Traditions seem to have a funny way of reappearing where you would least expect to find them. They fend off the factual grinches of science and logical reason, preserving anecdotes of ancient history.
The legend of Queen Cleopatra and the poisonous asp is no exception. In the story, the asp, one of the world’s most venomous snakes, emerges from a wicker basket into Cleopatra’s arms. The story dictates that Cleopatra lay down on a long sofa, dressed in all her finery, before resigning herself to fate as the poisonous venom coursed through her veins. The Egyptian cobra has since slithered away from our minds, fading into oblivion.
In ancient times, the story of the asp represented an upset: a small creature single-handedly took the life of a woman who had conquered the hearts and minds of men such as Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. However, the creature’s fatal bite was the result of Cleopatra’s own actions.
Today, the asp has reemerged from obscurity as a missing animal in the Bronx Zoo. The deadly snake has escaped from its enclosure, slithering into an unknown dark corner or beyond. On the surface, the story is just a snake escaping captivity. Yet, the emergence of the mystical asp from its domestic shackles represents an idea much more significant: a phenomenon of animalistic retaliation that has managed to spread across continents, egged on by passionate discontent.
Watching demonstrations against proposed government cuts unfold in London provided an alarming parallel to the revolutions that have persisted in the Middle Eastern region. The government seemed like the fallible Cleopatra as hundreds took to the sidewalks, squares and streets. An ever-present reminder that a democracy without a captive audience is an anarchic tragedy: the fear of the asp’s bite.
So should we classify these protests as a valiant stand against impending austerity or a crowd equivalent to a whiny little girl who throws a hissy fit when daddy doesn’t buy her a pony? A demand for a little global perspective is surely not a lot to ask of us all. While others are battling to attain the sanctimonious ideals of universal justice and democracy, these protests only serve to perpetuate the idea that perhaps we will never truly be satisfied. A stubborn mother-in-law consistently finds fault in her child’s spouse. For her, satisfaction is an inconceivable dream.
All of a sudden, the line between the politically stable and the unstable has been drastically blurred. Revolution for the aspiration of democracy in the asp’s native Egypt has evolved to an outcry for reform in the besieged streets of London.
While Prince William is faced with a dilemma as to whether fruitcake or cookie cake would be more suitable for his wedding day, police officers face an angry mob of protesters hurling their fury in the shape of dangerous objects toward the administration, prompting numerous injuries and violence. Luckily for royalty, amidst these spending cuts that will affect the education, transportation and financial structure of the country, money is no object in regards to the estimated 33 million pounds that will now be spent to heighten security on the big day. Unlike the return of the ancient asp, swords and shields clearly couldn’t make the same comeback.
The idea of almost a quarter of a million residents flooding the iconic Parliament Square in front of Big Ben, yelling in dissent, would have been ridiculous a couple of months ago. But it is evident that the capability of such explicit discontent sends a clear message to the government as well as the world. People hailing from all walks of life swarmed the area as statues of Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela were stony witnesses to the public’s wrath.
Reminiscent of the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution, violence was an unfortunate bi-product of this direct communication. Will we ever find the contentedness we desire in our present governmental systems or have we resigned ourselves to a fate of requiring our own “bite” to elicit change in our lives? Is the quintessentially American concept of “freedom of speech” self-evident in democratic cities like London? And I don’t mean the freedom for the likes of Rebecca Black to whine about how Thursday is the day before Friday, then comes Saturday “and Sunday comes afterwards.” I’m sure you will need a moment to allow the poeticism of the future of trashy pop to sink in. I wouldn’t hesitate to order my very own asp in a basket should I be subjected to such mindless garbage.
Nevertheless, when the Egyptian snake escaped from its societal enclosure that fateful day at the Bronx Zoo, it unknowingly served as another precedent to a much vaster retaliation in the zoo of life that encloses us all.
Sofiya Madhi is a freshman at the College of Arts and Sciences and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at sofiya218@gmail.com.
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Totally agree – we’re at this point where we can’t get enough of change, which is either good – in the case of the Middle Eastern people, many of whom haven’t experienced change in their lifetimes – or bad, in the case of the anti-cuts protesters, who still haven’t realized that they have it much better than the Libyans et al. Loved the reference to Rebecca Black, and the philosophical ending. You’ve done me proud once again.