Julius Caesar Essay, Research Paper

Act I:

The play opens with a little word

play between Flavius, Marullus, and a few workers. The workers are on their

way to see Julius Caesar who has recently returned from his victorious

battle against Pompey. The reader immediately sees the dislike the tribunes

have towards Caesar. However, the commoners seem to love Caesar.

The scene moves to a large gathering

where Caesar is the focus. As Caesar converses with Mark Antony, we learn

that Caesar is superstitious. The belief in the supernatural and the forces

of nature are very prevalent in the play, and Caesar’s comment is but one

example. To keep with the idea of the supernatural, a soothsayer speaks,

warning Caesar to beware the Ides of March. He acts as though he is not

concerned.

After the exchange with the soothsayer,

Caesar is offered the crown three times and refuses each time, even though

the people are cheering for him to accept the empororship. At the same

time, Cassius is trying to convince Brutus that Caesar is too ambitious

and should be killed before being allowed to rule the Roman Empire. Brutus,

always seeking to do what is right, says that he will not betray his honor

and loyalty to Rome.

That evening, there are strange

and unusual natural occurrences–the weather is very strange and violent

and fire falls from the sky. Most of the people believe that the weather

is a bad omen, but Cassius disagrees. He uses the unusual weather to reason

that it is only for evil men (such as Caesar) who need to be afraid. The

plotting against Caesar continues.

Act II:

Brutus is convinced by Cassius that

it is for the good of Rome that Caesar be killed. Some of the other conspirators

want to kill friends of Caesar’s, but Brutus feels that it is not necessary

to kill anyone else. Only the person responsible for the downfall of Rome

should perish according to Brutus.

Caesar is contemplating on whether

he should remain home during the Ides of March (which is March 15th). Calphurinia,

Caesar’s wife, tells Caesar of the horrible dream she had about his death

and that the strange occurrences the night before are a prelude of his

death. He agrees to stay until Decius, a conspirator, tells him her dreams

were not of his death, but of him saving Rome. Thus Caesar leaves for the

Senate despite his wife’s pleas.

Meanwhile, Artemidorus waits in

the streets of Rome for Caesar to pass so he can give him a note warning

Caesar of the conspiracy.

Act III:

Attempts are made to warn Caesar

of the plot to kill him, but none are successful. Caesar is murdered in

the Senate House. Brutus keeps the others from killing anyone else and

they all believe that their deed will be celebrated throughout the ages.

Antony enters and pretends that he agrees with the conspirators actions

and is granted permission to speak at Caesar’s funeral.

Brutus speaks first at the funeral

to explain their reasons for killing Caesar. The people seem to accept

his explanation and then Antony speaks. Throughout his speech, Antony never

really says anything bad about Brutus and the others, but he talks about

Caesar being such a great and noble man willing to sacrifice all for his

people. The listeners become angry and a mob runs through the streets in

search of the conspirators; they even kill a man because he had the same

name as one of the conspirators.

Act IV:

Battle plans are being made as well

as a list of people supportive of Brutus and the conspirators. These people

are to be killed. Octavius and Antony methodically pick people (even family

members) who are to be executed.

This next part somewhat confused

me. Brutus and Cassius are arguing with each other because Brutus would

not pardon a friend of Cassius caught accepting bribes. It is almost as

if Brutus is mad at Cassius for convincing him to kill Caesar and uses

this to vent his anger. I’m not really sure if this is true, so don’t take

it as gospel. Then they make up saying they weren’t really in there right

minds.

As if things aren’t bad enough for

Brutus, he finds out that his wife committed suicide by swallowing hot

coals. Later he sees the ghost of Caesar who tells him that they will meet

again in Philippi.

Act V:

The battle is about ready to begin.

First Octavius, Antony, Cassius, and Brutus meet on the battlefield to

talk, but obviously they cannot and will not cooperate. Brutus and Cassius

talk after the meeting about the inevitable battle. They say their farewells

and part. It appears that Brutus has been defeated. Pindarus tells Cassius

that Brutus has been taken and Antony has defeated him. Thus, Cassius kills

himself and then after seeing Cassius’s body, Titinius kills himself. Later

Brutus says that Caesar’s spirit “walks abroad” and I take that to mean

that Caesar is making sure his killers will die.

By the end, Brutus and Cassius’

armies have been overwhelmed and Antony and Octavius are fast moving in

on Brutus. Brutus asks Strato to kill him and he agrees. Once Antony and

Octavius find the body they say that Brutus was the only noble person among

the conspirators.