Analysis of 'Julius Caesar' In the play ‘Julius Caesar’ by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, the Emperor of Rome, is murdered during the third Act. This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience. 1. “There is a tide in the affairs of men/Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;/Omitted, all the voyage of their life/Is bound in shallows and in miseries./On such a full sea are we now afloat;/And we must take the current when it serves,/Or lose our ventures.” –Brutus, Act IV, Scene iii, lines 216-222, 10. It has been suggested that power and the quest for power are the reasons behind his murder. Shakespeare uses Antony’s sincere diction in order to demonstrate his suffering, which in turn effects the Roman public as they join in his sadness. Rhetoric in The Illiterate Gregerson’s article “Rhetorical Contract in the Lyric Poem” expounds upon the purpose of lyric poetry. Brutus emerges as the most complex character in Julius Caesar and is also the play’s tragic hero. As passionate as they may be, they are rarely constant. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Mischief, thou art afoot,/Take thou what course thou wilt,” Antony says as he watches the people of Rome riot, loot, and search for revenge for Caesar’s death (Act III, scene ii, lines 261-262). Cimber is a "base spaniel fawning." In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Julius Caesar, the contrast between honor and power in a leadership position is presented as many individuals work to better Rome with their own ideals of national glory. Indeed, his constant loyalty to Rome even outweighs his loyalty to his friend, Caesar. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Ivlivs Cæsar) is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599. “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things! A great deal is said about Caesar in the play, even though he only appears in three scenes. Despite Antony’s supposed cordiality, his motives lie in revenge, and he continues to praise Caesar regardless. Julius Caesar Analysis Aristotle was perhaps the pioneer of modern day dramas, more specifically dramatic tragedies. Marc Antony opposes Brutus, being a strong … Having trouble understanding Julius Caesar? The author utilizes paralipsis within Antony’s deceptive diction in order to subtly turn attention towards Caesar’s beneficial rule. Shakespeare utilizes paralipsis once more in order to distract from Antony’s continuous opposition to Brutus’ methods. There’s thunder and lightning as Casca and Cicero enter. Brutus’ duty to Rome outweighs his kindness to his friends; such noble constancy is rare. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I lov’d Caesar less, but that I lov’d Rome more. “Beware the ides of March.” –Soothsayer, Act I, Scene ii, line 18, 2. In (Act I, scene ii, lines 220-240, etc.). Shakespeare wrote play based on the life of Julius Caesar. Love as Symptom in Beroul’s Tristan: The Original Text and Its Film Version, Uses of Metonymy in Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Challenge of Survival in The Road and I Am Legend, Immaturity in The Epic of Gilgamesh: A Critique of the Protagonist, The Immense Effect of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, Rhetoric in William Meredith’s “The Illiterate”. At the beginning of the play, Caesar has just defeated the faction of his rival, Pompey. The most striking of Shakespeare is his command of language. Caesar himself is mostly constant, though he fears “lean and hungry” Cassius, and wants fat men about him; almost in the same breath, however, he says, “always I am Caesar”. Cassius is opposed to Caesar’s corruption, but is lenient over the bribery his soldiers are guilty of; hence Brutus’ accusation that Cassius has an “itching palm” (Act IV, scene iii, line 10). Agent is Julius Caesar. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. However, Shakespeare provides an easy opportunity for citizens to sympathize with Antony by using rhetorical questioning within Antony’s kind-hearted diction. The author’s use of logos when speaking of Caesar’s rule over Brutus is used to sway both the minds and hearts of the citizens because they are more willing to follow someone who gives back to them. He went back to Rome victorious. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. “Now let it work. Shakespeare shows in Julius Caesar that following people blindly can end in conflict through the plot. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;/I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him./The evil that men do lives after them;/The good is oft interred with their bones;/So let it be with Caesar.” –Mark Antony, Act III, Scene ii. They are in fact a fickle group of people, easily swayed by whoever is speaking to them, as evidenced later in the play when Antony turns a hostile crowd into a mob against Brutus and Cassius. Julius Caesar is a Roman dictator. Summary. When Brutus learns of officers in Cassius’ army taking bribes, he shows his opposition so openly that he wounds Cassius’ pride, resulting in a quarrel (Act IV, Scene iii). Brutus wants to fight Mark Antony and Octavius while his and Cassius’ armies still have the men “‘twixt Philippi and this ground” on their side, for, being “but in a forc’d affection”, those men may switch to the enemy’s side if Mark Antony and Octavius meet them before the battle. Antony then finalizes his speech with an inspirational question that says, “you all did love [Caesar] once, not without cause. The author initially uses paralipsis to display Antony’s subtle mockery of Brutus and his fellow conspirators. Shakespeare utilizes Antony’s heartfelt diction in order to turn the crowd’s motives towards revenge because it is easy for the public to relate to a king who benefits his fellow man. “I will this night,/In several hands, in at his windows throw,/As if they came from several citizens,/Writings, all tending to the great opinion/That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely/Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at.” (Cassius, Act I, scene ii). ( Log Out /  We won the battle against his arch enemy, Pompey The Great, in Spain. ( Log Out /  His ghost appears to Brutus (Act IV, scene iii), showing us how Caesar still exists, even if no longer in physical form. The main theme of this play is constancy versus inconstancy, everyone in the play manifesting varying combinations of these two opposites. He is a powerful public figure, but he appears also as a husband, a master to his servants, a … Portia, Brutus’ wife, is offended that he won’t tell her what’s troubling him and keeping him awake at night (Act II, scene i); she feels he doubts her constancy, which she proves by cutting a wound in her leg. “The people ‘twixt Philippi and this ground/Do stand but in a forc’d affection;/For they have grudg’d us contribution./The enemy, marching along by them,/By them shall make a fuller number up,/Come on refresh’d, new-added, and encourag’d;/From which advantage shall we cut him off,/If at Philippi we do face him there,/These people at our back/…You must note beside/That we have tried the utmost of our friends,/Our legions are brim full, our cause is ripe./The enemy increaseth every day:/We, at the height, are ready to decline” (Brutus, Act IV, scene iii, lines 202-210, 210-215; then see Quote 9 above). Cassius is constant, though, towards his friend, Titinius, when he, believing his friend has been taken by the enemy, kills himself. However, Antony relates to each citizen by illustrating Caesar’s values that care for people and gives back to the public. His followers wish to make him king, though he has rejected Marc Antony’s offer of the crown three times. Dive deep into William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion The powerful quality of Antony’s views is capable of influencing change, which is why the public so instantly fights against the conspirators in an attempt to avenge the much-adored Julius Caesar. Brutus was seeking justice for a whole country, which cannot be achieved without hard work. Read a character analysis of Brutus, plot summary, and important quotes. While Dante, in his Inferno, portrayed both leading conspirators, Brutus and Cassius, as traitors whose treachery is comparable to… Power is defined as a position of authority or control with the ability to do or act upon you will. The tribunes verbally attack the masses for their fickleness in celebrating the … To stop Caesar from gaining too much power, Brutus and the conspirators kill him on the Ides of March. Here's an in-depth analysis of the most important parts, in an easy-to-understand format. By portraying Brutus as consistently honorable, and then following his alleged successes with his detriments to society, Antony is cunningly putting the blame on Brutus while simultaneously complimenting him. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The author uses Antony’s repetitive diction to prove the opposite of its connotation. He first defined what a tragedy is: A drama which contained hubris, pathos and/or bathos, and the most valued element in a tragedy, a tragic hero. The King of Rome who has just defeated the sons of Pompey. Some people want him crowned king, others fear his ambition will make him a tyrant if crowned. Antony puts emphasis on Brutus’ supposed honor in order to backhandedly mock Brutus’ morals that differ from Caesars. The citizens commiserate the death of Caesar by turning against the conspirators. In his soliloquies, the audience gains insight into the complexities of his motives. “Th’abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins/Remorse from power; and to speak truth of Caesar,/I have not known when his affections sway’d/More than his reason. The play ‘Julius Cesar’ is one of the greatest works of the famous writer Shakespeare. Antony’s ability to sneak around Brutus’ restrictions helps relate to the needs of the citizens because there is a central focus around Caesar’s past accomplishments. They refer to the masses as \"You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!\"(1.1.34). Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Also, he thrice refuses a kingly crown, though, as Casca reports, he refuses it less and less. “Caesar, now be still:/I kill’d not thee with half so good a will.” –Brutus, Act V, Scene v, lines 50-51. The author uses Antony’s altruistic and deceptive diction to show both a connection to an old friend and to avenge the killing of Caesar. Later in that scene, Brutus’ constancy is so full that he would allow Mark Antony to honour Caesar in his funeral for the good he did in his life; this generosity, of course, is a risk Brutus is taking, and one that ultimately leads to his death, but it also shows how constant he is. Mark Antony drives the conspirators out of Rome and fights them in a battle. Julius managed to do more than he could imagine as a leader. He fears the growing power of Caesar, but is inconstant with the truth when he forges letters of complaint about Caesar’s tyranny, and has them tossed in the windows of Brutus’ home to trick him into joining the conspirators. ( Log Out /  Brutus solely asks that Antony not speak badly of the conspirators, leading Antony to cunningly work around his oratory limitations. Antony later utilizes repetition of Brutus’ supposed honor as well as rhetorical questioning to backhandedly place the blame on Brutus. Antony’s wisely worded speech then becomes stronger because he inflicts a physical reaction, all while speaking with peaceful diction. Antony repeatedly exclaims that “Brutus is an honorable man” in order to feign loyalty to the conspirators (III.ii.82). Julius Caesar has just reentered Rome in triumph after a victory in Spain over the sons of his old enemy, Pompey the Great. “O, coward that I am to live so long/To see my best friend ta’en before my face!” (Cassius, Act V, scene iii, lines 34-35)  When Titinius, having not been taken, returns and sees Cassius lying dead on the ground, he kills himself, too. Later, when she fears for him and his shaky fortunes in the wars after killing Caesar, we learn she’s killed herself by swallowing burning coals, or fire, as it says in the text (Act IV, scene iii). Shakespeare utilizes the contrast between Brutus’ honor and his malicious actions to sway the public towards the more evident evil of murder. The author portrays Antony’s diction as being both benevolent and deceitful because his morals lie in bettering Rome, but his motives are to go against Brutus’ rule and avenge the death of his beloved Caesar. 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