Shakespeare, William - Introduction to Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar is the first of Shakespeare's Roman plays, a series of tragedies written about the Roman history (like also ‘’Antony and Cleopatra’’, ‘’Coriolanus’’ and ‘’Titus Andronicus’’.)
Shakespeare wrote it about 1599-1600 and it was probably the first tragedy played at the Globe Theatre.

Its importance lies in its modernity!
With this tragedy, Shakespeare introduced the main topic of all his future works (in particular of the Amleto) which is the man.

As we know, during Renaissance, man is at the center of attention.
For the first time, MAN is truly explored and considered like a HUMAN.
so not like a member of a particular social class (like in Chaucer's work)
not for his condition, but
for what he really is/has the deepest part of his soul!
For the first time man starts questioning about himself
He looks into the mirror without any type of masks!
But most of all, he is a new man.

He breaks with the past, with Medieval times and ideals:
• first because of his doubt:
now man can choose between different choices/different passions and loves
( Brutus must choose between the love for his father and the love for Rome, Romans and Liberty)
Instead, in middle age, man hadn't a second choice. His life was entirely focused on religion and God!
• another difference is that
The medieval man used to act without thinking
Modern man/Shakespeare's man thinks and reflects before acting

(And this is also his misery and his tragedy!)

In the tragedy of Julius Caesar there are 3 main characters: Caesar, Brutus (his son), and Mark Antony (his friend)
The protagonist of the tragedy is not Caesar but Brutus! Caesar's tragedy is his death and his disappointment
Brutus' tragedy is worse that death because he has to choose between two different loves: the love for his father and the love for Rome Romans and liberty
Brutus believed that his father, Caesar, was a tyrant and wanted to restore the monarchy in Rome. For this reason, convinced by Casca and Cassius, he conspired against Caesar and he murdered him during the Ides of March.
After Caesar's death, Brutus and Antony made two different speeches talking to the crowd.

To write his work, William Shakespeare drew inspiration from the "Parallel Lives" of Plutarch, a Roman historian.
In this work
•Plutarch introduced the figure and the life of Cassius, Mark Antony and Brutus
•he wanted to give people same "moral examples"
•but, most of all, he wanted to find a justification for the murder of a tyrant, and he did it because he said that, in this case, this murder is necessary because the tyranny is really bad and it's necessary to stop it, obviously not without consequences.
The most tragic one is the death, the suicide of the murder!
In Plutarch, but also in Julius Caesar, the suicide is considered like the highest form of honor, it could make a murderer a hero because it’s seen like a sort of ‘’sacrifice’’ for the common good! Mark Antony will define Brutus as the most honorable man in Rome, after his suicide! The importance of honor in life but especially in death!

William Shakespeare decided to use the Roman history first because he consider this period, especially the period of the Republic, and, in general, this population like one of the most important one, because of his history, culture, traditions and virtues!
Using roman history, he could get lessons from the past and used them in present, without being too much involved by facts and events!
He used past events to better read, understand and face the particular situation of the England of his time (with Elizabeth I and James I) which was real difficult and instable!
Writing about Roman history, referring to Brutus, Cassius, and Mark Antony …he could talk about the problems of his time not accusing directly the English curt (he said his opinion implicitly, without exposing in political situations!)
William Shakespeare was also inspired by an Italian poet, who is Machiavelli. From Machiavelli, Shakespeare took the concept that the POLICY is a necessary part of a MAN. In this way, the study of policy became also the study of man, of the human nature because in political situations man revealed himself for who he really (And this is alsohis misery and his tragedy!)

In the tragedy of Julius Caesar there are 3 main characters: Caesar, Brutus (his son), and Mark Antony (his friend)
The protagonist of the tragedy is not Caesar but Brutus! Caesar's tragedy is his death and his disappointment
Brutus' tragedy is worse that death because he has to choose between two different loves: the love for his father and the love for Rome Romans and liberty.
Brutus believed that his father, Caesar, was a tyrant and wanted to restore the monarchy in Rome. For this reason, convinced by Casca and Cassius, he conspired against Caesar and he murdered him during the Ides of March.
After Caesar's death, Brutus and Antony made two different speeches talking to the crowd.

To write his work, William Shakespeare drew inspiration from the "Parallel Lives" of Plutarch, a Roman historian.
In this work
•Plutarch introduced the figure and the life of Cassius, Mark Antony and Brutus
•he wanted to give people same "moral examples"
•but, most of all, he wanted to find a justification for the murder of a tyrant, and he did it because he said that, in this case, this murder is necessary because the tyranny is really bad and it's necessary to stop it, obviously not without consequences.
The most tragic one is the death, the suicide of the murder!
In Plutarch, but also in Julius Caesar, the suicide is considered like the highest form of honor, it could make a murderer a hero because it’s seen like a sort of ‘’sacrifice’’ for the common good! Mark Antony will define Brutus as the most honorable man in Rome, after his suicide! The importance of honor in life but especially in death!

William Shakespeare decided to use the Roman history first because he consider this period, especially the period of the Republic, and, in general, this population like one of the most important one, because of his history, culture, traditions and virtues!
Using roman history, he could get lessons from the past and used them in present, without being too much involved by facts and events!
He used past events to better read, understand and face the particular situation of the England of his time (with Elizabeth I and James I) which was real difficult and instable!
Writing about Roman history, referring to Brutus, Cassius, and Mark Antony …he could talk about the problems of his time not accusing directly the English curt (he said his opinion implicitly, without exposing in political situations!)
William Shakespeare was also inspired by an Italian poet, who is Machiavelli. From Machiavelli, Shakespeare took the concept that the policy is a necessary part of a man.
In this way, the study of policy became also the study of man, of the human nature because in political situations man revealed himself for who he really.