Summary of Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Key facts
Full Title: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Compose date: 1599, in London
Published date: 1623, in the First Folio
Time setting: 44 BC, toward the end of the Roman republic
Place Setting: Ancient Rome,
Protagonists: Brutus and Cassius
Antagonists: Antony and Octavius
Themes in Julius Caesar
The theme is a broad concept presented in a literary section. William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar presents the dilemma of allegiance and also displays the darker aspects of human nature such as betrayal and barbarism. Some of the main themes of Julius Caesar are discussed below:
Masculinity and respect
Julius Caesar is a play involving the question of masculinity, in which the characters constantly examine their actions in the light of their relationship with the accepted notions of manliness, virtue, and power. Throughout the play, those recognized ideas have been presented in a surprisingly vague way. For example, Julius Caesar himself suffered from vulnerabilities that are ridiculous to the audience.
Superstitious beliefs
Shakespeare has shown Romans’ firm beliefs in omens. However, the elite often ignore such symptoms. When Soothsayer tells Caesar that he should beware of the March Ides, Caesar not only ignores him but even his wife, Calpurnia who reminds him that she had a very bad dream about him. However, Caesar postpones his visit to the Senate, deciding not to ignore his wife completely. Even Casca sees various omens and believes that this is probably a warning sign of Caesar’s dictatorship.
Dictatorship and power
Another notable aspect of the play is the use of power and power to establish oppression on the people, Julius Caesar. The two characters try to prove that Caesar has established an oppressive dictatorship; First Cassius uses the language of flowers to prove it and explains it to his audience and then Brutus, who sees that Caesar has become a dictator with absolute power. Cassius, however, goes further, calling Caesar a wolf, and vows that he would commit suicide instead of being a slave. On the other hand, Mark Anthony has told the Roman people that everyone is ambitious in one sense or another; Therefore, it is not understood that anyone should be killed just to be ambitious. Cassius and Brutus themselves follow ambition and power. If they had the same opportunity as Caesar, they could have proved worse than him.
The role of destiny
The role of destiny is another major theme of the play. Fate enters the drama when Caesar is warned of a possible catastrophe. In fact, the play revolves around Caesar’s fate, although Caesar rarely works to avoid this fate. Cassius, on the other hand, believes that he has the power to change his destiny. However, the sequence of events that he reveals does not stop until he accepts his fate. Conspirators also face their opponents by committing suicide on the battlefield. Thus, it seems that the play portrays most of the characters gripped in the hands of fate.
The power of speech
One of the major themes of the play is the power of speech, which shows how people’s perceptions can be changed. For example, Brutus delivers his speech before the general people by providing logic that he had killed Caesar to remove autocracy from the history of Rome, and thus the people are convinced. But Antony through his eloquence has proved that Caeser was not an autocratic ruler.
War and ambition
War fuel brings ambition and ambition brings war. This thematic strand also runs parallel to peace and dignity. Caesar has ignited the hysteria of war within the nation through his war tactics. He has won so many battles and shown so much heroism on the front that every Roman soldier is as ambitious as Caesar. That is why more battles are needed to win more respect. This is the same ambition that led the conspirators to weave a plan against Caesar.
Ethics and politics
The whole drama revolves around political policy and moral politics. Brutus’s involvement in political conspiracies and Caesar’s assassination is devoid of morality, while Mark Anton’s humorous speech shows moral standards that must be upheld.
Character analysis
Julius Caesar: He is a powerful military and civilian leader of Rome whose reforms have benefited Rome, but many senators fear he will enslave the Romans at will. Even in the face of his death, his integrity conflicts with the persons who want to protect him.
Brutus: He is the tragic hero of the play. His moral dilemma awakens the main moral dilemma of the play. Brutus is driven by Cassius to agree to take part in a conspiracy to assassinate his friend Caesar. Brutus is the last person to take part in the attack, and his wounds are the cause of Caesar’s death. Brutus’s betrayal seems to have hurt Caesar more than his death pain.
Cassius: He is disguised and cunning. His morality is essentially practical and based on what may be the best outcome for himself. He plans to kill Caesar.
Antony: He is first portrayed as a devoted follower of Caesar who has very little power of his own. As the play progresses to the final stage, the audience realizes that Antony has hidden his real skills as a speaker, strategist, and soldier. He exposes before the people Caesar’s real patriotism and influences the Romans to avenge Caesar’s death.
Octavius: He is the nephew of Julius Caesar and a skilled soldier. After the murder, he seeks revenge for Caesar’s death.
Casca: He is sarcastic and superstitious. He is the first of the conspirators to attack Caesar.
Calpurnia: Caesar’s wife
Portia: Brutus’s wife who commits suicide because of long absence of her husband.
Flavius and Marullus: They are two major tribunes of Rome. The term ‘tribune’ refers to the judge of the ancient Romans.
The keywords of the story
- Caesar’s Victory
- Conspiracy
- Caesar’s Death and Funeral
- Power Struggles
Summary
In 44 BCE, General Julius Caesar has defeated his rival Pompey and returns to Rome victorious. As he crosses the street, the Romans cheers for him. But not everyone welcomes him and two tribunes named Flavius and Marullus fear that Caesar has become too idolized. As Caesar prepares to welcome the public to the festival of Lupercalia, a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility, an astrologer comes to Caesar and warns Caesar “Beware the Ides of March”, that is 15th of march. Caesar ignores him.
Caesar’s friends Cassius and Brutus discuss the leader’s quest for power. Cassius worries that Caesar will be a dictator. He fears that the Roman Republic would be destroyed because of Caesar’s dictatorship. Brutus shares Cassius’s concerns but remains loyal to Caesar.
Cassius conspires to assassinate Caesar. He enlists Casca, Decius, Trebonius, Ligarius, Metellus Cimber, and eventually Brutus as conspirators. They plan to assassinate Anthony, Caesar’s closest ally but decide against it. Meanwhile, Caesar’s wife, Calphurnia, has a nightmare in which Caesar’s death has been predicted. Caesar dispels these misconceptions of his wife and goes to the Senate on the Ides of March, which means on 15th march.
On the Senate floor, Caesar refuses Metellus Cimber’s petition or request to bring his banned brother back to the country. At this moment, the conspirators create chaos and provide the signal and then the conspirators get up and attack Caesar altogether. When Brutus strikes, Caesar is shocked at his friend’s betrayal – saying, “Et tu, Brutè?” (“You too, Brutus?”)
Antony discovers the conspirators with Caesar’s body. Antony grieves but convinces the conspirators that he will take their side in public.
Brutus speaks first at Caesar’s funeral. He tells the crowd that he had killed Caesar out of love for Rome and fear of Caesar’s dangerous ambitions. The crowd believes Brutus and agrees with him. Antony talks later. He addresses the crowd as “Friends, Romans, countrymen,” gaining their favor, and says that Caesar was a good ruler who died a cruel death. He gives multiple examples of Caesar’s lack of authoritarian ambition, exposing Caesar’s body and reading Caesar’s will to the crowd, which donates money to every citizen. Antony’s speech and actions arouse the mob against the conspirators. Thus, Cassius and Brutus are forced out of the city to form an army to fight Antony’s forces.
Octavius Caesar arrives in Rome. Octavius is the nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar. He has also been named as the successor of his great uncle. After the funeral, he meets with Antony and General Lepidus. Octavius Caesar Antony and General Lepidus plan to overtake Brutus and Cassius’s forces and rule Rome themselves. Thus, a coalition government is formed and a civil war is declared against the army of Brutus and Cassius.
Brutus and Cassius quarrel while preparing for battle. Cassius refuses to punish the soldier who takes the bribe; Brutus fears that if they do not act honestly, they would all fall into corruption and Caesar’s death would be in vain. Eventually, the two reunite. Brutus confesses that his wife, Portia, committed suicide after Brutus’s long absence.
Later that night, Brutus receives a visit from Caesar’s ghost. The ghost says that Brutus will see him again the next day – in Philippi, the battlefield with the forces of Anthony, Octavius , and Lepidus.
In Philippi, the battle begins. Cassius’s forces quickly lose ground. Cassius sends his servant Pindarus to see how Brutus’s troops are faring elsewhere on the battlefield. Pindarus brings back bad news that Cassius’s friend and fellow soldier Titinius has been captured. Titinius is actually celebrating a victory with his troops, but Pindarus and Cassius are watching from too great a distance to see this. Cassius, in despair, asks Pindarus to kill him.
Brutus continues to fight but loses to the opposition. Antony has called for Brutus’s capture, dead or alive. Brutus kills himself with his sword rather than return to Rome as a slave. He also claims like Cassius that Caesar is avenged.
