Why is the tragedy of julius caesar considered a tragedy
Video SparkNotes: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar summary
Julius Caesar was an important figure in
the history of Rome because he helped to
bring about the end of the Roman
Republic for 450 years Rome had not been
ruled by a single person but instead had
elected officials a Senate a system of
checks and balances and a political
system that kept one person from having
all the power Julius Caesar was a
successful general who conquered
territories outside of Rome and helped
turn Rome into a large Empire he became
such a powerful figure that after
defeating his political rivals he took
on the role of dictator so that he
picked all the candidates for the Senate
and decided personally which laws would
be passed he didn't have a title such as
Kanger Emperor and Rome was technically
still a republic but it wasn't working
like one anymore it had become a
permanent dictatorship Julius Caesar was
assassinated in 44 BC he was stabbed by
a group of senators as he was on his way
to the Senate the assassin said they
were killing him to bring back the
Republic Shakespeare's play Julius
Caesar isn't about Julius Caesar the
character so much as it is about the
assassination and what happened
afterward the two people responsible for
the assassination are Casius and Brutus
Cassius's motives are pretty simple
he hates Caesar because Caesar doesn't
like him and he resents Caesars power so
his motives are personal but he knows he
can only get away with killing Caesar if
he can get enough people to believe that
the assassination is for the good of
Rome in order for that to happen
he needs his brother-in-law Brutus
Brutus is the central figure in the play
he's from an old and famous family and
he has a reputation for being Noble in
fact one of his ancestors 400 years
earlier was responsible for overthrowing
the last king of Rome and founding the
Roman Republic in the first place so
it's partly Brutus's family name that's
important but Brutus is helped it's
easier for the conspirators to say the
assassination was for the good of the
Republic
another reason Casius needs Brutus is
that Caesar loves Brutus Brutus and
Caesar are friends while Casius is
obviously not Caesars friend
so if Brutus is the leader it won't look
like he's doing it for personal motives
at the beginning of the play crowds of
people are in the streets celebrating
because he
Cesar has returned from beating his
rival Pompey in a civil war two of the
elected officials Flavius and Marella's
go around driving these people off the
streets and removing decorations from
the statues what they say to the people
is look Caesar didn't come back from
conquering a foreign enemy he just beat
Pompey another Roman leader so he could
be dictator what's to celebrate about
that later we find out that Caesar has
them removed from office for doing this
next we see Caesar and his followers on
their way to a celebration and a
footrace whenever we see Caesar he seems
very arrogant he gives orders to those
around him and speaks about himself as
if he's invincible Calpurnia Caesars
wife is with him here so is Mark Antony
Caesars most loyal supporter Mark Antony
loves games sports parties and drinking
Caesar trusts Mark Antony because he
thinks someone like that who enjoys life
is less likely to threaten him than
someone who's always brooding and
thinking like Casius Casius makes Brutus
hang back from this crowd so he can try
and convince Brutus that a lot of people
in Rome think Brutus is just as good as
Caesar and wish he would stand up and
challenge Caesars power this is a lie
Casius is just trying to manipulate
Brutus later Casius even throws rocks
with notes attached through Brutus's
window and leaves notes on his chair in
the Senate so Brutus will think multiple
people are trying to get him to stand up
to Caesar Brutus agrees to be part of a
conspiracy against Caesar and the rest
of the conspirators gather at his house
late at night we can tell two things
about Brutus already one he's idealistic
and two he's a fool a series of dramatic
events occurs leading up to the
assassination a soothsayer or
fortune-teller warned Caesar to beware
the Ides of March the day he actually
does die that's marked 15 a massive
thunderstorm moves over Rome with so
much lightning it seems to be raining
fire people see a lion in the Capitol
building another see the lion giving
birth Brutus his wife Portia tries to
convince him to tell her what he's up to
since she's his wife he almost does but
gets distracted at the last minute
Calpurnia has a dream in which caesar is
spouting blood from many wounds she
tries to convince him not to go to the
Senate that day and he agrees but
the conspirators Decius convinces him
he'll look weak if he doesn't go
a man named artem odorous gives caesar a
paper telling him about the plot but he
can't get caesar to read it all of these
events suggest two different
interpretations the first is that even
though all of these things might have
stopped the assassination it's as if
there are higher powers that are moving
events towards Caesar's murder meaning
its fate the second interpretation is
that Caesar could have avoided being
killed his fate wasn't predetermined but
his arrogance caused him to ignore all
these warning signs so his death was his
own fault
the way the assassination occurs is that
Caesar is on his way to the Senate
together with a crowd of people
including the conspirators who are going
to the Senate to because their senators
before they get there a conspirator
named Metellus gets down on his knees
and asks Caesar to bring back his
brother whom Caesar banished Caesar
refuses and Brutus and the others crowd
around Caesar and kneel then they all
stab Caesar one after the other starting
with the senator named Casca and ending
with Brutus Caesar says at tu brute a
meaning you too Brutus and then dies the
populace goes wild as the news spreads
Mark Antony first runs away but then
sends a servant to ask if he can safely
come and ask them the reasons for the
assassination Casius and the other
conspirators all want to kill Mark
Antony too but Brutus says no that will
seem too violent now that Caesar is dead
Mark Antony won't stay loyal to him this
is a big mistake
Mark Antony asks for permission to speak
at Caesars funeral again Casius and the
others say no way but Brutus says to let
him as long as he doesn't say anything
bad about them and if he's doing it with
their permission nothing can happen this
is another big mistake
Brutus gives a speech explaining that he
loved Caesar but Caesar was ambitious
meaning he wanted to be a king and so
Brutus killed him because he loved Rome
more the populace likes the speech then
Anthony speaks he says he's not going to
criticize the conspirators but he
reminds them how much Caesar did for
them and how he offered Caesar a crown
and Caesar refused then he shows them
Caesars cloak and all of the holes
stabbed through it pointing out how
Caesar loved Brutus and trusted the
others who turned on him
he also read them Caesars will in which
Caesar left a huge amount of property to
the people of Rome the crowd goes wild
and decides to burn the houses of the
conspirators mob rule ensues and Brutus
and Casias flee for their lives
three people take over in Rome
Antony Julius Caesar's nephew Octavius
and Lepidus they raise armies to fight
Cassius and Brutus and make lists of
people to be killed because they support
Brutus Cassius and Brutus each lead an
army as they fight a civil war against
Antony Octavius and Lepidus the next
time we see them their meeting together
with our armies and they get in a big
fight in their tent
Brutus criticizes kasia's harshly for
taking bribes and then he criticizes him
for not sending Brutus money to pay his
own soldiers because Brutus is too pure
to take bribes himself
they eventually make up and become
friends again but once again we can see
that Brutus is idealism and poor
judgment our big weaknesses he
absolutely needs Casius to win this war
so it's foolish firm to criticize Cassy
it's the way he does and he's
hypocritical he needs money too but he
won't do what he needs to do to raise it
Brutus wants them to take their armies
to fight Antony and Octavius at Philippi
Casius points out some flaws in this
plan but Brutus insists caesar's ghost
appears to Brutus that night telling
Brutus he'll see him at Philippi the
armies meet and have a battle Antony's
army defeats Cassius's army but Brutus
as army defeats octavius's cassia sends
his friend to tinniest to investigate
and he thinks he sees two tinniest being
captured even though titanius actually
meets friendly soldiers but Casias
commits suicide because he thinks he
sent his best friend to be captured the
armies fight again and this time Brutus
loses before he can be captured he kills
himself by running on to his sword while
one of his soldiers straight Oh holds it
when Antony discovers Brutus's body he
says that he was the noblest Roman of
all
for more information about julius caesar
check out the julius caesar spark note
on sparknotes calm for a translation of
the entire play into modern english go
to no fear shakespeare at NFS sparknotes
calm
you
