Why do many films about Cleopatra VII focus more on her romances than on her political leadership?

The focus on Cleopatra VII’s romances in film, rather than her political leadership, stems from a long-standing narrative tradition that prioritizes her image as a seductive femme fatale over her actual strategic competence.12

This portrayal originated in large part from political propaganda created by Octavian (later Augustus). To rationalize his conflict with Mark Antony, Octavian framed Antony as a man manipulated by a foreign temptress. By casting Cleopatra as an "evil beauty," he effectively downplayed her significant role as an independent monarch and her influence on Roman politics.2

This narrative was further cemented in literature and drama, most notably through William Shakespeare’s play Antony and Cleopatra, which has profoundly shaped the public imagination for centuries. Modern cinema has largely continued this trend, favoring exotic, high-budget depictions of her love life, which often serves to overshadow her intelligence, foresight, and political skill as a ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty.23