• Won victory• Great warrior• Superstitious• Like people praise but don’t like flattery• Firm and arrogant in decision• North star and Olympus Mountain• Like fat people“Caesar is more dangerous than danger

itself”• Denied all omens• Shocked when stabbed by Brutus..

Et tue Brute!! Then fall, Caesar…!!!

Julius Caesar

In opening scene we get impression that Caesar is a great warrior, won war over sons of Pompey.

The Tribunes try to belittle Caesar’s achievementFLAVIUS

It is no matter; let no imagesBe hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about,And drive away the vulgar from the streets:So do you too, where you perceive them thick.These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wingWill make him fly an ordinary pitch,Who else would soar above the view of menAnd keep us all in servile fearfulness.

This also shows that Caesar was great warrior and

posses great military strength.

Initial impression of Caesar:

• First he appears to be a superstitious man because he asks Antony to touch his wife Calpurnia in the course of his running a race.

CAESAR

Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say,The barren, touched in this holy chase,

Shake off their sterile curse.

His Belief in Superstition; and his Rejection of Superstition

But the very next moment Caesar shows a complete disregard of all superstition when in a replay to the soothsayer’s warning to beware the ides of March, he says that this man is a dreamer and doesn’t deserve any attention.

SoothsayerBeware the ides of March.

CAESARHe is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.

Cassius speaks to Brutus about Caesar in a most disparaging manner. As Cassius tries to build negative image of Caesar in Brutus mind so that he may able to turn Brutus against Caesar.

Cassius claims that he had on one occasion shown greater stamina as a swimmer then Caesar and that he had in fact saved Caesar from drowning.

Cassius’s Portrayal of Caesar’s Character to Brutus

CASSIUSThe troubled Tiber chafing with her

shores,Caesar said to me 'Darest thou,

Cassius, nowLeap in with me into this angry flood,And swim to yonder point?' Upon the

word,Accoutred as I was, I plunged in

And bade him follow; so indeed he did.The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it

With lusty sinews, throwing it asideAnd stemming it with hearts of

controversy;But ere we could arrive the point

proposed,Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I

sink!'

Cassius also says that once, when Caesar was suffering from fever, he had cried like a sick girl and asked in a feeble tone for a little water to drink.

He had a fever when he was in Spain,And when the fit was on him, I did mark

How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;His coward lips did from their colour fly,

And that same eye whose bend doth awe the worldDid lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:

Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the RomansMark him and write his speeches in their books,

Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Titinius,'As a sick girl.

And yet Cassius also conveys to us an idea of Caesar greatness when speaking about him he says

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow worldLike a Colossus, and we petty menWalk under his huge legs

Here Cassius compares Caesar to a huge statue and refers to himself and to Brutus as “we petty

men”.

When, after attending games, Caesar re-appears, he makes one of the most perspective speeches in the whole play. He tells Antony that he would like to keep away from men like Cassius who has lean and hungry look, and who thinks too much. Describing Cassius’s character, Caesar further says that this man loves no plays, hears no music, smiles seldom and, even when he smiles, he smiles in a manner which shows as if he scorned himself for having smiled at anything. Such men say Caesar can never at ease as long as they see somebody greater than themselves. Such men according to Caesar are dangerous. Caesar would like to only associate with man who are fat, who keep their hair well-combed, and who enjoy a sound sleep at nights. Here Caesar speaks like a specialist in human psychology.

Caesar’s Physical infirmities; and His Psychological Insight

CAESAR Let me have men about me that

are fat;Sleek-headed men and such as

sleep o' nights:Yond Cassius has a lean and

hungry look;He thinks too much: such men

are dangerous.

The next moment Caesar asks Antony to come to his right hand because his left ear is deaf.

Come on my right hand,

for this ear is deaf,

And tell me truly what

thou think'st of him.

Then we learn from Casca’s account to Brutus and Cassius that Caesar has fainted at the games because of the strain which he had experienced in refusing the crown which mark Antony had offered to him three times at which he had inwardly belonging to accept. Brutus here says that Caesar suffers from “the falling sickness” and that he must surely have fainted.

CASCAHe fell down in the market-place, and foamed

atmouth, and was speechless.

BRUTUS'Tis very like: he hath the failing sickness.

 

Caesar fearlessly says to Calpurnia that if the mighty gods are bent upon putting an end to somebody's life then that man cannot escape from his fate.

Cowards die many times before their deaths;The valiant never taste of death but once.

Replay to Priest: CAESAR

The gods do this in shame of cowardice:Caesar should be a beast without a heart,If he should stay at home to-day for fear.

His Fearlessness:

Having decided not to gout of the doors Caesar decided to go out. Thus he appears to be having a wavering mind.

Decius interpreting Calpurnia dream as good omen.And saying you don’t like flattery.

He is also partly influenced by Decius’s falsely telling him that the Senate intend

to offer him a crown at that day’s meeting. And that they might change their mind in

case if he fails to attend the meeting.

His Wavering Mind and His Love of Flattery;

A little latter the conspirators led by Brutus arrive at Caesar’s house and we feel greatly impressed by Caesar’s graceful and dignified behavior in receiving them and hospitably offering wine to them. He speaks in a most cultured manner saying:

Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

When the meeting of the Senate begins and Metellus Cimber makes a personal request to Caesar, Caesar firmly rejects the requests. Here we certainly admires Caesar firmness but we strongly disapprove of the arrogant and haughty behavior in which he speaks. He describes Metellus Cimber as “couchings and these lowly courtesies, Low-crooked court'sies and base spaniel-fawning”.

And then he says to Metellus Cimber “I spurn

thee like a cur out of my way.”

His Firmness; and His Arrogance;

• He compares himself one man amongst countless men because he never changes his mind and never modifies his decisions. I could be well moved, if I were as you:If I could pray to move, prayers would

move me:But I am constant as the northern star,Of whose true-fix'd and resting qualityThere is no fellow in the firmament.

He rejects the recommendation of Brutus and Cassius too; and when Cinna lends his support to Metellus’s petition, Caesar loftily says

Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

Shakespeare insists, despite history, that he is a tyrant, weak in body and mind, easily flattered, vain, and superstitious. 

1. Physically weak. 

2. Susceptible to flattery.

3. Superstitious. 

4. Vain. 

5. Arrogant. 

Conclusion:

ThanK You…….

ANY QUESTIONS..????

Made By: Arifa Abid Thank you…!!!!!!