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IMPERATOR
GAIUS
JULIUS
CAESAR
DIVUS
Julius Caesar
History
Drama
Prophets
Murder
WAR
Politics
Ghosts
Conspiracy
Julius Caesar
July 12, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC,
was a Roman military and political
leader and one of the most
influential men in classical antiquity.
He played a critical role in the
transformation of the Roman
Republic into the Roman Empire.
Leading his legions across the Rubicon,
Caesar sparked civil war in 49 BC that left
him the undisputed master of the Roman
world.
After assuming control of the government,
he began extensive reforms of Roman
society and government.
He was proclaimed dictator for life, and he
heavily centralized the bureaucracy of the
Republic.
These events incited a friend
of Caesar, Marcus Junius
Brutus, and a number of other
senators, to assassinate the
dictator on the Ides of March
(March 15th) in 44 BC.
• The assassins hoped to
restore the normal running
of the Republic, but their
actions led to another
Roman civil war, and
eventually to the
establishment of the
autocratic Roman Empire
by Caesar's adopted heir,
Augustus.
• In 42 BC, two years after
his assassination, the
Roman Senate officially
sanctified him as one of
the Roman deities.
On the Ides of March of 44 BC, a group of
senators called Caesar to the forum for the
purpose of reading a petition, written by the
senators, asking him to hand power back to the
Senate. However, the petition was a fake.
As Caesar began to read the false petition, Casca pulled
at Caesar's tunic and made a glancing thrust at the
dictator's neck. Caesar turned around quickly and
caught Casca by the arm, crying in Latin "Villain Casca,
what do you do?" Casca, frightened, called to his fellow
senators in Greek: "Help, brothers!"
Within moments, the entire group, including Brutus,
was striking out at the dictator. Caesar attempted to get
away, but, blinded by blood, he tripped and fell; the men
eventually murdering him as he lay, defenseless, on the
lower steps of the portico. According to Eutropius,
around sixty or more men participated in the
assassination. He was stabbed 35 times.
Caesar's last words are given
as
"Et tu, Brute?
Then fall, Caesar."
Shortly after the assassination the
senators left the building talking
excitedly amongst themselves, and
Brutus cried out to his beloved city:
"People of Rome, we are once again
free!".
Caesar's death also marked, ironically, the end of
the Roman Republic, for which the assassins had
struck him down. The Roman middle and lower
classes, with whom Caesar was immensely
popular, were enraged that a small group of
aristocrats had killed their champion.
Mark Antony gave a dramatic
eulogy that appealed to the
common people. It was a
reflection of public opinion
following Caesar's murder.
Antony, who had been drifting
apart from Caesar, capitalized
on the grief of the Roman mob,
perhaps with the intent of taking
control of Rome himself.
The Tragedy of
Julius Caesar
by
William Shakespeare
• Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed written
in 1599. It portrays the conspiracy against the Roman dictator Julius
Caesar, his assassination and its aftermath.
• Although the title of the play is Julius Caesar, Caesar is not the
central character in its action; he appears in only three scenes, and is
killed at the beginning of the third act. The protagonist of the play is
Marcus Brutus, and the central psychological drama is his struggle
between the conflicting demands of honor, patriotism, and friendship.
• The play reflected the general anxiety of England over succession of
leadership. At the time of its creation and first performance, Queen
Elizabeth, a strong ruler, was elderly and had refused to name a
successor, leading to worries that a civil war similar to that of Rome
might break out after her death.
"Beware the Ides of March."
Soothsayer, Act I, Scene II
"Cowards die many times before their
deaths; The valiant never taste of death but
once."
Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene II
"Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar."
Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene I
"Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the dogs of war"
Mark Anthony, Act III, Scene I
"Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me
your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."
Mark Anthony, Act III, Scene II
"This was the noblest Roman of them all"
Mark Anthony, Act V, Scene V
Cast of
Characters
JULIUS CAESAR:
A great Roman general who has recently returned to Rome after a
military victory in Spain. Julius Caesar is not the main character
of the play that bears his name; Brutus has over four times as
many lines, and the play does not show us Caesar's point of view.
Nonetheless, virtually every other character is preoccupied with
Caesar—specifically, with the possibility that Caesar may soon
become king. If Caesar were to become king, it would mean
the end of Rome's republican system of government, in which
senators, representing the citizens of Rome, wield most of the
power. To noblemen like Brutus and Cassius, who consider
themselves the equals of Caesar or any other citizen, Caesar's
coronation would mean they would no longer be free men but
rather slaves. Caesar never explicitly says that he wants to be
king—he even refuses the crown three times in a dramatic public
display—but everything he says and does demonstrates that he
regards himself as special and superior to other mortals. In his
own mind, he seems already to be an absolute ruler.
BRUTUS:
A high-ranking, well-regarded Roman nobleman who participates in a
conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Brutus is motivated by his sense of
honor, which requires him to place the good of Rome above his own
personal interests or feelings. Thus, he plots against Caesar in order to
preserve the republic even though he loves and admires Caesar
personally. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only
Brutus truly believes that Caesar's death will benefit Rome. Brutus's
sense of honor is also his weakness, as he tends to assume that his fellow
Romans are as highminded as he is, which makes it easy for others to
manipulate him.
CASSIUS:
A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius resents
the fact that the Roman populace has come to revere Caesar almost as a
god. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that Caesar has become too
powerful and must die, finally converting Brutus to his cause by sending
him forged letters claiming that the Roman people support the death of
Caesar. Impulsive and unscrupulous like Antony, Cassius harbors no
illusions about the way the political world works. A shrewd opportunist,
he acts effectively but lacks integrity.
MARK ANTONY:
A loyal friend of Caesar's. In contrast to the selfdisciplined Brutus, Antony is notoriously impulsive and
pleasure-seeking, passionate rather than principled. He is
extremely spontaneous and lives in the present moment.
As resourceful as he is unscrupulous, Antony proves to
be a dangerous enemy of Brutus and the other
conspirators.
OCTAVIUS:
Caesar's adopted son and appointed successor. Octavius, who had been traveling
abroad, returns after Caesar's death, then joins with Antony and sets off to fight
Cassius and Brutus. Antony tries to control Octavius's movements, but Octavius
follows his adopted father's example and emerges as the authoritative figure,
paving the way for his eventual seizure of the reins of Roman government.
CASCA:
One of the conspirators. Casca is a tribune (an official elected to represent the
common people of Rome) who resents Caesar's ambition. A rough and bluntspeaking man, Casca relates to Cassius and Brutus how Antony offered the crown
to Caesar three times and how each time Caesar declined it. Casca insists, however,
that Caesar was acting, manipulating the populace into believing that he has no
personal ambition. Casca is the first to stab Caesar.
CALPHURNIA:
Caesar's wife. Calphurnia invests great authority in omens and portents. She
warns Caesar against going to the Senate on the Ides of March, for she has had
terrible nightmares and heard reports of many bad omens.
PORTIA:
Brutus's wife and the daughter of a noble Roman (Cato) who took sides against
Caesar. Portia, accustomed to being Brutus's confidante, is upset to find him so
reluctant to speak his mind when she finds him troubled.
FLAVIUS AND MURELLUS:
Two tribunes who condemn the plebeians for their fickleness in
cheering Caesar when once they cheered for Caesar's enemy Pompey.
Flavius and Murellus are punished for removing the decorations from
Caesar's statues during Caesar's triumphal parade.
CICERO:
A Roman senator renowned for his oratorical skill. Cicero speaks at
Caesar's triumphal parade. He later dies at the order of Antony,
Octavius, and Lepidus.
LEPIDUS:
The third member of Antony and Octavius's coalition. Though Antony
has a low opinion of Lepidus, Octavius trusts Lepidus's loyalty.
DECIUS:
A member of the conspiracy. Decius convinces Caesar that Calphurnia
misinterpreted her dire nightmares and that, in fact, no danger awaits
him at the Senate. Decius leads Caesar right into the hands of the
conspirators.