Themes
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Conflict
Conflict generally occurs when a character cannot achieve an objective due to an obstacle. This obstacle may be internal or external – between characters or between characters and their environment. Conflict can be shown in a variety of ways, for example through physical, verbal or psychological means. It can be embedded in the structure of the drama. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is the story of the resulting conflicts from the assassination of perpetual dictator and Roman emperor. One of the significant themes that Shakespeare uses to enrich the complexity of Brutus involves his attempt to ritualize the assassination of Caesar.
First of all, He cannot justify, to his own satisfaction, the murder of a man who is a friend and who has not excessively misused the powers of his office. Brutus is the most complex of the characters in this play. He is proud of his reputation for honour and nobleness, but he is not always practical, and is often naive. “If it be aught toward the general good, set honour in one eye, and death I’ th’ other” Act I, Scene II. He is the only major character in the play intensely committed to fashioning his behavior to fit a strict moral and ethical code, but he take actions that are unconsciously hypocritical. “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (Act III, Scene II) Consequently, thinking of the assassination in terms of a quasi-religious ritual instead of cold-blooded murder makes it more acceptable to him. Unfortunately for him, he consistently misjudges the people, the citizens of Rome, and Antony character itself; he believes that they will be willing to consider the assassination in abstract terms.
There is an external conflict between the conspirators and Caesar as he is a great man and an ambitious man. His ambition is what worries Brutus and ultimately leads to Brutus joining the conspiracy to murder Caesar. Cassius is also a very ambitious man, and because he is so jealous of Caesar's power, wishes to kill him to gain more power for himself. “A man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world, and bear the plame alone.”(Act I, scene II) Ultimately, the ambition of these two men leads to their downfalls and to virtual anarchy in the streets of Rome. Great ambition leads to great conflict.
Mob Mentality
Later on, Brutus and Antony s' speeches focus attention on the mobs and how they can be a danger when they are manipulated. Brutus delivers a speech to Romans in which he explains his reasons for murdering Caesar. He tells them to judge him with their reason and logic. He confirms that his love for Rome is greater than his love for Caesar "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.'' (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 21) He also plays on their dignity. In other words, they will be slaves, if Caesar is alive. Finally, he succeeds in persuading them that his deed is not evil at all. To illustrate, one of the citizens say let us make him Caesar which means a
king. They believe him to the degree they do not want to listen to Antony.
Antony knows how the mobs can be a sort of power. To manifest, through
his funeral speech, Antony managed to move people in mutiny against the conspirators and feeling sorry for killing Caesar. This was achieved through his intelligent techniques of delivering powerful speeches, by creating rapport with the people, insinuating the good in Caesar, appealing to their feeling of pity and greed, as well as appealing to logical reasoning and evidence.
Mob Mentality
Mob mentality is highlighted throughout the course of Julius Caesar. The play emphasizes how it is easy to influence, and to manipulate the commoners. To elaborate, they support Pompey who is a military and political leader many years ago.Afterwards, they cheer Caesar and celebrate his victory over Pompey's sons, just like one of the citizens states ''But, indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Caesar and to rejoice in his" (Act1, Scene1, Line 28). Moreover, the two officials; Marullus and Flavius blame the common people for their ingratitude. Thus, Marullus insults the mobs by describing them as ''You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!'' (Act 1, Scene1, Line 35) He reminds them how they climb up the walls, towers, and even to the tops of chimneys only to see Great Pompey pass through the streets of Rome. In addition, he explains how they cheer Pompey loudly to the extent the Tiber tremble under his carved banks. Subsequently, he orders them to go home and ask for the forgiveness of gods for their ungratefulness.
MARULLUS
"Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?
What tributaries follow him to Rome,
To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The livelong day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks,
To hear the replication of your sounds
Made in her concave shores?
And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood? Be gone!
Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude." (Act1, Scene1, Lines 32- 55)
What tributaries follow him to Rome,
To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The livelong day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks,
To hear the replication of your sounds
Made in her concave shores?
And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood? Be gone!
Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude." (Act1, Scene1, Lines 32- 55)
"Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fault,
Assemble all the poor men of your sort;
Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears
Into the channel, till the lowest stream
Do kiss the most exalted shores of all."(Act1, Scene1, Lines 56-60)
Assemble all the poor men of your sort;
Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears
Into the channel, till the lowest stream
Do kiss the most exalted shores of all."(Act1, Scene1, Lines 56-60)
Later on, Brutus and Antony s' speeches focus attention on the mobs and how they can be a danger when they are manipulated. Brutus delivers a speech to Romans in which he explains his reasons for murdering Caesar. He tells them to judge him with their reason and logic. He confirms that his love for Rome is greater than his love for Caesar "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.'' (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 21) He also plays on their dignity. In other words, they will be slaves, if Caesar is alive. Finally, he succeeds in persuading them that his deed is not evil at all. To illustrate, one of the citizens say let us make him Caesar which means a
king. They believe him to the degree they do not want to listen to Antony.
Antony knows how the mobs can be a sort of power. To manifest, through
his funeral speech, Antony managed to move people in mutiny against the conspirators and feeling sorry for killing Caesar. This was achieved through his intelligent techniques of delivering powerful speeches, by creating rapport with the people, insinuating the good in Caesar, appealing to their feeling of pity and greed, as well as appealing to logical reasoning and evidence.
Moreover, one of the very obvious reflections of the mobs that don’t think before act is killing Cinna, the poet and confusing him with Cinna, the real
killer that takes place in Act 3, Scene 3.
Conspiracy
killer that takes place in Act 3, Scene 3.
Conspiracy
The tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a play about betrayal and conspiracy that are two sides of the same coin. Conspiracy is an extended theme that is manifested from the very introductory scene of the play to the awful deed of killing Caesar. First, Caesar is betrayed since the beginning of the play when Flavius and Marullus order the commoners to stop rejoicing the victory of Caesar and rip down the banners celebrating him. Later on, treason turns into a well formed scheme against Caesar. Moreover, Cassius is a deceptive man who is the mastermind of the plot, and he urges Brutus to join his plan of Caesar's murder. Since Brutus is well-respected, Cassius’ conspiracy gains respect among those who know about it. Subsequently, Cassius fakes letters which praise Brutus as a great ruler. Caesar is betrayed and assassinated by some of his closet friends and followers. In spite of the relationship between Caesar and Brutus (a sincere friendship), Brutus is manipulated by Cassius’ plot against Caesar. This friendship is the reason why, at first, Brutus is hesitant to join Cassius in his conspiracy. However, Brutus, Cassius, and the other conspirators kill Caesar because they don't want him to become a dictator, they are afraid that he would take away all their power. Cassius says “Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable grave.” (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines135-8)
Friendship Versus Duty
Friendship Versus Duty
Despite the fact that Brutus is Caesar’s best friend; he is not in favor of Caesar becoming the king. Brutus mentions that he loves Caesar, but he does not want him to be a king.
Brutus: “What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king”
Cassius: “Ay, do you fear it?
Then must I think you would not have it so.”
Brutus. “I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well.” (Act 1, scene 2, line 77)
Brutus does not want that because he wants Rome to remain a republic and to be ruled by a council, not a king. He has an inner conflict that his love for Caesar is a contradiction to his love for Rome. Moreover, he wishes that he could kill the spirit of Caesar, not the man. Brutus knows that he was wrong in his decision of killing Caesar, but he tries to persuade himself that he was correct by stating that he kills him for the sake of Rome “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” Furthermore, Brutus last words “Caesar, now be still; /I kill’d not thee with half so good a will.” He is saying that Caesar should now rest in peace, and that he killed Caesar unwillingly as he does with himself. This means that Brutus knows that Caesar’s revenge should have been taken.
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