The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known
simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragic play by William Shakespeare, believed to
have been written in 1599.
It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against
the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, his
assassination and the defeat of the
conspirators at the Battle of Philippi.
It is one of several plays which Shakespeare
wrote based on true events from Roman
history, which also include Coriolanus and
Antony and Cleopatra.
Julius Caesar was originally published in
the First Folio of 1623, but a performance
was mentioned in September 1599 which is
when scholars date the play as being
written.
The text of Julius Caesar in the First Folio is
the only authoritative text for the play.
The source used by Shakespeare was Sir
Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Life
of Brutus and Life of Caesar
Julius Caesar
Calpurnia: Wife of Caesar
Octavius, Mark Antony, Lepidus: Triumvirs after the death of Julius Caesar
Cicero, Publius, Popilius Lena: Senators
Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Tribonius, Ligarius,Decius Brutus, Metellus Cimber, Cinna:
Conspirators against Julius Caesar
Portia: Wife of Brutus
Flavius and Marullus: Tribunes
Artemidorus: a Sophist of Cnidos
A Soothsayer
Cinna: A poet, who is killed by the angry
mob believing he is complicit with
Caesar’s death.
Although the title of the play is Julius
Caesar, Caesar is not the most visible
character in its action; he appears in only
three scenes, and is killed at the beginning
of the third act.
Marcus Brutus speaks more than four times
as many lines, and the central
psychological drama is his struggle
between the conflicting demands
of honour, patriotism, and friendship.
Julius Caesar begins with Caesar
returning home triumphant from a
victorious battle.
He is cheered by the crowds, until
a mysterious old man tells him to
“Beware the Ides of March”
(March 15th).
Meanwhile, the others in the
senate fear Caesar’s increasing popularity, and believe he may try
use his power to become a
tyrannical emperor.
Cassius plants false letters in Caesar’s
apartment, which Brutus finds, to suggest that
Caesar is seeking more power.
Cassius arrives at Brutus’s home with his
conspirators, and Brutus, who has already
been won over by the letters, takes control of
the meeting.
The men agree to lure Caesar from his house
and kill him.
Cassius wants to kill Antony too, for Antony
will surely try to hinder their plans, but Brutus
disagrees, believing that too many deaths
will render their plot too bloody and dishonor
them.
Caesar prepares to go to the Senate. His wife,
Calpurnia, begs him not to go, describing recent
nightmares she has had in which a statue of
Caesar streamed with blood and smiling men
bathed their hands in the blood.
At the Senate, the conspirators speak to Caesar,
encircling him. One by one, they stab him to
death. When Caesar sees his dear friend Brutus
among his murderers, he gives up his struggle and
dies.
The murderers bathe their hands and swords in
Caesar’s blood, thus bringing Calpurnia’s
premonition to fruition.
The murder sets in motion an
unstoppable chain of events, pitting
Brutus against his former friend, Mark
Antony, and leading the Roman
Empire into Civil War with itself.
Antony sways an angry Roman crowd
with a passionate speech, turning
them against Caesar’s assassins.
Later, in a second supernatural event,
Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus the
night before a deciding battle with a warning of defeat.
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol. (2.2.22)
Cowards die many times before their deaths;The valiant never taste of death but once.
(2.2.34)
Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar! (3.1.77)
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.The evil that men do lives after them;The good is oft interred with their bones. (3.2.79)
You blocks, you stones, you worse than
senseless things!(1.1.39)
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,But in ourselves, that we are underlings. (1.2.135)
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;(1.3.93)
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds. (2.1.173)
Cry, 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war. (3.1.268)
Passion, I see, is catching. (3.1.283)
As he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. (3.2.27)
This was the most unkindest cut of all;For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,Quite vanquished him: then burst his mighty heart;(3.2.189)
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman. (4.3.27)
A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,But Brutus makes mine greater than they are. (4.3.86)
There is a tide in the affairs of menWhich taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;Omitted, all the voyage of their lifeIs bound in shallows and in miseries. (4.3.218)
I had rather haveSuch men my friends than enemies. (5.4.28)
Julius Caesar (1950), starring Charlton Heston as Antony and Harold Tasker as Caesar.
Julius Caesar (1953), starring James Mason as Brutus, Marlon Brando as Antony and Louis Calhern as Caesar.
Julius Caesar (1970), starring Jason RobardsJr. as Brutus, Charlton Heston as Antony and John Gielgud as Caesar.
Julius Caesar (1979) TV movie starring Richard Pasco, Keith Michell and Charles Gray as Caesar
Julius Caesar (2012) filmed stage production starring Paterson Joseph as Brutus, Jeffry Kissoon as Caesar, Cyril Nri as Cassius, and Ray Fearon as Mark Antony
Despite being a depiction of an actual
historical event, Shakespeare was not
interested in teaching a history lesson to
his audiences, instead he created a
heightened drama to paint characters
who were richly human, and conflicted.
Human qualities such as honor, friendship,
loyalty, deceit, and revenge are feelings
we still experience, and still speak to
audiences today.