Similarities Between Portia And Calpurnia

This attempt quickly failed when she said that his hubris just took over. “I knew that Caesar should have stayed away from the Senate house yesterday, but I guess his pride just took over his mind, it was just all too much,” Calpurnia sobbed. “This has turned out to be the most tragic moment in my life and I hope those conspirators kneel to the gods, for they have upset the heavens with the killing of the mightiest leader Rome has ever seen.”

Calpurnia’s first reason for wanting Caesar to stay at home is her fear of the supernatural events and the chaos in Rome, so she convinces him of her points with ethos and pathos. In the first line,

Portia kneels at the start of her conversation with Brutus. This shows that she is not ashamed of begging her husband to for his own benefit. She evens stabs herself in the thigh to convince Brutus that she us able to keep his troubles to herself. Calphurnia on the other hand, kneels only at the end of her conversation, when she is desperate. Calphurnia also does not make any physical sacrifices while Portia stabs herself in the thigh. She instead offers to sacrifice her public reputation, giving Caesar permission to use her cowardly fear as an excuse for his absence from the senate.

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 using pathos and repetition, Portia uses Brutus’ name and makes it clear that with their bond of marriage she should be allowed to know the secrets her husband keeps. Brutus is not a skilled orator and Portia uses rhetorical devices to show her devotion to her husband. Her strong oration and use of repetition attracts Brutus’ attention. Portia also uses a rhetorical question in which she proves her strength of why she should know the secret. When Portia reveals her strength she states, “Here, in the thigh: can I bear that with patience. / And not my husband’s secrets” (2.1.323,324). With the use of a rhetorical question, Portia is not asking for an answer. She is just trying to prove her point that she can bear with knowing the secret. Although it is a question, she is not really confused, but rather is proving that she is liable. Her question is not looking for an answer but is allowing Brutus to think about why he can’t tell her. The use of a rhetorical question shows that she is able to deal with her husbands secrets. She states that she can deal with a stab in the thigh, so she also could handle knowing the secret Brutus is

Brutus's poor decision-making and faults bring about his downfall, though they alone are not totally responsible. Brutus' decision to exempt Antony and let him make a speech in Caesar's funeral incites the crowd to go against the conspirators. This brings Antony to great power, which he then uses to pursue all the conspirators. Brutus's dire decisions bring about many misfortunes for Brutus. The first tragedy Brutus encounters is the disturbing death of his beloved wife, Portia,

The critics and other readers of Shakespearean plays think that he treats women badly for a few reasons, one being that most of the women in his plays die a tragic death. One example is in the play, Julius Caesar. In this specific play, Portia who is Julius Caesar's wife kills herself by swallowing hot coals. Portia was highly respected in life, and in order to be highly respected in death, she felt that she had to show her bravery in an excruciatingly painful death. This shows that Shakespeare

	Julius Caesar vacillates, or changes, his mind throughout the play and this downfall is shown to be one of Caesar’s hamartias. On the day Caesar is to go to the Capitol, he changes his decisions frequently. Caesar defies the warnings of Calpurnia and the priests and Caesar says that she, Caesar, shall go forth to the Capitol this day. "Caesar. Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me Ne’er looked but on my back. When they shall see The face of Caesar, they are vanished." Through this quotation, it seems Caesar has made his mind to go forth to the Capitol. Calpurnia, though, is able to persuade him to stay home and send word that he is sick. Caesar replies, "Caesar. Mark Antony shall say I am not well, And for thy humour I will stay at home."(2,2,55-56) Decius then flatters Caesar and is able to persuade him that Calpurnia’s nightmare is misinterpreted and that he

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

From the expansion days of Ancient Rome to the fall of the Roman Empire, women have always succumbed to living subjacent to the status of their omnipotent and dominant male figures. After leaving her childhood home and the rule of her father, a young Roman girl would then be coerced into the dominion of her husband, often taking a plethora of roles, ranging from lover, caretaker, and best friend. It is often lightheartedly stated that, “Behind every great man is an even greater woman,” and William Shakespeare exemplifies this concept beautifully in Julius Caesar, in which he effectively used the spouses of the two main characters to add more depth, drama, and literary elements to the play, bringing it to life. Although the only two

     For thousands of years, humanity has been ruled mainly by a Patriarchal society. In this society women have often been seen as objects or inferior humans through the eyes of their male counterparts. The Elizabethan era was no exception to these beliefs, and works of literature often supported these misogynistic views. In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, however, the author appears to portray the characters of Portia and Calphurnia in a positive light, ignoring the common stereotypes often associated with female characters. Although Portia and Calphurnia have minor parts in the play, their strength is discernible. Both female characters are portrayed as

Furthermore, the relationship with Portia has changed throughout the tragedy as Brutus kept secrets and political opinions hidden from her. In one scene Portia literally stabs herself to gather information about Brutus’ mindset and feelings (II.i.324-325). The action Portia takes exemplifies how important politics have on her health and Brutus’ health. Throughout the tragedy Portia is very worried for Brutus as he carefully plans out the assassination of Julius Caesar and Portia eventually dies from the loneliness and despair as Brutus is out at Civil War. The death of Portia was the point Brutus’ relationship with her was destroyed since his

Even though it is natural to share vulnerability with loved ones, Brutus’ personal troubles lead him to keep his secrets and feelings from his wife Portia as well. She senses that Brutus is anxious and is putting on an act when he is around others. “No, my Brutus, / You have some sick offense within your mind, / Which by the right and virtue of my place / I ought to

Women are a very important part of this world although they are sometimes not portrayed that way. One would think they would be seen as significant because of the fact that women make up almost half of the world’s population. Throughout all of history, females have been considered the weaker sex. In the play, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, women are portrayed as weak minded and unfaithful. The inability to correctly make important life decisions, a weakened mental state, and complete obedience to men all contribute to this point.

    When one considers Shakespeare’s female characters, one has to remember that the plays were written in a time when women were considered weak-minded creatures who were apt to make bad choices if given the freedom.  Shakespeare, for the most