The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known

simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragic play by William Shakespeare, believed to

have been written in 1599.

It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against

the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, his

assassination and the defeat of the

conspirators at the Battle of Philippi.

It is one of several plays which Shakespeare

wrote based on true events from Roman

history, which also include Coriolanus and

Antony and Cleopatra.

Julius Caesar was originally published in

the First Folio of 1623, but a performance

was mentioned in September 1599 which is

when scholars date the play as being

written.

The text of Julius Caesar in the First Folio is

the only authoritative text for the play.

The source used by Shakespeare was Sir

Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Life

of Brutus and Life of Caesar

Julius Caesar

Calpurnia: Wife of Caesar

Octavius, Mark Antony, Lepidus: Triumvirs after the death of Julius Caesar

Cicero, Publius, Popilius Lena: Senators

Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Tribonius, Ligarius,Decius Brutus, Metellus Cimber, Cinna:

Conspirators against Julius Caesar

Portia: Wife of Brutus

Flavius and Marullus: Tribunes

Artemidorus: a Sophist of Cnidos

A Soothsayer

Cinna: A poet, who is killed by the angry

mob believing he is complicit with

Caesar’s death.

Although the title of the play is Julius

Caesar, Caesar is not the most visible

character in its action; he appears in only

three scenes, and is killed at the beginning

of the third act.

Marcus Brutus speaks more than four times

as many lines, and the central

psychological drama is his struggle

between the conflicting demands

of honour, patriotism, and friendship.

Julius Caesar begins with Caesar

returning home triumphant from a

victorious battle.

He is cheered by the crowds, until

a mysterious old man tells him to

“Beware the Ides of March”

(March 15th).

Meanwhile, the others in the

senate fear Caesar’s increasing popularity, and believe he may try

use his power to become a

tyrannical emperor.

Cassius plants false letters in Caesar’s

apartment, which Brutus finds, to suggest that

Caesar is seeking more power.

Cassius arrives at Brutus’s home with his

conspirators, and Brutus, who has already

been won over by the letters, takes control of

the meeting.

The men agree to lure Caesar from his house

and kill him.

Cassius wants to kill Antony too, for Antony

will surely try to hinder their plans, but Brutus

disagrees, believing that too many deaths

will render their plot too bloody and dishonor

them.

Caesar prepares to go to the Senate. His wife,

Calpurnia, begs him not to go, describing recent

nightmares she has had in which a statue of

Caesar streamed with blood and smiling men

bathed their hands in the blood.

At the Senate, the conspirators speak to Caesar,

encircling him. One by one, they stab him to

death. When Caesar sees his dear friend Brutus

among his murderers, he gives up his struggle and

dies.

The murderers bathe their hands and swords in

Caesar’s blood, thus bringing Calpurnia’s

premonition to fruition.

The murder sets in motion an

unstoppable chain of events, pitting

Brutus against his former friend, Mark

Antony, and leading the Roman

Empire into Civil War with itself.

Antony sways an angry Roman crowd

with a passionate speech, turning

them against Caesar’s assassins.

Later, in a second supernatural event,

Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus the

night before a deciding battle with a warning of defeat.

Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,

In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol. (2.2.22)

Cowards die many times before their deaths;The valiant never taste of death but once.

(2.2.34)

Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar! (3.1.77)

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.The evil that men do lives after them;The good is oft interred with their bones. (3.2.79)

You blocks, you stones, you worse than

senseless things!(1.1.39)

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,But in ourselves, that we are underlings. (1.2.135)

Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;(1.3.93)

Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds. (2.1.173)

Cry, 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war. (3.1.268)

Passion, I see, is catching. (3.1.283)

As he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. (3.2.27)

This was the most unkindest cut of all;For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,Quite vanquished him: then burst his mighty heart;(3.2.189)

I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,

Than such a Roman. (4.3.27)

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. (4.3.86)

There is a tide in the affairs of menWhich taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;Omitted, all the voyage of their lifeIs bound in shallows and in miseries. (4.3.218)

I had rather haveSuch men my friends than enemies. (5.4.28)

Julius Caesar (1950), starring Charlton Heston as Antony and Harold Tasker as Caesar.

Julius Caesar (1953), starring James Mason as Brutus, Marlon Brando as Antony and Louis Calhern as Caesar.

Julius Caesar (1970), starring Jason RobardsJr. as Brutus, Charlton Heston as Antony and John Gielgud as Caesar.

Julius Caesar (1979) TV movie starring Richard Pasco, Keith Michell and Charles Gray as Caesar

Julius Caesar (2012) filmed stage production starring Paterson Joseph as Brutus, Jeffry Kissoon as Caesar, Cyril Nri as Cassius, and Ray Fearon as Mark Antony

Despite being a depiction of an actual

historical event, Shakespeare was not

interested in teaching a history lesson to

his audiences, instead he created a

heightened drama to paint characters

who were richly human, and conflicted.

Human qualities such as honor, friendship,

loyalty, deceit, and revenge are feelings

we still experience, and still speak to

audiences today.

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