Sep 03, 2006 11:26 PM
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(Updated Dec 07, 2006 11:39 PM)
ABOUT THE PLAY
The play Julius Caesar is among William Shakespeare’s greatest works…Shakespeare has used various sources for this play but mostly he drew the plot from Sir Thomas North’s translation of Plutarch’s Lives…the three main lives include that of Marcus Brutus, Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius. From this, Shakespeare compiled his greatest work in the history of English literature,his play JULIUS CAESAR…
Though the main events occurring in the play are real, Shakespeare added a lot of his own creativity to the actual history of the great Julius Caesar…He gave life to the roman mob,he shows the mental turmoil of the characters,and he has portrayed almost all the major characters both in good light and bad light…So Shakespeare has made well use of the historical facts for the depiction of human nature, with all its nobility, honour, gentleness, violence, opportunism and its love and hatred…
And beyond doubt has Shakespeare made good use of language and dramatization…
THE MAJOR CHARACTERS
JULIUS CAESAR
The historical Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC and was assassinated by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Brutus and Caius Cassius in 44 BC. He was a brilliant commander and a socially powerful man who had high ambitions and his so called “ambitions” led to his own downfall...Shakespeare’s Caesar is a proud and arrogant statesman and suffers from many weaknesses(mental as well as physical)….he is superstitious, and thinks himself to be supreme powerful, though he is susceptible to flattery….he likes to portray himself as a selfless,public-spirited and above-common-faults man…
MARCUS BRUTUS
Born in 85 BC, Marcus Iunius Brutus committed suicide in 42 BC after his defeat in the battle of Philippi. He joined the conspiracy against Caesar for patriotic reasons but due to lack of practical sense,he was turned out of Rome and at last defeated by foes. But nevertheless, he rightly calls himself an “honourable” man…and throughout the play we see him as an honourable and sacrificing man, for the noble cause of saving Rome and the ungrateful Roman mob…He has deep feelings but he likes showing himself as a stoic, he has great morality in his character, he is an able general and he suffers great turmoil before murdering Caesar because he loved Caesar dearly and at the time of his own death he accepts it with humility and considers it to be Caesar’s revenge….
CAIUS CASSIUS
A supporter of Pompey, Cassius, was a shrewd and practical man unlike Brutus…He is believed to have killed Caesar because of personal jealousy…Cassius had a violent temper and was an extremely far-sighted man (again unlike Brutus)…He managed his way through everything, sarcasm and diplomacy being his weapon. A leading conspirator, Cassius committed suicide under the false impression that his armies and allies had lost at the battle of Philippi…but he too considers his death to be Caesar’s revenge….
MARCUS ANTONIUS
Friend of Caesars’, Mark Antony, is also a highly ambitious and shrewd statesman…who plays an important role in bringing about Caesar’s revenge and turning out the conspirators from Rome. Along with Octavious and Lepidus he forms the Triumvirate after Caesar’s death which becomes the principle governing body of the Roman Empire…A masterly orator, Antony is a far sighted and diplomatic man who knows his time…Fond of games, but he does not possess a moral nature…
THE SUMMARY
Well this play is actually “THE TRAGEDY OF MARCUS BRUTUS”…
Cassius forms a conspiracy with some of the senators including Casca, Decius, Trebonius, and others to kill Caesar…Almost all the conspirators are jealous of Caesar, so they don’t have any tormenting thoughts about their conspiracy…but the real turmoil is faced by Brutus who is given to make a hard choice: love for a dear friend or loyalty to Rome??? and Brutus chose loyalty and sacrifices his friend…
Now after the murder is committed Brutus makes the Romans understand that their act of murdering Caesar is noble and just when the fickle minded mob is almost convinced, Antony moves them to revolt against the conspirators with his masterly oratoryand the conspirators are driven away from Rome…and Antony together with Octavious and Lepidus forms the triumvirate….
Then comes the second climax which takes place at the battle of Philippi where both Cassius and Brutus commit suicide and the triumvirate succeeds!!!
Well the amazing thing about this play is that is has two climaxes: Caesars’ death and the last battle at Philippi between the Triumvirate and the two leading conspirators(Brutus and Cassius)as allies….
MY VIEWS
No words can describe the beauty of this play..it’s the best thing ever written in the history of English literature….
SOME QUOTED LINES
Flavius: These growing feathers plucked from Caesar's wing Will make him fly an ordinary pitch,Who else would soar above the view of men,And keep us all in servile fearfulness.
Antony: When Caesar says,'Do this,'it is performed.
Mischeif thou art afoot,take what course thou wilt.
Cassius: Men at times are masters of their fates:The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,But in ourselves that we are underlings.
And after this, let Caesar seat him sure,For we will shake him, or worse days endure.
Brutus,this sober form of your hides wrongs;
When thou didst hate him worst,thou lovedst him better Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.
Brutus: Believe me for mine honour,and have respect to mine honour,that you may believe.
Caesar: Et tu,Brute?Then fall,Caesar!
