Julius Caesar Character Analysis

In the determination of whether Julius Caesar was an intelligent, political hero or an egocentric, dictating villain, it is important to look at all of the facts. Born in 100 B.C.E. and assassinated in 44 B.C.E., Julius Caesar was legendary. He along Pompey, and Crassus created the first unofficial Triumvirate which was negotiated to appease both the Roman citizens and the power hungry rivals. Still, this agreement would not last long. After Pompey’s wife, Julia Caesar and daughter of Caesar’s daughter given to Pompey to establish the Trimvirate, dies in childbirth, civil war breaks out as Caesar leads his army against Rome. He fights until Pompey is murdered in Egypt. As Rome is “shattered,” Julius Caesar one person should rule. He

In the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare, women play an important role. The women are important factors in foreshadowing and in the development of many of the characters. To look at the role of women in the play we must look deeper in to the roles of the only two women in the play; Calpurnia, wife of Caesar, and Portia, wife of Brutus. Both of these women are key in foreshadowing the murder of Caesar. After Caesar’s murder we do not hear much of either of them.

By implementing a contemporary feminist viewpoint in “Othello”, contemporary responders are able to analyse and connect with the theme of womanhood and relate it to a modern context. In A.C. Bradley’s “Shakespearean Tragedy” (1957), Desdemona is described as “the sweetest and most pathetic of

Not just does this represent the inferiority of women to men, it likewise expresses that ladies are seen as a commodity to be given, transported and purchased. Moreover, it highlights the characterisation of Desdemona and how submissive she is. This accentuates that Shakespeare was a man who saw ladies simply the same as a man. His emphasis on gender equality permits viewers to get a look at how ladies are dealt within society and how men ought to treat ladies. He underscores that gender equality should be valued in society.

“Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.”- T.S. Eliot. A seemingly good idea can quickly become a horrible one when put into action. In the play, Julius Caesar, a character named Brutus joined the conspirators in the killing of his friend, Caesar, even though he held no grudge towards him, in his mind, he is selfless by killing Caesar for the wellbeing of Rome. In his opinion, he thinks that there is a likely chance that Caesar might become corrupted with power and even though he has not become dangerous yet he might so he should kill him before it happened, that was Brutus’ justification for killing his friend. Brutus may have thought his action was selfless, but in a way it was morally questionable, Brutus is taking the life of another person because of the assumption someone was dangerous with no real evidence. He is using the fears and assumption in his mind to justify himself killing Caesar. What also makes it morally questionable is the fact that Caesar was a friend who always done right by him for the most part.A person killing someone they hate is one thing, but killing someone who’s been their friend just seems outright wrong. Altruistic motivations and ideas often result in immoral actions.

A death of a hero; the fate chosen for the protagonist in most dramatic tragedies. Though, in William Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’, there are two characters that are given this outcome; Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus. With the most potential, the self-titled, Julius Caesar possesses the characteristics that label him as this Tragic Hero. Caesar’s tragic flaw is hubris when he acknowledges himself. The insight of others that observe Caesar, prove his high ranking. Caesar also struggles with internal conflict when he makes key decisions in the play. By examining his tragic flaw, high rank, and internal conflict, Julius Caesar is clearly the tragic hero in this tragedy.

The feminist critical perspective examines the roles that women play in literary works and their true significance to the text. Their roles are usually decided on by the society or time period in which the story is set. In "The Merchant of Venice," females were suppressed by the societal ideals of Shakespeare's Elizabethan era, which is portrayed through the characters of Portia and Jessica, who could not establish their own powerful identities because they were women. Portia and Jessica are the main female characters in the play. If they had been given a chance to show their skills, they undoubtedly would've been extremely strong women. However, they had to mask their abilities in order to appeal to their male counterparts. Their

In the book “Gender Trouble” (1990), feminist theorist Judith Butler explains “gender is not only a social construct, but also a kind of performance such as a show we put on, a costume or disguise we wear” (Butler). In other words, gender is a performance, an act, and costumes, not the main aspect of essential identity. By understanding this theory of gender as an act, performance, we can see how gender has greatly impacted the outcome of the play in William Shakespeare’s Othello. From a careful analysis of the story, tragedy in Othello is result of violating expected gender roles, gender performance by Desdemona and Othello, and the result of Iago’s inability to tolerate these violations.

However, he did appreciate their unity, and displayed this when he told Antony to touch Calpurnia. Roman superstition claimed that the touch of a ceremonial runner would cure barrenness. This displayed Caesar’s value of marriage and family because it implied that he wanted to have a child and start a family with Calpurnia. Although Caesar was ambitious, he also respected and cared for Calpurnia as a companion. On the other hand, Portia also had good intentions when it came to her husband. However, her attention was sometimes overbearing. For example, Portia had a constant desire to know what her husband was doing and thinking and as a result, she refused to give Brutus space despite his obvious need for it. Portia said, “…yesternight at supper/ You suddenly arose and walk'd about, / Musing and sighing, with your arms across; / And when I ask'd you what the matter was, / You stared upon me with ungentle looks. / I urged you further; then you scratch'd your head, / And too impatiently

In a cast of over 30 characters, there are only two women. This is a statement describing the world renown play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. These two female characters are Calpurnia, the wife of Julius Ceasar, and Portia, the wife of Marcus Brutus. Other than these two women, the cast is composed entirely of male characters. In a work of literature so populated by men, one may ask why Shakespeare takes the time to include any women at all. However, after further reflection, it is clear to see the reason as to why they are included. Upon including Calpurnia and Portia in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare deepens our understanding of their husbands, highlights the social values of the time, and

his soliloquy, Brutus’ background information is identified. “And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg / which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow / mischievous; / And kill him in the shell” (II, i, 32-34). This means that he should kill Caesar before he becomes a threat. That also identifies Brutus as a man who worried a lot and is a man who wants the best for Rome, not himself. Besides worrying, Brutus also was emotional. Brutus’ wife Portia kills herself one day when she was alone. Brutus becomes very depressed over this matter. “No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead” (IV, iii, 146). This means that he is sorrow for his wife’s death, and a synonym for sorrow is depressed. This shows Brutus was a sympathetic man, and somebody who can love one’s country and others. Villains are always referred to as emotionless in plays; the heroes always connect and wouldn’t murder without a cause. Besides who Brutus was as a person, Brutus had intentions that would help Rome.

She tries to convince Brutus into divulging his secret by invoking the vows of love they made to each other, and also by begging him on her knees. Brutus shows his respect for Portia by stating, "Kneel not, gentle Portia," (II, I, 300). When Brutus lifts Portia off of her knees to face him, this reveals Brutus' admiration for his wife. Despite Brutus' respect for his wife, he still continues to withhold his secret. Portia once again declares that as his wife she deserves Brutus' respect and adoration:

Shakespeare uses Portia to portray Brutus’s private life. Brutus’s interactions with Portia illustrates how women were isolated from politics. Portia states this by saying “O constancy, be strong upon my side, / Set a huge mountain ‘tween my heart and tongue! / I have a man’s mind, but a woman’s might. / How hard it is for a women to keep counsel!” (2.1.5-9). Portia is a traditional wife but has earned Brutus’s respect in their relationship. She is merely defined in each instance by her relationship to Brutus. Portia applies her strength by using tactics to persuade Brutus into telling her his worries by using emotional blackmail, challenging him, and inflicting a wound onto herself. Most wives in Roman times would have done what they were told by their husbands, but Portia held a strong belief that her husband was not well in health. Although Portia proves that she is intelligent, Brutus is reluctant to impart the information she was expecting. Portia and Brutus’ interactions proved the level of equality between them. Brutus’ dismissal of her perceptions leads to his largest mistake; his decision to ignore his private feelings and loyalties to his marriage for the sake of a plan that he believes with benefit the public. When Portia is parted with her husband she fails at being involved with the public world of Rome and is trapped inside a woman’s

"He can inspire a group only if he himself is filled with confidence and hope of success."-Floyd V. Filson. These words describe the mindset of the character Antony, in the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, because of the time he had to come out and convince a ginormous crowd to abandon the conspirators. To do this he needed to show the crowd in any positive or negative way, that he was a desirable leader. Therefore, throughout the acts, Antony shows his leadership skills that soon takes over the crowd, as well as the streets of Rome.

The play “Julius Caesar” written by Shakespeare is quite unique in many perspectives, because unlike most plays, this play has a plot that’s ambiguous and also divides the audience. The scene where Julius Caesar was stabbed is ambiguous, because it is a good thing for the people, but the way he was murdered is much too brutal. Whether or not Brutus should join the conspiracy to kill Caesar divides the audience, since it is unclear if it would be good or bad for the people of Rome. The audience is also divided over their thoughts on the personality of Caesar, as a result to his actions that could be interpreted as both arrogant or proud. These three points demonstrate that the way the play is interpreted is completely up to the audience.