Julues caecer

Julius Caesar

Who is the real Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar is a powerful Roman political and military leader who gets stabbed in the back by a group of conspirators who are supposed to be his friends.

Even though the play is named after Caesar, we don't really see much of him. He appears on stage only a few times before he's assassinated in the middle of Act 3, Scene 1.

It is also important to remember that much of what we hear about Caesar is filtered through the points of view of various characters particularly his enemies.

Con. Some study guides will suggests that Shakespeare's Caesar is a tyrant or that he has ambitions to rule Rome with absolute authority.

This isn't necessarily accurate. Regardless of what we think about the historical Julius Caesar, Shakespeare's portrayal of him as acharacterin his play is ambiguous

The one thing we do know for sure about Caesar is that he is a total drama queen who likes to put on a big show

! Caesar the Drama Queen

When he returns to Rome at the beginning of the play he parades through the streets like if he's a rock star .

The clearest example of Caesar's theatricality is when he appears before the crowd during the Feast of the Lupercal. After refusing the crown Antony offers him, he faints dramatically and then apologizes for his behavior.

Casca points out, when Caesar acts this way the crowd claps and hisses for him like he's an actor "in the theater.

Caesar the Ambitious Tyrant?

He would be crowned:How that might change his nature, there's the question.It is the bright day that brings forth the adder,[...]And therefore think him as a serpent's eggWhich, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischievous,And kill him in the shell.Here Brutus compares Caesar to a "serpent's egg" that should be eliminated before it hatches and becomes dangerous.

This suggests that the conspirators see in Caesar afuturethreat to Rome. They're afraid of Caesar not because heisa tyrant, but because hemight becomea tyrant if he gains more power

Caesar the Non-Threat?

Still, for a person who is supposed to be a major threat to Rome, Caesar sure does have a lot of physical defects and handicaps

Early on in the play we learn that his hearing is impaired , he makes Antony stand on his right side because his left ear is deaf.

We're also told by Cassius that Caesar cannot swim (he almost drowned once) and that he became very sick as a young man .

Con.Later, in Act 1, Scene 3, we noticed that he suffers from something like epileptic fits.

Shakespeare also raises the possibility that Caesar may have been impotent or sterile: when Caesar announces that Calphurnia is "barren," it's clear the couple is childless.

through pointing out to Caesars' imperfect sides, Shakespeare may just be showing us that Caesar is as human as the rest of us. But might he also be suggesting that Caesar isn't as big a threat as the conspirators make him out to be.

Julius Caesar and Northern star

Caesar compares himself to the Northern Star:

I could be well moved, if I were as you.If I could pray to move, prayers would move me.But I am constant as the northern star,Of whose true fixed and resting quality

Caesar claims to be the most "constant" (steady) guy in the universe. The irony here is that Caesar delivers this big, fancy speech a seconds before his assassinationThe conspirators surround him and stab him to death 33 times, unseating him from power.

Brutus

Biggest Backstabber Ever or Roman Hero?

One of the conspirators, Brutus issupposedto be Julius Caesar's friend but he ends upstabbing him because he thinks he is too ambitious

Brutus's decision to stab Caesar in the back isn't an easy one.

He has to choose between his loyalty to the Roman Republic and his loyalty to his friend

But it seems like he could be heading toward tyrant status.

Con.

When Brutus hears how the commoners are treating Caesar like a rock star, he's worried for Rome: BRUTUSWhat means this shouting? I do fear the peopleChoose Caesar for their king.CASSIUS Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so.BRUTUSI would not, Cassius, yet I love him well.

Even though Brutus loves Caesar, he also fears that his friend will be crowned king, which goes against the ideals of the Roman Republic.

Con.After killing his friend and washing his hands in his blood, Brutus defends his actions: If there be any in this assembly, any dearfriend ofCaesar's, to him I say that Brutus' loveto Caesarwas no less than his. If then that frienddemandwhy Brutus rose against Caesar, this is myanswer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I lovedRome more.

It was hard for Brutus to kill his friend. But he justified his behaviors by saying that he loved Rome more.

The Noblest Roman of Them All?

There's a reason Antony calls Brutus the "noblest Roman" , he stands up for what he believes in, risks his life for Rome, and doesn't seem to be concerned with personal gain.

Yet for all of Brutus's good qualities, his troubles in his misjudgments. He is more naive than noble, Brutus's honor convinces him that they shouldn't kill Antony his trust in Antony's honor leads him to believe Antony's funeral speech will not be an invitation to riot.

Antony

Antony the Master of Rhetoric

Antony is a good friend of Julius Caesar who launches himself into a major position of power over the course of the play.

Antony'sstrong point is rhetoric (the art of speaking persuasively), which makes him a terrific politician.

After Caesar's death, Antony manages to convince the conspirators that he should be allowed to speak at Caesar's funeral.

In the famous speech that begins, "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" Antony delivers a carefully crafted eulogy that's designed to turn the people against the conspirators

Con.He gave evidence to prove that Caesar was not ambitious as the conspirators are claiming.

First , he mentions the incident were he offered the crown three times to Caesar, and he refuses I thrice presented him a kingly crown,/Which he did thrice refuse.Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And sure he is an honorable man.

Second, he showed them the dead body of Julius Caesar with the 33 stabs that riped his body, to make the crowed sympathize with Caesar

Con.

Finally, he showed them his well that he left a sum of money from his personal holdings to every man in Rome. And also his plans to make his private parks and gardens available for the peoples pleasure.

The success of Antony's speech suggests that effective leadership goes hand in hand with rhetoric

after Antony finishes talking, all hell breaks loose and civil war ensues, which is exactly what Antony intended

The End Presented by :- Khlouod BukhariUnder the supervision of ; Dr. Manal Batobara