The loudspeaker’s comparisons of the phoenix to Cleopatra and la du Barry (a royal mistress and victim of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution) are significant: they draw attention to the spectacle of death. Both figures are as famous for their deaths as for their lives (Cleopatra’s suicide by allowing a snake to bite her has been depicted countless times in art). The phoenix’s death, too, is a spectacle, drawing cameras and audiences gaping at the bird’s demise. The comparisons to “Cleopatra” and “wild gypsy music,” as well as the references to “the ancient East,” are also meant to exoticize the phoenix. This exoticism adds to the spectacle, making it feel rarer and more extravagant. But these comparisons also draw attention to the imperialist exploitation taking place. The phoenix
is from “the ancient East,” it’s immortal (sort of), and it was captured from Arabia. Its death reflects the violence committed throughout the Middle East for the sake of the British empire.