The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar Essay Research

The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar Essay, Research Paper Shakespeare, William The Tragedy of Julius Caesar The Playwright and His Times: The play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, was written by William Shakespeare. He was baptized on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-on- Avon, which was a small town some hundred miles from London. It is believed that he was born a few days before he was baptized so his birthday is celebrated on April 23. Ironically he died on that date in 1616. During Shakespeare’s time he married a woman named Anne Hathaway. They gave birth to a total of three children. By the year 1592 he became a playwright and actor. In Shakespearean time only men could be actors. Shakespeare’s plays were written in modern English. His plays and sonnets did not become popular until

after his death. “He died at the age of fifty two and was burned in the church of Stratford where his grave is still visible to this day (#622) “. Shakespeare was inspired to write The Tragedy of Julius Caesar after reading of him in Sir Thomas North’s translation of Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans. Form, Structure, and Plot: The play is organized into five acts and each act is divided into numerous scenes. The main technique of the play is a chronological order of events. There is scene when Calpurhina dreams of Caesar’s death. This serves as an omen, also know as foreshadowing. The plot of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is simple. 2 exposition- The play begins on a street in Rome where two tribunes tell commoners to go home and to stop celebrating

Caesar’s victory over Pompey. initial incident- Cassius , Casca and Cinna plot to kill Caesar because they do not want him to be the king and hold more power then he already has. rising action- Casca, Cinna, Trebonius, Decius Brutus, Metellus Cimber and Cais Ligarius go to Brutus to get him to join them in the slaying of Caesar. They think that if they have him on their side, it makes what they plan to do right. crisis/climax- At the capitol Caesar is slain by the conspirators. falling action- Brutus and Cassius gather together an army and there is a civil war against Octavius and Mark Antony’s armies. Cassius and Brutus die to suicide. Order is restored to Rome and Octavius says the final words of the play. Characters: Julius Caesar is a loving husband, a devoted statesman,

and a trusting friend. Childless and deaf in one ear, at home he is feeble and superstitious, but a very kind man. At work he is strong, powerful, and stubborn. He lets power go to his head and suffers for it. He is one of the protagonists of the play. “To speak truth of Caesar, I have not known when his affections swayed more than his reason” ( II, i, 19-21). Brutus is “the noblest Roman of them all” (V.v.68). A devoted stoic, he always puts the good of the state first. Also a good husband 3 and an accomplished orator, Brutus is too trusting, and learns his lesson the hard way. Brutus to is the other protagonist of the play. Mark Antony is always man number two. He is great to have as a friend and bad to have as an enemy. He is not as bright or honest as Brutus, he is

the most passionate character of the play. Cassius is a sly and cynical manipulator. He betrays Caesar for personal motivations. Although he has “a lean and hungry look” (I.ii.194) in the end he too is shown to be a human being worth empathy. Octavius is the soulless strong man who puts everything right in the end. Caesar may have been ambitious, but at least he had a family, and a softer side. Octavius is a terse and single minded power seeker, just the sort of thing necessary to get things back in order after a civil war. Setting: The play begins in Act I, scene i, where Flavius and Marullus, two tribunes, join commoners that are “crowded on a street corner in Rome. The street is lined with statues” (#632 Elements of Literature). They question them on why they are not