I had a lot of trouble with Cleopatra, since she's the demonisation of a historical character. First, I made use of her Greek origins to give her pale skin. Then I added factors that would underline her 'peerless beauty', like the exaggerated proportions and paleness. There are also numerous anecdotes containing the snake, so I made her head ornament out of live snakes and added a few more to coil around her arms, so she would be able to use them as whips in order to make men or her enemies submit to her.