Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: JULIUS CAESAR

• SUPERSTITIOUS: Calpurnia’s fertility; has an augurer to read signs from sacrificial animals

•RESENTED “These growing feathers plucked from Caesar’s wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch…” (1.1)

•PERCEPTIVE: knows Cassius “has a lean and hungry look” (1.2) = he’s not to be trusted

•EASILY MANIPULATED: Calpurnia, Decius Brutus, conspirators all change his mind; he calls the conspirators “friends” (2.2)

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: JULIUS CAESAR

•ARROGANT: “He [Soothsayer] is a dreamer”; “For always I am Caesar”; “danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he” (2.2); “constant as the Northern Star” (3.1)

•PROUD: faints after he is insulted by crowd cheering when he doesn’t take the crown; offers his throat to them; goes to the Capitol to avoid appearing weak

•AMBITIOUS?: he seems to really want the crown…

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: MARCUS BRUTUS

•Brutus changes throughout the play:

LOYAL CONFLICTED

PATRIOTIC/NOBLE POWERFUL

REMORSEFUL CONFLICTED

HONOURABLE (in death)

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: MARCUS BRUTUS

•UNEASY: “poor Brutus with himself at war” (1.2); Portia notices pacing, restlessness, agitation; debates not joining the conspiracy; sees Caesar’s ghost

• IDEALISTIC/NAÏVE: thinks “Antony is but a limb of Caesar” (2.1)• allows Antony to speak at funeral, believing the rules

will keep them safe

•EASILY MANIPULATED: joins conspiracy based on Cassius’ flattery and attack on Caesar’s power and ambition; believes Antony’s motives are honest

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: MARCUS BRUTUS

•PATRIOTIC: kills Caesar to protect the Romans - “I know no personal cause to spurn at him [Caesar], but for the general” (2.1); commits suicide to avoid enemy capture

• STOIC: shows little to no emotion for Portia’s death, “Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala” (4.3)

•REGRETFUL: “Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar.” (3.1) impacts him, as he later sees the ghost of Caesar• Wishes “Things done, undone” (4.2)• Yells “O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet! Thy spirit…turns

our swords in our own proper entrails” (5.3) after Cassius’ death MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: MARCUS BRUTUS

•HONOURABLE?:Does not want to appear as “butchers” (2.1) BUT he calls conspirators to bathe their hands in

Caesar’s blood “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome

more” (3.2)“can raise no money by vile means” (4.2)While committing suicide he states, “Caesar, now be

still: I killed not thee with half so good a will” (5.5)Antony says he is the “noblest Roman of them all” after

he dies (5.5)MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: CAIUS CASSIUS

•Cassius changes somewhat throughout the play:

MANIPULATIVE POWERFUL DISGRACED

SUPERSTITIOUS VULNERABLE

HUMBLED/HONOURABLE? (in death)

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: CAIUS CASSIUS

•ENVIOUS: “Cassius is a wretched creature and must bend his body, If Caesar carelessly but nod on him” (1.2)

•ARROGANT/PROUD: says he will kill himself before he lets Caesar live or he’s held captive; thinking Titinius is “captured”, he commits suicide

• LOGICAL/PERCEPTIVE: thinks Antony must die and should not speak at the funeral because he’s a threat

•MANIPULATIVE: “seduces” Brutus (his friend) into the conspiracy against Caesar by using a variety of techniques

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: CAIUS CASSIUS

•RECKLESS: tempts the heavens (lightning); tells Brutus to stab his heart

• LOYAL: to Brutus (despite trickery); see fight Act 4, Scenes 2-3; allows Brutus to make decisions on killing Antony and marching to Philippi

•VULNERABLE: is upset by Brutus’ attack of him at camp

• SUPERSTITIOUS (in the end): fears the presence of eagles, crows and ravens indicate danger

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: MARCUS ANTONIUS

•MANIPULATIVE: Shakes hands of the conspirators and later calls them “butchers”; “No place will please me so, no mean of death, as here by Caesar” (3.1)

•ELOQUENT: he’s one of the rulers of Rome based on his ability to manipulate the crowd with his words•Refers to Brutus as “the noblest Roman of them all”

(5.5) after death

MS. H. COOPER

CHARACTER: MARCUS ANTONIUS

• SELF-SERVING: plans to get rid of Lepidus, saying “Do not talk of him but as a property” (4.1); forges Caesar’s will for profit

•PATRIOTIC OR CRUEL?: turns the Romans against conspirators for revenge on Caesar’s death BUT kills 100+ senators (even family) as ruler

• LIMB OF CAESAR?: maybe not so much…he’s doing quite well in Rome

MS. H. COOPER

MINOR CHARACTERS

SOOTHSAYER• Shows that Caesar is only sometimes superstitious and

also shows his pride in ignoring the warnings twice• Provides foreshadowing of Caesar’s death “Beware the

Ides…”

PORTIA• Reveals Brutus’ conflict and his loyalty to his wife• Creates an atypical view of women, seeming strong, but

then revealing the weakness of women through her suicide; “how weak a thing the heart of woman is!” (2.4)

MS. H. COOPER

MINOR CHARACTERS

CALPURNIA• Reveals Caesar’s “softer” side, as he respects her wishes

for him to stay home initially• Shows Caesar’s pride: later regrets listening to her and

believes Decius• Portrays typical view/role of women

DECIUS BRUTUS• Shows how easily manipulated Caesar is; he ignores his

own wife for the flattery and fear Decius instills in him

MS. H. COOPER

MINOR CHARACTERS

CASCA• Reveals Caesar’s weakness; he reports the fainting spell

to Cassius and is the first to stab him during the murder

OCTAVIUS

• Brings out Antony’s greed and selfishness, as he differs from Antony and disagrees with the plan for Lepidus

LEPIDUS

• Reveals Antony’s manipulative and false persona

MS. H. COOPER

MS. H. COOPER

CONTRAST

•Brutus’ honour vs Cassius’ jealousy/manipulation

• Caesar’s view of Brutus as loyal and Cassius as suspicious

•Brutus’ honour vs his ambition/deception after Caesar’s murder

•Brutus’ vs the conspirators’ reasons for killing Caesar

•Brutus’ opinion that Antony is harmless vs Cassius’ opinion that he is dangerous (ex: death, funeral)

CONFLICTS - EXTERNAL

• Caesar is offered and refuses the crown: the crowd protests the offering, he offers his throat to cut and he faints

• Portia attempts to persuade Brutus to reveal his problems

• Calpurnia attempts to persuade Caesar to stay home from the Capitol

• Caesar is murdered; 23 wounds total

•The angry mob chases the conspirators, kills Cinna the poet and burns the homes of the conspirators

MS. H. COOPER

CONFLICTS - EXTERNAL

•Antony, Octavius and Lepidus kill 100 senators

•Brutus and Cassius argue over accepting bribes and ignoring each others requests

•Antony/Octavius and Brutus/Cassius “trash talk” one another before the battle begins

•The battle between Antony/Octavius and Brutus/Antony

•The deaths of Portia, Cassius, Titinius and Brutus

MS. H. COOPER

CONFLICTS - INTERNAL

•Brutus has inner turmoil, mostly dealing with whether to kill Caesar (2.2) and how to deal with the guilt of killing him = ghosts/his suicide via Stratto

• Portia is unable to cope with knowing Brutus’ plan (2.4) for Caesar and his absence from Rome = suicide via hot coals

• Cassius is troubled over Brutus’ treatment of him (4.2-3) = offers Brutus a dagger to kill him = suicide later via Pindarus

MS. H. COOPER

MS. H. COOPER

SUSPENSE

• Cassius wants Brutus to kill Caesar = suspense for his decision

• Portia begs Brutus to confide in her = suspense for whether he will and her reaction

• Calpurnia and Decius try to convince Caesar not to go/to go to the Capitol = suspense for his decision

•The conspirators kill Caesar publically = suspense for the crowd’s reaction

MS. H. COOPER

SUSPENSE•Brutus and Antony address the crowd after the murder

= suspense for the outcome (who will they support?)

•Antony and Octavius prepare to battle Cassius and Brutus = suspense about which men will survive and rule Rome

• Cassius believes in dying the Roman way (suicide) = suspense for if he’ll die and whether Brutus will believe the same

MS. H. COOPER

IRONY

• Caesar thinks the conspirators are his friends; believes Decius and walks as friends to the Capitol

• Caesar is superstitious but doesn’t listen to the Soothsayer’s or Artemidorus’ warnings

• Caesar brags that he is as “constant as the Northern Star” right before he is killed

•Brutus thought Antony was harmless without Caesar but he became a ruler in Rome and had the conspirators exiled

MS. H. COOPER

IRONY

• Conspirators killed Caesar for his ambition and to save Rome but Antony killed 100 senators, stole money, and engaged in battle with the conspirators

• Portia says she is stronger than most women but can’t handle the trouble Brutus has caused and kills herself

• Cassius kills himself because he thinks Titinius is captured, but he isn’t

THEMES

Things are not always as they appear to be.

• Cassius with Brutus (re: conspiracy)

•The conspirators with Caesar

•Antony with the conspirators and the public

•Titinius’ “death” causing Cassius’ suicide

•The questionable ambition of Caesar, and honour of Brutus and Antony

Pride often leads to one’s downfall.

• Caesar and Cassius are hated by many and end up dead in the end

MS. H. COOPER

THEMES

The desire to achieve a goal (ambition) may bring out the negative side of a character’s personality

•Brutus kills his friend to protect Rome from Kingship

• Cassius manipulates his friend to rid Rome of Caesar and gain power

•Antony deceives the conspirators to seek revenge for Caesar’s death and gain power, and he manipulates the Plebians to gain power in Rome

MS. H. COOPER

THEMES

The spoken word carries with it the power to persuade, manipulate and control

• Consider the persuasion techniques of: Cassius, Portia, Brutus, Calpurnia, Decius Brutus, Antony

One’s willingness to ignore the truth has far-reaching consequences

• Caesar may have escaped death had he not ignored the warnings of the Soothsayer, Calpurnia and Artemidorus

MS. H. COOPER

MOTIFS

Speech / Manipulation:• Cassius & Portia WITH Brutus • Calpurnia & Decius WITH Caesar•Brutus & Antony WITH the public

Omens:• People in flames not burning, lions in the streets, owls

at day, storms, Calpurnia’s dream of Caesar’s statue spouting blood, Cassius seeing eagles, crows and ravens

Death/Suicide:•Marcus Cato (in past), Caesar, Portia, Cicero, 100

senators, Cassius, Titinius, BrutusMS. H. COOPER

TITLE SIGNIFICANCE

• Julius Caesar was a powerful ruler of Rome

• His power and potential as a tyrant made people fear him

• The conspiracy was all about ridding Rome of Caesar

• BUT…he died by Act 3 in a brutal and piteous manner

• Brutus saw Caesar’s ghost twice (at Sardis and Philippi)

• Cassius and Brutus both uttered Caesar’s name in their final words = lasting impression

• Both Cassius and Brutus ended their lives because of the backlash of their role in killing Caesar

• Some question whether the play should be entitled “Marcus Brutus” – Why?

MS. H. COOPER