...From the savage Neanderthal to the charismatic Julius Caesar, humans have selfishly betrayed one another since the dawn of time. Written by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar portrays the tragedy of the Roman ruler. Deceived by his friends, Caesar is brutally murdered as the conspirators try to prevent him from ascending to the throne as the next leader of Rome. By placing their own egotistical interests and misconceptions before Rome’s, the conspirators wrongfully murdered Julius Caesar. Throughout the play, Brutus continually questions whether or not he should follow through with the plan to assassinate Caesar. He even makes the remark several times that Caesar personally did nothing to him saying, “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general. He would be crown'd: How that might change his nature, there's the question” (II.i.10). Brutus recognizes that other than his own fears for the future, Caesar has done nothing to deserve death. The conspirators repeatedly claim that because of Caesar’s unruly ambition, he would take the throne and expose his greedy, selfish side, although he has never shown any sign to actually having one. Convincing Brutus of this, they become obsessed with the idea that Julius Caesar would become a megalomaniac after his rise to the throne, making this the main incentive that the conspirators have against him, eventually making a rash decision to “sacrifice” him, supposedly for the good of...
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...Julius Caesar: Antony & Brutus In the play, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, two characters bang heads in a not literal way but also connect very well in others. Antony and Brutus both are friends of Caesars but when he is killed the true colors of these characters come out and as readers, we see who is on which side. Antony and Brutus have many things in common but as well, they also have many things that make them different. Throughout the play, Julius Caesar, Brutus and Antony show differences in each other in many ways. For example, Brutus was very honorable and Antony was very persuasive. “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more...”(Shakespeare 42) When Brutus spoke at Caesar’s funeral, he appealed to the people’s logic. As Antony spoke, he spoke to the emotions of the people not just their logic. “Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me” (Shakespeare 44) . Brutus’ speech was very short and to the point of just telling the people what they wanted to hear. While in Antony’s speech, which was longer, spoke only of all the good Caesar had done. Another difference between Antony and Brutus is that Antony is very smart and uses his intelligence throughout the play while Brutus is very naïve about multiple things. “Will you be patient? will you stay awhile? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it. I fear I wrong the honorable men whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it.”(Shakespeare 46). Antony is very manipulative...
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...Gaius Julius Caesar[b] (Classical Latin: [ˈɡaː.i.ʊs ˈjuː.li.ʊs ˈkae̯.sar]; July 100 BC [1] – 15 March 44 BC)[2] was a Roman general, statesman, Consul, and notable author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that was to dominate Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power through populist tactics were opposed by the conservative ruling class within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar's victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both when he built a bridge across the Rhine and conducted the first invasion of Britain. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. Caesar refused the order, and instead marked his defiance in 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with a legion, leaving his province and illegally entering Roman Italy under arms.[3] Civil war resulted, and Caesar's victory in the war put him in an unrivaled position of power and influence. After assuming control of government...
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...The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar There are many different characters with different personalities throughout “The tragedy Of Julius Caesar” such as Brutus and Cassius. Along with the many differences they have Cassius and Brutus also have a lot of similarities such as how they both think that Caesar is too powerful. A major difference between them is their moral choices and reasons for killing Caesar. When Brutus and Cassius were first introduced you could see their differences clearly but as the play develops people discover that the have a lot more similarities than it first appeared. A difference between Cassius and Brutus is that they have very different morals. When it comes to Cassius to killing Antony he thinks that Antony will become a nuisance and a possible threat. “As to annoy us all; which to prevent, Let Antony and Caesar fall together” (2.1.160.). Unlike Cassius, Brutus thinks that it is unnecessary to kill anybody other than Caesar because it would be just killing senselessly. “For Antony is but a limb of Caesar. Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers.” (2.1.165.). Brutus thinks that Antony is of no threat to the conspirators and he does not want unnecessary killing. If Brutus had followed Cassius’ advise and kill Antony they could have avoided the war and Brutus and Cassius would not have committed suicide. A similarity that Brutus and Cassius have in their personalities is that they both want to kill Caesar because they think he has too much...
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...Gabriella Vallejo Nigrelli Pd. 3 English 2 PAP 5/14/14 The More the Words, the Less the Meaning Words can be cunning and deceiving when the right person is using them. William Shakespeare displays the concept of how words can be powerful weapons when manipulated by the right person in his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (JC) as Brutus persuades the citizens of Rome to understand the righteousness of his delusional actions in his eulogy at Caesar’s funeral. The way Brutus charismatically urges the approval of the Romans is similar to the way Hitler brainwashed the citizens in Germany to exile Jews with his hypnotic way with words. Brutus’s intelligence does not diminish in the slightest as his choice of words cause the citizens’ change of heart towards his sinful actions and intentions, proving the theme that words can be powerful weapons. Brutus is very convincing when he argues that he assassinated his friend for the good of Rome, simply because “[he loved] Rome more” (JC 3.2.20) than his best friend. Brutus participates in killing Caesar, and he stands before the citizens saying that his death is a good thing because Rome will stay a Republic and not go back to an empire. He explains that while he loves his friend, his heart was always set on what was best for Rome. Brutus cleverly questions the citizens with, “who here is so vile that will not love his country” (JC 3.2.28-9). Brutus tests the citizens’ integrity and how civilized they are with this rhetorical device...
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...that various authors depict the life and accomplishments of Julius Caesar differently. After reading the article, “Julius Caesar” by Thomas K. Grose and an excerpt from Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures: A Concise History, multiple similarities and differences become visible. Following a thorough examination of both texts, it is apparent that Thomas K. Grose does a more efficient job presenting the material on the famous legend Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar is definitely a man of many honorable achievements. Noted as one of the greatest conquerors in all of history, he extended the Roman Empire by adding Gaul, Portugal and part of Spain. Thomas K. Grose refers to Caesar as "a superb political strategist and often a wise law-maker”.One hundred years prior to Julius Caesar, the Roman Empire was prospering at great rates. Unfortunately, by the time Caesar became involved with the empire, it was a complete mess. The Roman Empire was filled with food shortages, unstable housing, and joblessness. In an attempt to restore the empire, Caesar implemented a dictatorship. At age sixteen, Julius made his first smart political move. He dedicated his life to the daughter of Cinna, who was in charge of the Populist Party. When Caesar was nineteen, Cinna passed away and Sulla who was a tyrannical leader took over. Sulla ordered Caesar to divorce his wife but Caesar refused. While hiding from Sulla in the mountains, Caesar developed into a determined young man who yearned for authority...
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...Composers of texts often seek to present their opinions in such a way that influences the responder to agree or empathise with the composer. In both Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth, the composers’ perspectives on these historical figures and events are portrayed in unique ways which contradict and are contradicted by perspectives from other sources. Reasons for these differences can include the form of text and context of the composer, both of which affect not only the composer’s perspective, but the way in which they present it. Both Julius Caesar and Elizabeth are forms of text which serve primarily to entertain the audience. Even supposedly ‘historical’ plays and films do not have to adhere strictly to the ‘facts’ of history, but often stray from such accuracy in order to enhance entertainment value. For this reason, the viewpoint they may present on historical events or personalities can often conflict with accounts from other, more strictly historical, sources. For example, Julius Caesar was largely based off and echoes Plutarch’s Life of Caesar, and yet the two differ notably in many respects, such as the depiction of the funeral oratories given by Brutus and Antony. In Plutarch’s history, events are recounted very drily and matter-of-fact: “Brutus… came down from the capitol, and spoke to the people.” There is no direct quotation, details of the speech, or emotive language. Shakespeare on the other hand has both men give a detailed and well-crafted...
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...Julius Caesar Scrapbook Brutus By Carleigh Gifford For Mr. Young English Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 Act 1 Dear Diary, Caesar has returned from his victorious battle against Pompei. All of the commoners of Rome welcome Caesar back with great joy because they love him. On the other hand, I heard that the tribunes were very unhappy that Caesar was back and that they were destroying all of the decorations that were made to honour him. When Caesar entered with all of his friends, he was warned by the soothsayer to beware of the ides of March. After hearing the crowd go wild, Casca informed Cassius and I that Caesar was offered the crown three times and refused it all three times. This confused me a little bit because I know how much Caesar wanted to be emperor of Rome. I want to put some thought into my decision to make sure I do the right thing. This evening, the weather was very strange and violent. Everyone thought that it was a bad sign, but Cassius truly believed that it was to scare off Caesar and that no one else should take it as seriously. I can’t sleep, because I can’t get what Cassius had said to me, off my mind. Is killing Caesar really for the good of Rome? Brutus Act 2 Dear Diary, Today I have decided to agree with Cassius that killing Caesar would be the right thing to do. I’m only agreeing to this because I truly believe that murdering Caesar would be for the good of Rome. If the conspirators and I don’t kill him...
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...Julius Caesar He used his Censorial powers to appoint many new senators, which eventually raised the senate's membership to 900. To minimize the risk that another general might attempt to challenge him, Caesar passed a law which subjected governors to term limits: Governors of Praetorial provinces had to abdicate their office after one year, while governors of Consular provinces had to abdicate their office after two years. He passed a law which allowed him to appoint all magistrates in 43 BC, and all Consuls and Tribunes in 42 BC. He established order, begun measures to reduce congestion in Rome, draining large tracts of marshy lands, gave full voting rights to the inhabitants of his former province south of the Alps, revised the tax laws of Asia and Sicily, resettled many Romans in new homes in the Roman provinces and reformed the calendar, which, with one slight adjustment, is the one in use today. He established a police force, appointed officials to carry out his land reforms, and ordered the rebuilding of Carthage and Corinth. He also extended Latin rights throughout the Roman world, and then abolished the tax system and reverted to the earlier version that allowed cities to collect tribute however they wanted, rather than needing Roman intermediaries. Fall of the Republic The main cause was the expansion of territory controlled by Rome. The army of the Roman Republic was composed of citizen soldiers, who generally returned home after a single campaigning...
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...Julius Caesar When the name Julius Caesar is heard, it can only trigger the image of a great leader that led Rome into prosperity. Caesar's military excellence brought more power and more land; that lead to the increase of size and strength in Rome. His dictatorship helped the stability and prosperity in Rome. Caesar's assassination lead to a monarchy that was ruled by Octavin. His death lead to a domino effect ending in the ultimate collapse of the Roman Empire. Many people of the 21st century follow the path of Julius Caesar and try to be as great as he was. The assassination of Julius Caesar was a tragedy due to the contributions he made to Rome's prosperity during his life, and the chaos that occurred in Rome after his death. The contributions that Caesar made towards the strength of Rome's success, and the chaos and collapse of Rome after his death made the assassination of Julius Caesar a tragedy. Julius Caesar was assassinated by his own senate on March 15 44 BC; also known as the Ides of March. As he was walking in to the senate house, a man told him to beware the Ides of March. He ignored this statement and walked into the senate house. At this time some of the Senate members surrounded Caesar in a stealthy manner and tugged on his toga. As he looked around he was stabbed by many of the senate members multiple times. He collapsed to the ground and lay on the marble floor dead, next to the feet of Pompey's statue. (Nardo 94) Caesar's military eminence helped...
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...Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare Renowned English poet, playwright and actor William Shakespeare’s birth date is not known; however, he is said to have been baptized on the 26th of April 1564. He died on the 26th of April 1616 but not before he had written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets and other literary pieces. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into several languages over the years and have been produced in many forms throughout the ages. The Play Julius Caesar is a play about friendship, betrayal and power. The play is a historical tragedy as it presents the biography of one of the greatest man to have ever lived in Rome. Caesar was made Dictator and Consol after he chased Pompey and his forces out of Rome in an attempt to obtain ultimate power. Caesar’s ultimate goal was to become Rome’s first king and he remained focus on this goal until his death in 44BC. His death was as a result of fate and his refusal to acknowledge the many signs and omens that foreshadowed his fall. Brutus a very good friend of Caesar also took part in his assassination. Brutus feared that Caesar would become a tyrant and harm the people of Rome. In an attempt to ‘save’ the people Brutus helped Cassius to take Caesar’s life. After Caesar’s death he is avenged by his loyal servant Antony who skillfully manipulates his way into the band of conspirators. Later, after winning the love of the people Antony pursues and conquers Brutus’ and Cassius’ forces...
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...Julius Caesar - BBC Shakespeare Collection: Analysis Julius Caesar was written in 1599 by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers of his time and most popular in the modern era, with Julius Caesar being one of his greatest works. In his work Julius Caesar, Shakespeare shows the fluctuation of power in Rome and the problems that came with it. Shakespeare expresses the abuse of power and the struggles to obtain in a society that was at its peak. However with great power comes great responsibility along with challenges and dangers. There is no absolute power; every power has limitations; especially when you are just a human, power itself is more than a name or position; it is something that people must do. Every character within Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar has some form of power, however the biggest issue of power in this story, is the change of power in the rulers of Rome. Here once again Shakespeare displays to us many different kinds of power and the use and abuse of it such as, people with power using it just for their convenience. Julius Caesar, the protagonist of this story is the center of power; he is also the first logical person to be introduced. Upon his arrival, he is hailed as a great man who has been offered the crown numerous times, refusing it each time, he is to be seen as the hero of the people at that time. However, when Caesars past actions are looked upon we are meant to question if he has true heroism. These actions being that...
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...JULIUS CAESAR BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR Question 1 In what way does the crowd function as a character? In the play “Julius Caesar”, the crowd plays a crucial role in portraying the setting of their society. The crowds would usually portray characteristics of one character or individual. They acted like this in the way they went about doing things e.g.- they would always take the side of the person in power, they were easily persuaded because of their naïve state of mind. Question 2 One thing Julius Caesar and Brutus have in common is their divided selves. Compare the two characters with special reference to their public and private selves. Both Caesar and Brutus have two distinguished personalities, (divided selves). In reference to Brutus’ public personality, he is confident and hold himself in high esteem. He refuses to show even a spec of weakness. He takes great pride in his speeches. As opposed to his private self, who is very timid and gentle. This was portrayed in the play when he tries to conceal tis side of him from his wife. In reference to Caesar’s public personality, he is fearless, arrogant and noble in public. Caesar was unable to separate his public self from his private self unlike Brutus. Caesar would discuss his private affairs publicly. Question 3 Compare and contrast the scene between Portia and Brutus and the scene between Caesar and Calpurnia Brutus and Portia share a more respectful relationship with an understanding that they are...
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...Julius Caesar If Caesar had been more astute and willing to accept his own vulnerability, he might have recognized warnings around him which foreshadowed his assassination. One of the warnings, which was very important, was Artemidorus’ letter which contained names of all conspirators. This takes place in Act III scene i lines 5-10. Caesar ignored this warning by refusing to read Artemidorus’ letter, because he wanted to read it last, as he says “What touches us ourself shall be last serv’d.” The second warning that he ignored was Calphurnia’s (his wife’s) dream about Caesar’s blood upon the Capitol (Act II scene ii). After he received this warning, at first he decided not to go, but then Decius came and changed his mind by interpreting the dream such a way that seems to be good. Decius said those bloods and all mean that great Rome regards you as its lifeblood. Therefore, Caesar changed his mind and decided to go to the Senate House. As you see the warnings were all around Caesar and he just had to listen to others. The last warning that I found in the play were fortune-tellers. Before Caesar goes to Senate House, he asked soothsayers and fortune-tellers about it, and they advised him not to go out on that day (Act II scene ii). This is what they said: “Opening up the innards of a sacrifice, they couldn’t find a heart inside the beast.” From these warnings, and assassination of Caesar, we conclude that Caesar was proud of himself, believing himself as eternal as...
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...is particularly relevant to the character of Brutus during the play. During the scenes of William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, characters are able to rise to power through their particular strengths. These characters, Cassius, Brutus, and Antony all have different characteristics that helped them gain power within the city of Rome. However, these people also showed that they were human by having weaknesses that led to their down fall. Within a leader, it is important to look at their trustworthiness, honorability, reputation, and their use of empathy. These three characters all displayed differences within these traits which made them unique in their own ways. Within the scenes of Julius Caesar, Cassius, the leader of the conspiracy against Caesar, displays many strengths that guide him to the rise to power, and weaknesses which direct him to his eventual fall. Cassius believes that the people of Rome are responsible for the government of Rome. They have allowed a man to gain excessive power; therefore, they have the responsibility to stop him, and with a man of Caesar's well-known ambition, that can only mean assassination. Clearly, the most significant characteristic of Cassius is his ability to perceive the true motives of men; in other words, the ability to read or see through other people, which is called empathy. Caesar...
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