How does Shakespeare present ideas about order, rules, and authority in Julius Caesar? In your answer you should consider different interpretations and contextual influences.
Kirsty Rees English literature How does Shakespeare present ideas about order, rules, and authority in Julius Caesar? In your answer you should consider different interpretations and contextual influences. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and in the years before and after it, the concept of order was a very important one. This was illustrated by Tillyard, a twentieth century writer, in a description of 'The Great Chain of Being', a six rank order of the universe according to Elizabethans. At the very top of the chain was God, then angels. Man followed, as he had existence, life, feeling, and understanding and so was above other creatures. At the very bottom of the Great Chain of Being, came those things that had mere existence- inanimate objects such as elements, liquids, and metals. Water was seen as nobler than earth, and gold, predictably more noble than lead, but these objects were regarded as inferior. Roman society, much earlier on, also had very strong ideas about order in the universe. The play Julius Caesar considers a man who is seen to go beyond his place in the order of existence. Julius Caesar appears to want to be King, although this was not his right by birth. Order plays an important part in Julius Caesar from the very first scene of the play, which was referred to as 'a brilliant and daring opening scene' by Frank Kermode (see bibliography).
In 'Julius Caesar', How Would You Attempt To Influence The Crowd's Reaction To Julius Caesar (Up To The Assassination)?
In 'Julius Caesar', How Would You Attempt To Influence The Crowd's Reaction To Julius Caesar (Up To The Assassination)? In Act 1, Scene 1 we are introduced to Flavius and Marullus, and we soon learn that they are not too fond of Caesar and instead preferred the previous ruler Pompey. In their speeches they should sound resentful about Caesar to show their dislike for him. When Flavius says "These growing feathers plucked from Caesar's wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch...and keep us all in servile fearfulness", this shows their fears regarding the possibility of Caesar becoming tyrannical and making them slaves, which leads me to believe they should sound angry and bitter when saying this. At the start of Act 1, Scene 2, we soon learn that Caesar is of a superstitious nature, though he tries not to make this evident. Evidence of this is when the Soothsayer speaks to him; Caesar shows slight insecurity, as he wants to see his face. Notably, Caesar says "He is a dreamer, let us leave him. Pass." I would have Caesar seeming rather insecure when saying this, as I would want the audience to realise he does have slight superstitions. We also continue to learn how important and significant Caesar is to the citizens, as well as how high and mighty he actually considers himself. Firstly we notice Calphurnia refers to him (her husband) as 'Lord', when at this time she should
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.
Julius Caesar Walter Lippmann stated, "The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on." This is accurate. A true leader prepares so that when he is no longer in control, he leaves behind people with the strength, will, and intelligence to lead, along with overall preparation to carry on. Leadership was demonstrated in the character of Julius Caesar in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Caesar was a strong leader who prepared Rome for a long-lived society, and the ability to continue without him. Characterization and irony help demonstrate these qualities and prove that Caesar left Rome prepared to continue without his leadership. His strength as a leader allowed his reign to be followed after his death. Julius Caesar was an ambitious leader. He strove for improvement, to make Rome the best community it could be. Before his death, he had planned on breaking up the Senate to give power to the common people. Not only was Caesar ambitious, but he was also admired. The people of Rome looked up to him. Marcus Brutus stated, "I honor him" (III, ii, 27-28) which proved although Brutus was a conspirator against Caesar, he honored him for what he had done and for his ability to lead. Antony was Caesar's right-hand man. Antony illustrated his admiration and respect for Caesar through his words, "I shall
Explain why Act 3 Scene 2 of Julius Caesar is a pivitol episode in the play.
Y10EN1: Shakespeare Coursework - Anton Leacock Explain why Act 3 Scene 2 of Julius Caesar is a pivitol episode in the play. In your answer, you should refer to * The main events leadeing up to, and following on from, this scene * The context and purposes of the speeches made by Brutus and Mark Anthony * The persuasive techniques they adopt to achieve their purposes * Who is more successful and why Act 3 Scene 2 is most deffinately a pivitol episode in the play. In this essay I will be explaining why that is the case. In the previous Scene, Act 3 Scene 1, Caesar refuses to read the Soothsayer's warning. He mocks the soothsayer by saying, "the ides of March are come." This turns out to be very foolish by Caesar as, not long after this mockery, Caesar is stabbed by a group of conspirators. After Caesar is murdered, Brutus allows Mark Anthony to address the crowd at Caesars funeral. However, there is one condition, Brutus instructs Anthony "You shall not in your funeral speech blame us. But speak all good you can devise of Caesar." Anthony is allowed to say pretty much what he wants except he must not blame Brutus and the other conspirators for the death of Caesar. In Act 3 Scene 3 (the scene following on from the one in question) the Roman citizens have been stirred up to anger, they are very much against the conspirators: so much so that they kill an innocent
Explore the dramatic effectiveness of Act 1 of Julius Caesar.
Explore the dramatic effectiveness of Act 1 of Julius Caesar Act one of Julius Caesar shows Shakespeare trying to set the pace and story line for the play. Introducing the main characters starts the play. Already by the end of Act 1 he has set up this feeling that something suspicious is going on and a plot is forming against Caesar. Act 1 Scene 1 sees the introduction of Murellus and Flavius, two tribunes critical of Caesar. They are wandering through the streets of Rome on a public holiday, Caesar having been successful in battle brought back riches and declared there would be a public holiday. This made Murellus and Flavius irate and they were very critical of the people of Rome on holiday. "O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, knew you not Pompey?" The reason Murellus and Flavius are critical is because of how easy the people of Rome forgot Pompey. This shows that Murellus and Flavius were loyal to Pompey. Murellus and Flavius consider themselves noblemen and you can see this by how they speak, in blank verse, instead of blunt prose like the cobbler and the poorer population of Rome. Towards the end of Act 1 Scene 1 Murellus and Flavius are left alone as they disrobe the statues of Caesar in the street. The disrobing of the statues is a symbolic action, it shows the divided populace, Caesar was more attractive to the poorer population of Rome because be
Julius Caesar was an extremely powerful politician.
CAESAR Gaius Julius Caesar was an extremely powerful politician and a brilliant general. He also gained the respect as a good leader and was appointed dictator of Rome. Caesar helped Rome and the present day world become what it is today by his great leadership qualities. Caesar was born on July 13, 100 BC. Legend has it that Caesar was born threw an incision in his mothers stomach, that is how the term Caesarean Section originated (Isenberg, pg 11). Caesars father was also named Gaius Julius Caesar as was his father. Caesar mother name was Aurelia which was connected with the prominent Aurelii family (Ward, pg 1). Caesar had three names because he was the eldest son. His personal name is Gaius, his second name is the name of his family's clan (Julius), and his third name is the family name (Caesar), which means "hairy." Caesar was introduced into politics at a very young age. Almost everyone in Caesars family had a position in the senate or held a political office. When Caesar was twelve, he went to the Curia which is the Senate House to listen to speeches and debates and watch the statesmen at work. Caesar was also often found at the Regia which is the offices of the High Priest because his uncle, Cuius Cotta held an important position in the College of Priests. Caesar learned a lot from his uncle, Gaius Marius (Grant, pg 34). Marius
Compare and Contrast Brutus and Antony's speeches
Diana Fletcher Compare and Contrast Brutus and Antony's speeches The play "Julius Caesar" written by William Shakespeare in 1599 is based on historical information about Julius Caesar, a leader during Roman times. Shakespeare wrote it as a tragedy and tried to keep the legend and history of Caesar alive. Julius Caesar is primarily about a leader who is betrayed by his senate and one of the people he trusts the most, Brutus, who lead a conspiracy to assassinate him. The assassination occurs due to Caesar's new power and its threat to the old republican institutions. After the conspirators murder Julius Caesar, Brutus and Mark Antony, a close friend of Caesar, made speeches at Caesar's funeral. Each tries to persuade the crowd to follow their explanation concerning the death. Brutus's short speech is spoken in prose; cunning, clever and directly to the point. He starts his speech with, "Romans, Countrymen and Lovers, hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour that you may believe" Beginning as any noble-minded leader would, he hopes to persuade the people of Rome that he is still worthy of their respect and not guilty of any sin or dreadful crime. Throughout his speech Brutus shows how to sway a crowd; he appeals to their good sense and understanding, whilst reminding them that he is an honourable,
Compare Shakespeare's presentation of the characters Brutus and Mark Antony. Julius Caesar was written in 1599, a time in which the monarchy was in power in Britain
Compare Shakespeare's presentation of the characters Brutus and Mark Antony. Julius Caesar was written in 1599, a time in which the monarchy was in power in Britain. Shakespeare would have to be very careful what to put in his plays; he had to stay in favour of the royalty. If for example, Brutus was portrayed as the overall hero for procuring the safety of Rome through the assassination of someone who was going to rule Rome as a monarchist, Shakespeare would have been in trouble. Therefore, he had to ensure that this assassination was seen as unnatural, something that unsettled the natural order of things. For this reason, he made the night before the assassinations one of strangeness and peculiarity: " Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets. And yesterday the bird o night did sit Even at noon-day upon the market place, Hooting and shrieking when these prodigies Do so conjointly meet let not men say 'These are their reasons, they are natural' For I believe they are portentous things Unto the climate that they point upon." -Casca Shakespeare had also intended his portrayal of leadership to capture the audiences attention as England herself was having leadership issues at that period of time. Queen Elizabeth was old and she didn't have an heir. He links this in a way as the Julius Caesar depicted in the play also doesn't have an heir. His wife was shown as
How suitably is the theme of the supernatural depicted in the play 'Julius Caesar'?
How suitably is the theme of the supernatural depicted in the play 'Julius Caesar'? William Shakespeare was one of the most influential playwrights, is known today for his plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Nights Dream and many other interesting and different plays. We in the 21st century enjoy Shakespeare's plays for a variety of reasons. His plays have different themes like love, ambition, pride, friendship, supernatural, etc. His language is rich and full of imagery. Many of his famous quotes are used even till today such as "To be, or not to be" and "O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?"-Romeo and Juliet, form some of literature's most celebrated lines. Other famous Shakespeare quotes such as "I 'll not budge an inch", "We have seen better days" ,"A dish fit for the gods" -Julius Caesar and the expression it's "Greek to me" have all become catch phrases in modern day speech. Furthermore, other William Shakespeare quotes such as "to thine own self be true" have become widely spoken pearls of wisdom. "As he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him" . - (Act III, Scene II). "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more". - (Act III, Scene II). "Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men
Comparing Brutus and Antony’s Speech
Steven Vu Tiffin Got a A- Comparing Brutus and Antony's Speech Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. The play, written in 1599 was written at a time when Elizabeth was on the throne and mirrors the politics at the time. The play is based on some true facts taken from Plutarch's books. It is a story about a few of Julius' closest friends betraying him for what they thought was for the good of their country. When we look at the speeches of Antony and Brutus, they tell us a lot not only about the characters, but the play in itself. The speeches demonstrate a lot of skills and tricks, formally known as the use of rhetoric. The speeches differ in many ways, their style, structure and techniques all have their own individual attributes. Antony, Caesar's close adviser and only one of a minority that opposed the conspirators, had to deliver a speech, under many provisions, which would convince the Romans that Julius' death was unjust. Brutus, the adopted son of Julius, was one of the main conspirators who killed Julius because he would rather save Rome than his friend. He too had to deliver a speech to the Romans which he hoped would make them understand why Julius had to die. They both had different reasons and purposes for their speech; Brutus had to convince everyone that Caesar's death was just and inevitable whilst Antony, on the other hand, needed to do
