Shakespeare, William – Jules Caesar

Jules Caesar

The action of the tragedy takes place in Rome and in the final wall of the tragedy in Greece
Brutus, whose ancestors had expelled Tarquinio the Superb from Rome, is the adopted son of Caesar; despite this, he takes part in a conspiracy, hatched by some Roman senators including Cassio; the purpose of the conspiracy is to kill Caesar, to prevent the Roman Republic from turning into a monarchy.
Caesar, returns to Rome after the Egyptian war, meets a fortune-teller who suggests he pay attention to the ides of March, but Caesar ignores this warning and is assassinated on the same day.

At his funeral Marco Antonio, a friend of Caesar, with an oration that has become famous moves public opinion against the conspirators.
Brutus attacks Cassius, and accuses him of regicide in exchange for money; the two men later reconcile, but as they prepare for war against Marcus Anthony and Octavian, the ghost of Caesar appears in a dream to Brutus, and announces his next defeat: in fact, the battle that takes place in Philippi ends with the defeat of the conspirators and both Brutus and Cassius decide to commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner.
The tragedy ends with Marcus Anthony who, in front of Brutus's body, praises the honesty of his enemy and affirms that he did not kill out of hatred but out of love for his country.
In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare has closely followed North’s translation of Plutarch’s Lives; not only, the historical action in its ordinary course, bat also single characteristic traits in incidents and speeches, nay, even single expressions and words are taken from Plutarch. It is at the same time wonderful with what hidden and almost indiscernible power he has transformed the text into a drama, and made one of the most effective plays possible. Several critics have questioned whether Julius Caesar is the protagonist of the play. It is obvious that Shakespeare emphasizes Caesar’s superstition and pride in contradistinction to the nobility of Brutus. It is moreover strange that Caesar, if he be the most important character of the play, should disappear at the beginning of the third act. Cannot Brutus, in these circumstances, be regarded as the real hero? This is not the opinion of Prof. Dowden, who writes: “ Caesar is indeed protagonist of the tragedy: but is not the Caesar whose bodily presence is weak, who stands exposed to all the accident of fortune....It is spirit of Caesar which is dominant power of the tragedy; against this – the spirit of Caesar – Brutus fought; but Brutus, who errs in practical politics, succeeded only in striking down Caesar’s body; he who had been weak now rises as a pure spirit strong and terrible, and avenges himself upon the conspirators”. That the spirit of Caesar dominates the play is quite true, but considering the matter from a purely dramatic point of view, there is no doubt that is Brutus who, from beginning to end, engrosses our interest. A man of strong imagination and unimpeachable integrity, he is deluded by false appearances and by the wile of a trusted friend. His delusion and failure are the subject of the tragedy.