by William ShakespeareCharacters:
Julius Caesar, ruler of Roman empire.
Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife.
Marcus Brutus, leading conspirator.
Caius Cassius, Brutus’ brother-in-law.
Marc Antony, orator and warrior.
The Play:
Julius Caesar returns to Rome from successful campaign in Spain. The Roman lovers of freedom fear however that Caesar intends to make himself a dictator. So Caius Cassius, Cinna and Casca plot to destroy Caesar. The latter is warned by a soothsayer to beware of the Ideas of March.
The night before the assassination, Caesar’s wife Calpurnia dreams that she saw his statue running blood and the Romans bathing in it. Caesar decides not to leave the palace. Conspirator Decius Brutus mocks the dream and Caesar goes with him through the city streets to the Roman capital.
At the capitol, Marc Anthony, Caesar’s loyal friend, is enticed away. While Metellus Cimber was presenting a petition for the recall of his brother from banishment, the conspirators crowd on Caesar and stab him to death.
Marc Antony pretends to go along with the conspirators. He delivers a funeral oration that fires the people to go after the assassins. Octavius, nephew of Caesar, Antony and Lepidus are the triumvirs who oppose the forces of Brutus and Cassius. The latter are defeated in the battle of Philippi and they kill themselves.
Comment:
This is a fine historical interpretation by Shakespeare of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. the tragedy is interesting from beginning to end. Marc Antony’s eulogy is still considered the best up to now. The quarrel and reconciliation of the conspirators Brutus and Cassius provide one of the finest scenes in the play.