Julius Caesar Beware the Ides of March - 1017 Words

The Senate of the Roman Republic are the ruling power over most of the known world. Yet this powerful and influential senate is easily threatened by one man; Julius Caesar. To the senators Caesar is the catalyst for the downfall of a Republic they had worked so hard to create and protect. The playwright William Shakespeare dives into this world of betrayal and ambition with his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Using his voice as a writer he takes the audience into Rome and lets them experience each riveting moment of Caesar’s fall. The play shows that Caesar is not the cause of Rome’s eventual downfall, but the senators who conspire against him and ultimately kill him are the ones reprehensible. Shakespeare introduces the†¦show more content†¦As Brutus thrusts his knife into Caesar’s already bloodied belly, Caesar says one last thing. â€Å"Et tu Brute? Then fall Caesar,† says Caesar with his dying breath (938). Once Brutus and Marc Anto ny share their voluminous speeches, you begin to think about the character of Caesar and realize he is a sympathetic and honorable character. Power corrupts everyone, even the strong who feel they are disregarded from this powerful lesson. Brutus and Cassius were also corrupted by power, Marc Antony too. Even though Caesar was corrupted by an unquenchable thirst for power, he is still an honorable character. Brutus and Cassius may have considered Caesar’s ‘amibition’ a character flaw, what they don’t realize is that they too were ambitious but, because they betrayed Caesar they were not honorable. â€Å"He hath brought many captives home to Rome whose ransom’s did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious,† says Marc Antony (950). Here at his funeral Antony speaks in honor of Caesar and gives compelling evidence as to why he not a bad man. â€Å"When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be ma de of sterner stuff,† says Antony (950). It takes an honorable man to shed tears, but to weep? That takes honor. Caesar’s actions as Antony describes them creates the image of a wildly sympathetic character that many audiences can relate to. In the end, a great ruler was killed due to the jealousyShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth Essay1207 Words   |  5 Pageslike Macbeth or Julius Caesar. The protagonists Macbeth and Banquo conquer the evils that face them throughout the plot. However, the nature of violence that takes place throughout Shakespeare’s plays is in relation toâ€Å"the source of the killing of the soul†(Macbeth and the Nature of Evil). In Macbeth, Macbeth is known as a superhuman warrior, the characteristics of being brave and having ambition. The main reason evil stirs up violence can be seen as examples in Macbeth and Julius Caesar, which is causedRead MoreOmens in Julius Caesar578 Words   |  2 Pagesomens can prevent th e inevitable, in Julius Caesar, the power, though often ignored, and the roles that the omens play are so important in the outcome of the characters themselves and, therefore, the outcome of the play. Omens in Julius Caesar, and especially the refusal to listen to them, are so much of what makes the play a tragedy. From advice for Caesar to beware the Ides of March, to abnormal weather, and the odd and somewhat frightening dreams, Julius Caser is full of vastly different omensRead MoreHow to Identify Villains and Heros Essay704 Words   |  3 Pagesplay, Julius Caesar, shows the difference of heroes and villains using the senators of Rome to show the difference between heroes and villains. 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The play starts off with Julius Caesar entering Rome after his victory in the civilRead MoreThe Omen: Forces of Nature Play a Very Important Role in Julius Caesar1127 Words   |  5 PagesForces of nature play a very important role in Julius Caesar. There is much attention paid to omens and nightmares and how they foreshadow Caesars death. The events that lead to the death of Julius Caesar are predicted by omens from multiple characters such as Calpurnia, Caesars wife, the Soothsayer, and a teacher, Artemidorus. The omens in the play were ignored by a majority of the main characters. Even though ignored, these omens appear even after Caesars death to show the guilt-ridden nature of theRead MoreJulius Caesar : A Tragic Hero934 Words   |  4 PagesJulius Caesar is a work of art by William Shakespeare in 1599. Within this play Julius Caesar is portrayed as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined as â€Å"the main character of a tragedy [who is] usually dignified, courageous, and high ranking† (novel study guide). Also vital to defining a tragic hero is that, â€Å"the hero’s downfall is caused by a tragic flaw† ( novel study guide). It is very evident that Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a tragic hero given that he is of nobleRead MoreAmbiguity In Shakespeares Julius Caesar1395 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Overall, the main character, Julius Caesar is a character that readers are often very ambiguous about. On one hand, it is said that Julius Caesar would likely become a tyrant if he was crowned king. On the other hand, Julius Caesar is made out to be a great hero. Therefore, readers are faced with a dilemma about who they should side with in this story. By having many of the supporting characters going against the decision to crown Julius Caesar king, this creates an even larger dilemmaRead MoreFate vs. Free Will Julius Caesar Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare there are two forces at work fate and freewill and throughout the play they are both fighting for control over man. Fate was shown in the many prophecies and omens that the characters viewed throughout the entire play. Free will as defined in the play is the ability to overcome fate. Although in the end all three of the characters succumbed to their fate, Shakespeare shows again t hat there is a delicate balance between fate and human free will. Read MoreThe Murder of Julius Caesar668 Words   |  3 PagesGUIAS JULIUS CAESAR ATTACKED AS HE SAT IN THE SENATE; LEFT TO DIE AT THE FOOT OF POMPEY’S STATUE Rome, March 15, 44BC - Dictator of the Roman Republic, Julius Caesar has been stabbed and killed by a group of senators, who call themselves the â€Å"Liberators.† Rumor has it they believed that Caesar had become too powerful and they decided that he had to be killed. While attending a meeting at the Senate, Caesar was ambushed and viciously attacked with daggers by the â€Å"Liberators.† Antistius, the attendingRead MoreJulius Caesar : A Tragic Hero937 Words   |  4 Pages Caesar the Great Julius Caesar is a work of art by William Shakespeare in 1599. Within this play Julius Caesar is portrayed as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is defined as â€Å"the main character of a tragedy [who is] usually dignified, courageous, and high ranking† (novel study guide). Also vital to defining a tragic hero is that, â€Å"the hero’s downfall is caused by a tragic flaw† ( novel study guide). It is very evident that Julius Caesar in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a tragic