Formative Performances: Margaret Tyzack in “I, Claudius”

[Women’s History Month, Day 23]

I, Claudius is one of the best programs I’ve ever seen. It’s a soap opera set in ancient Rome, complete with Shakespearean dialogue and bloody fantastic acting. The cast of characters is filled with schemers, manipulators, people who want to fight their way to the throne, and a short list of people who were above all that nonsense and just wanted everyone to be decent citizens.

Antonia, played by Margaret Tyzack, was one of those people. Tyzack did not have an easy role in I, Claudius. While the other characters were trying to poison and murder each other for their own selfish interests, Antonia just wanted Rome to stay decent, and was forced to watch the great city crumble in front of her.

Tyzack played a character who was more fundamentally decent than most people on the show, yet couldn’t feel or show any affection to her youngest son. She was noble, decent, and morally upright, but also cold and sometimes unfeeling. The following clip demonstrates her talent in playing Antonia, the good but cold woman who has had enough of this degenerate life in Rome. (WARNING: skip to 1:00 if you just want to see Tyzack. The first part of the clip is pretty bloody and disturbing.0