Background on william shakespeare and julius caesar

At the time of its creation and first performance, Queen Elizabetha strong ruler, was elderly and had refused to name a successor, leading to worries that a civil war similar to that of Rome might break out after her death. Many [ who? Intertwined in this debate is a smattering of philosophical and psychological ideologies on republicanism and monarchism.

One author, Robert C. Reynolds, devotes attention to the names or epithets given to both Brutus and Caesar in his essay "Ironic Epithet in Julius Caesar". Reynolds also talks about Caesar and his "Colossus" epithet, which he points out has obvious connotations of power and manliness, but also lesser-known connotations of an outward glorious front and inward chaos.

Caesar is deemed an intuitive philosopher who is always right when he goes with his instinct; for instance, when he says he fears Cassius as a threat to him before he is killed, his intuition is correct. Brutus is portrayed as a man similar to Caesar, but whose passions lead him to the wrong reasoning, which he realizes in the end when he says in V.

Houppert acknowledges that some critics have tried to cast Caesar as the protagonist, but that ultimately Brutus is the driving force in the play and is, therefore, the tragic hero.

Background on william shakespeare and julius caesar: Shakespeare may have written

Brutus attempts to put the republic over his relationship with Caesar and kills him. Brutus makes the political mistakes that bring down the republic that his ancestors created. He acts on his passions, does not gather enough evidence to make reasonable decisions, and is manipulated by Cassius and the other conspirators. Certainly, this is the view that Antony expresses in the final scene.

But one of the central strengths of the play is that it resists categorizing its characters as either simple heroes or villains. The political journalist and classicist Garry Wills maintains that "This play is distinctive because it has no villains". The characters rotate around each other like the plates of a Calder mobile. Caesar arrives at the arena with his wife, Calphurnia, his right-hand man, Mark Antony, Senators Brutus, Cassius and Casca, and other supporters.

Caesar dismisses the Soothsayer and enters the stadium. Cassius cajoles Brutus, telling him there is no reason Caesar should have more power than Brutus. At that moment, Caesar and his entourage exit the arena. Casca tells Brutus and Cassius that during the ceremony, Mark Antony had offered Caesar the crown three times, and that Caesar had refused to take it.

Later, Casca and Cicero meet in the street. Casca is frightened by a strange storm that has raged across Rome and takes it as a portent of terrible things to come. Cassius arrives and convinces Casca to join a conspiracy against Caesar. Another conspirator, Cinna, agrees to deliver anonymous letters to Brutus, in order to sway him to the cause.

Alone in his orchard in the early hours of March 15th, Brutus justifies his decision to himself. What Shakespeare points out is that history makes legends of these fallen leaders, and the legend can be as tough an opponent as a living tyrant. Many character and plot details are lifted directly from the source material, and even some of the phrases are copied word for word.

Background on william shakespeare and julius caesar: Julius Caesar takes place in ancient

But Shakespeare makes the story his own by adjusting characters and situations to suit his needs. However, as always, he never let the facts stand in the way of a good story. As in most of his histories, Shakespeare telescopes time. The assassination of Caesar was a month later historically, but in this play it seems only days later. The Forum scene Act 3, Scene 2 includes, in one sequence, action that in fact took place in several different places over a period of six weeks,and historically there were nine months between Brutus and Cassius meeting at Sardis and the battle at Philippi.

Background on william shakespeare and julius caesar: Shakespeare's central source for Julius

Like Caesar, Elizabeth was a strong and popular ruler, but there were concerns about what would happen to England after her death. Elizabeth had no direct heir, and the uncertainty about the succession created anxiety in the country. The play reflects the political concerns of Elizabethan England, particularly the fear of disorder and civil war.

Tyranny vs. Republic: Elizabethan England was a monarchy, but there was on-going debate about the role of monarchs and the extent of their power. Some feared the possibility of tyranny, while others believed in the divine right of kings, the idea that monarchs were chosen by God and should have absolute power.