Astérix et Cléopâtre) is a French comic book story, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo, [1] and published by Dargaud. It is the sixth story in the Asterix comic book series, and was originally published as a serial for Pilote magazine in 1963. [2] The story focuses on Asterix and Obelix accompanying their village's druid, in order to help an artitect with a major construction project that will allow Cleopatra to win a bet against Julius Caesar.

The comic received two film adaptations: an animated film in 1968 film; and a Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra in 2002, along with being published as an audiobook.

Plot Summary

In Egypt, Julius Caesar belittles the Egyptians for being no longer a great civilisation compared to the Romans. Infuriated, Cleopatra, queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, makes a wager with him that she can prove that they are still great by having a grand palace constructed in Alexandria within three months. Caesar naturally accepts the wager. To handle the construction project, Cleopatra assigns Edifis, a man who claims to be the best architect in her kingdom, to build the palace, promising to reward him greatly with gold, but warns he will be fed to the sacred crocodiles of the Nile if he fails. Concerned with the task he has been given, Edifis decides to travel to Armorica in Gaul, in order to request aid from his old friend Getafix, a druid who supplies his village with a magic potion that gives them superhuman strength to resist the Romans.

Getafix agrees to help, and travels back with Edifis to Egypt, accompanied by Asterix, Obelix, and Dogmatix, Obelix's new pet dog. Whilst inspecting the building plans, the group are intruded upon by Artifis, Edifis' rival, who offers to aid them. Edifis flatly refuses, pointing out that he overworks his labourers. Angered by this, Artifis attempts to sabotage the palace's constructon, but the Gauls undo his schemes with thanks to the magic potion. Infuriated by their actions, he then attempts to get rid of them by having a henchman of his trap them within a pyramid, only for Dogmatix to help them escape. Upon learning of this, Artifis then attempts to have them framed for poisoning Cleopatra by sending her a cake laced in poison. When the Gauls are brought before her to explain themselves, Getafix uses a potion so they can eat the cake and claim it is safe; he also supplies the taster with the antidote, while claiming to Cleopatra they were actually suffering from a poor stomach due to the rich food they taste test.

After being released, the Gauls soon find Edifis missing from the construction site, and suspect Artifis of kidnapping him. Asterix and Obelix promptly raid his home, where his henchman panicks and reveals the missing architect was imprisoned in the basement. As punishment for their actions, the Gauls make Artifis and his henchman help with construction, but without the aid of the magic potion. Progress on the palace soon proceeds smoothly. As construction nears completition, Caesar becomes suspicious over the Egyptian's speed, and assigns an Egyptian spy, Mintjulep, to investigate. When he returns, Mintjulep explains about the presence of the Gauls and their magic potion, which prompts Caesar to order several of his legions to assault the construction site and capture them. Despite defending against the attack, Asterix and Dogmatix find themselves forced to deliver news to Cleopatra, when the Romans use catapults to shell the building site.

Caesar finds himself shamed by Cleopatra, who calls him out for acting dishonourably with their wager, upon hearing of his actions. To make amends with her, he promptly has his legions repair the damage they caused to the palace. Construction is eventually completed on time, much to Cleopatra's delight, allowing Edifis to be rewarded with gold; he and Artifis also reconcile their differences and agree to work together on future projects. Delighted that Caesar honoured the conditions of their wager, Cleopatra thanks the Gauls, gifting Getafix with several papyrus manuscripts from the Library of Alexandria. The group soon return home to Gaul, where Obelix attempts to give his menhirs an Egyptian obelisk look, only to be criticised by Chief Vitalstatistix for doing so.

Adaptations

Asterix and Cleopatra has been adapted for film twice: first as an animated 1968 film entitled Asterix and Cleopatra , and then as a live-action 2002 film called Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra .

An audiobook of Asterix and Cleopatra adapted by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge and narrated by Willie Rushton was released on Hodder and Stoughton's Hodder Children's Audio.

Relationship to other Asterix books

Obelix's dog, Dogmatix (Idéfix in the original French), is named for the first time in this story. [3] It is also the first story in which Dogmatix takes a significant role (rescuing the heroes from a maze inside a Pyramid). [4]

In most Asterix books, Obelix is not permitted to drink the Magic Potion, because he fell into a cauldron of Magic Potion in his childhood, resulting in a permanent effect, and Getafix fears that giving Obelix any more potion would have an unpredictable effect on him. However, in this book Getafix makes an exception due to an extraordinary requirement (the need to force open a solid stone door inside a pyramid which apparently even Obelix's regular level of strength is incapable of doing). [5] Obelix notices no difference, but keeps asking for more potion in subsequent volumes.

The recurring pirate characters appear in this book, though on this occasion they sink their own ship rather than endure a fight with the Gauls. [6] The captain's son Erix (seen in the previous book Asterix and the Banquet ) is mentioned as having been left as a deposit to pay for the short-lived ship. [7] After he and his crew have been forced to take jobs as galley slaves on Cleopatra's barge, the captain expresses the unusual determination to wreak revenge on the Gauls [8] —in other books, he simply wishes never to encounter them again.

Related Research Articles

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Asterix in Britain is a French-Danish animated film, directed by Pino van Lamsweerde, written by Pierre Tchernia, produced by Dargaud Films and Les Productions René Goscinny, and released in December 1986. The film is the fifth adaptation of a story from the Asterix comic series, and is based upon the plot from the graphic novel of the same name by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The film's plot focuses on Asterix and Obelix transporting a barrel of Magic Potion to a rebel village of Britons, as they attempt to hold out against the Romans. The original French release starred Roger Carel and Pierre Tornade in the lead roles, while the English release starred Jack Beaber and Billy Kearns.

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Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra is a 2002 French fantasy comedy film written and directed by Alain Chabat and adapted from the comic book series Asterix by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was the most expensive French film of the time. A critical success, it was also a major box office success in France, becoming its most successful film in 36 years and second biggest commercial success of all time after 1966's La Grande Vadrouille.

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Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion is a 2018 French animated adventure family comedy film co-directed by Alexandre Astier and Louis Clichy. A sequel to 2014's Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, the screenplay by Astier is based on the Asterix comic book characters created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. This is the first Asterix production not to feature Roger Carel as the voice of Asterix, due to his retirement and later death. Asterix is instead voiced by Christian Clavier, who previously played the character in Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar and Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.

References

  1. "Astérix et Cléopâtre – Astérix – Le site officiel". www.asterix.com (in French). 26 June 2017. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  2. "Asterix: Omnibus 2: Asterix the Gladiator, Asterix and the Banquet, Asterix and Cleopatra by Rene Goscinny – Books" . Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  3. Asterix and Cleopatra, p. 8
  4. Asterix and Cleopatra, p. 25
  5. Asterix and Cleopatra, p. 24
  6. Asterix and Cleopatra, p. 10
  7. Asterix and Cleopatra, p. 9
  8. Asterix and Cleopatra, p. 47