BERNADINE EVARISTO - READERS' NOTES

Text taken from: 'Zuleika's Trip to the Amphitheatre', a chapter in The Emperor's Babe

Download the original text pdf file of 'Zuleika's Trip to the Amphitheatre' from The Emperor's Babe here.

About the book

'Zuleika’s Trip to the Amphitheatre' is one of the chapters of The Emperor’s Babe, a novel-in-verse which tells the story of a girl of Sudanese parents who grows up in Roman London 1800 years ago. Zuleika is married to a rich Roman while still a child. Felix, the husband, is always away, and Zuleika has an affair with the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus on his visit to Britain.

About the Author

Bernardine Evaristo was born in London to an English mother and Nigerian father. She is the author of two novels-in-verse: Lara (1997), which traces the roots of a mixed-race English-Nigerian-Brazilian-Irish family over 150 years, three continents and seven generations, and The Emperor's Babe (2001). Her novel-with-verse, Soul Tourists (2005), is about a car journey across Europe starring a mismatched couple, Stanley and Jessie, with cameo appearances en route from ghosts of colour from European history.
 
Evaristo has also written for theatre, radio, print media and for a multi-media collaboration, Cityscapes, with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and pianist Joanna MacGregor for the City of London Festival in 2003. Click here for more information on Bernadine Evaristo.
 

Glossary:

Illa Bella Negreeta: that beautiful black girl
Amor: love

Activities for readers

Before reading

• Activity 1
  The foundation of London (Londinium) can be traced back to the Roman invasion in 43AD. At that time, there was no permanent settlement on the site of London. The Thames River flowed through marshy ground. The commander of the Roman troops, Aulus Palutius, ordered the building of a bridge to get his men across the river as they advanced from Kent towards Colchester. This was the first "London Bridge", which was excavated recently and found to be only yards away from the modern London Bridge. Consult books or browse the net to find out more about Roman London. What did the city look like by the 2nd century AD? Find a map of London at the time.

•  Activity 2
   Design a tourist brochure for Londinium in the 3rd century AD. What places would you encourage people to visit?

•  Activity 3
   Find out where Greenwich is located. What landmarks can be found there now? What did Greenwich look like in the early 3rd century AD?

• Activity 4
  Find out about Emperor Septimus Severus. When did he visit Britain and why? Where did he die?

•  Activity 5
   Notice the title. What spectacle do you think Zuleika is going to see? What other forms of entertainment could the inhabitants of Londinium enjoy?

• Activity 6
  Zuleika is the daughter of Sudanese immigrants. Imagine her life in Londinium as a young teenager. What do you think the family did for a living? Do you think they had similar problems to those immigrants can have today?

• Activity 7
  At one point in the text Zuleika refers to herself as a 'ghetto girl'. How do you think her life changed when Felix, a rich Roman attracted by her exotic beauty, asked for her in marriage? Do you think she enjoyed her new life?

Read in detail

• Activity 1
  Zuleika writes poetry. Have a look at the poem under the title. What do you think are her expectations for her first 'hot date' with the Emperor?

• Activity 2
  Now read the text and find evidence of Zuleika’s expectations. Were you right in Activity 1? And in what way was reality different from what she had imagined?

• Activity 3
  Alba and Venus are Zuleika’s friends from her days as a 'ghetto girl'. Find information about them in the text. How do you imagine both girls?

• Activity 4
  Zuleika’s feelings keep changing as she travels to Greenwich. Circle the adjectives which you think best describe her feelings at different points and indicate the lines of the poem in which Zuleika feels or sounds that way. You don’t need to use all the adjectives.
   

     Feeling:                         Evidence (on lines):
     Nostalgic                      
     Disappointed                
     Jealous 
     Lyrical 
     Interested 
     Furious 
     Exhausted 
     Impressed 
     Tongue-in-cheek 
     Rejected 
     Celebratory 
     Bitter 

• Activity 5
  Find examples of words or phrases in Latin and of modern slang in Zuleika’s language. What is the effect of this combination?

• Activity 6
  Find examples of anachronism (the reference to an event, a person, an object, language, etc., at a time when that event, person, or object was not in existence). What is their effect?
   

After reading

• Activity 1
  The last sentence in the text is 'I had arrived'. Describe what you imagine Zuleika saw on her arrival.

• Activity 2
  At what point on the novel do you think this chapter is included? What do you think will happen next? Write an outline of your story.  

Extension

• Activity 1
  Imagine the conversation between Zuleika and her friends when she returns from Greenwich. What would she tell them? How would she sound? Write the dialogue with two other readers. Then dramatise it for the rest of the class or reading group.

• Activity 2
  If you wanted to write a similar novel about your own country, what period in history would you choose? Who would be the hero or heroine? Why?