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Essay on Julius Caesar
| Date: |
01-18-01 7:26pm |
| Subject: |
English |
| Word Count: |
677 |
| Page Count: |
2.71 |
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
In the play of Julius Caesar, we see a
brief picture of Roman life during the time of the First Triumvirate. In
this snap shot, we see many unfortunate things. Shakespeare gives us the
idea that many people try to circumvent what the future holds, such as
unfortunate things, by being superstitious. Superstition seems to play
a role in the basic daily life of most Roman citizens. For instance, the
setting of the first scene is based upon superstition, the Feast of Lupercal.
This feast is in honor of the god Pan, the queen of fertility. During this
time, infertile females are supposed to be able to procreate, and fertile
ones are supposed to be able to bear more. It is also a supposed time of
sexual glorification and happiness. Other scenes depict how throughout
Rome, roaming the streets are mysterious sooth-sayers, who are supposedly
given the power to predict the future. Dictating what is to come through
terse tidbits, these people may also be looked upon as superstitious. In
the opening scene, one sooth-sayer, old in his years, warns Caesar to "Beware
the Ides of March," an admonition of Caesar's impending death. Although
sooth-sayers are looked upon by many as insane out of touch lower classmen,
a good deal of them, obviously including the sayer Caesar encountered,
are indeed right on the mark. Since they lack any formal office or shop,
and they predict forthcomings without fee, one can see quite easily why
citizens would distrust their predictions. Superstition, in general elements
such as the Feast of Lupercal, as well as on a personal level such as with
the sooth-sayers, is an important factor in determining the events and
the outcome of Julius Caesar, a significant force throughout the entire
course of the play.
Before the play fully unravels, we see
a few of signs of Caesar's tragic end. Aside from the sooth-sayer's warning,
we also see another sign during Caesar's visit with the Augerers, the latter
day "psychics". They find "No heart in the beast", which they interpret
as advice to Caesar that he should remain at home. Ceasar brushes it off
and thinks of it as a rebuke from the gods, meaning that he is a coward
if he does not go out, and so he dismisses the wise advice as hearsay.
However, the next morning, his wife Calphurnia wakes up frightened due
to a horrible nightmare. She tells Caesar of a battle breaking out in the
heart of Rome, "Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol," with Caesar painfully
dying, such that "...The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."
Although Caesar realizes Calphurnia is truly concerned about his well-being,
he seeks another interpretation, coming to the conclusion that the person
who imagines the dream may not be the wisest one to interpret it's meaning.
Later Caesar tells his faithful companion Decius about it, and he interprets
it quite the contrary, "That it was a vision fair and fortunate," and indeed,
today is an ideal day to go out, since this is the day "To give a crown
to mighty Caesar." Perhaps Decius is implying here that today is a day
where much appreciation and appraisal will be given to Caesar, surely not
the endangerment of his well-being as Calphurnia interprets it. Caesar
predictably agrees with him, as most citizens enjoy believing the more
positive of two interpretations.
After Caesar's assasination at the hand
of Brutus, Cassius, and the rest of the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius
are chased into the country side, where we see a few superstitious signs
of their forthcoming painful death in battle. In a dream, Brutus sees Caesar's"ghost", interpreted as an omen of his defeat. He also looks upon the ensign,
and instead of the usual stock of eagles, ravens and kites replace them,
construed as another sign of their loss at Phillipi. Not surprisingly,
Caesar's death is avenged in the end, with the two of the conspirators'
double suicide. As superstition is inter-twined within the basis of the
entire play, we can reasonably conclude that it is because of this irrational
belief of why certain events occur and how to avoid them, that Caesar is
retired and eventually avenged. In the words of Caesar's devoted follower
and companion Mark Antony, "His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed
in him that Nature might stand up and say to the world, 'This was a man!'"
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