Messalina's mother kept calling her this in 'A God in Colchester', as if Messalina was to be thought of by the viewers as just a naïve , silly little girl when, in fact, she was already 30 years old. I hate it when writers do this.
shareI would think Domitia's words were more of the parent who can't shake off her parental attitude toward her grown child.
shareMessalina, as presented in "I, Claudius", obviously had arrested development. Her first scene, in that weird midnight drag performance, is seen as very shy and retiring, and even in her first scenes with Claudius, is very loving with him, only out of the blue becoming sexually demanding towards others and power hungry. She's a fascinating character to watch blossom into the horrible young woman she became. Her mother seemed to be a woman of honor, but didn't have the guts to discipline her daughter and was actually very much used by her because of her weaknesses. "Child...child...life is done. Take the dagger." For me, those moments are the most haunting in the mini-series after the death of Livia, and Messalina is the second best female character. I can just imagine Antonia's reaction to her marriage to Claudius. I wonder, though, why Messalina wasn't included in Claudius's dreams.
"Great theater makes you smile. Outstanding theater may make you weep."