Caesar-as seen by Shakespeare One of the best drama and highly tragic is the JULIUS CAESAR written by William
Shakespeare, in the year in 1599/1600. It was one of the first plays which stressed on the lives of great en from Ancient Rome. The historical Julius Caesar was born on 13th July 100 B.C. His family name was Julian and hence the name Julius Caesar. He was honored for bravery at the siege of Mytilene when he was just twenty years of age. He left for Rhodes to study but on the way was captured by the pirates. His family had to pay a heavy ransom to set him free. But this didn’t intervene his plan of studying in Rhodes, but the outbreak of war with Pontus interrupted him. HE gathered force and participated in the war. He then formed an alliance with Pompey and Gassus known as THE FIRST TRIUMVIRATE. A triumvirate is the union of three men in one government. But after Gassus
death the two developed a friction. Pompey and Caesar battled out in the battle of Pharsalia. He overthrew Pompey and in 44 B.C he was finally made dictator for life but he couldn’t enjoy his dictatorship for too long as he was killed in the same year. Shakespeare chooses to deviate from the original and expected the characters to appear before Elizabethan audience in an appealing and dramatic way. His characters always stood for the values and ideals that always characterized Romans. The drama written begins with a victory parade of Julius Caesar who had just over Pompey’s son in the battle of Munda. Julius Caesar was always held in high esteem and some of the senators eyed at him suspiciously. They feared another tyrant (former being Lucius Tarquinious Superbus). They longed for freedom form Caesar. Among them was Cassius, a very shrewd contriver who had hatred towards Caesar personally. He chooses the noblest and the purest Roman Brutus for accomplishing this in a very easy manner. He claims that Caesar is a weak and unworthy to hold position. Brutus then gets convinced to take action by eliminating Caesar….. that was only the way he had. He gathers
people of similar notion and forms a faction. Even though Caesar was his dearest friend the country meant more for Brutus. On the other hand, Caesar was warned by people who cared for him and also soothsayer (Spurinna). He ignores all of them and keeps is head high unaware of the danger approaching. Caesar proceeds towards the Senate house. He was even offered a letter which had information about the conspiracy against him. Caesar denies reading it by saying there were other matters which required attention. On the contrary, the conspirators assassinate Julius on the Ides Of March. Antony, another important character, after hearing the tragic end of Caesar requests Brutus to speak at the funeral. Brutus gives his consent by imposing a condition that he shouldn’t speak against the faction. This decision of Brutus is considered to be the most ridiculous one ever in the complete play.
The speech delivered by Antony creates a stir in the people of Rome. With mounting sarcasm Mark Antony gradually turns Caesar’s faults into attributes and reduces the motives of the conspirators by repeatedly referring to them as honorable men, until the epithet becomes a curse. He sentimentalizes Caesar''s blood-soaked cloak until he has the multitude weeping with sorrow. At this time the drama reaches a high point of grief and suspense. He slowly turns the people to angry mob who then go crazy. The crowd gets enraged and drives Brutus and Cassius along with their companions out of the city. Antony then joins hands with Octavius Caesar. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He was nominated in the Caesar’s will to be heir. At the time of Caesar’s death, Octavius was in Apollonia in Illyria where Caesar had sent him to study under Greek masters in 45 B.C. When he heard the news of Caesar’s death, he came to Rome. But to heighten the drama, Shakespeare makes his arrivon the same day of murder.
They form a coalition to fight against Brutus and Cassius. Things go wrong with Brutus and Cassius as they quarrel over trifles. But they resolve their differences. When the day of battle arrives, Cassius becomes totally upset and gets misled by the happenings. He finally kills himself by requesting Pindarus, his slave to kill him. He breathes his last proclaiming that Caesar was avenged. Brutus gets aware of Cassius’s death and fills with gloom. He then asks one if his men to hold the sword so that he could run into it, and thus kills himself. Antony and Octavius win the battle and order for an honorable burial for Brutus. They finally disperse to celebrate over their victory.
This is Shakespeare’s version but the historians have said that Caesar planned his own death smartly. Caesar provoked the conspirators to kill him as was suffering from epilepsy. He couldn’t get rid of it, to liberate from it he decided to end his life. He chose to be killed because he always wanted to be a famous personality. People would pity him for what the destiny had in store for him.
Julius was undoubtedly the best Roman Rome ever had!