...From the savage Neanderthal to the charismatic Julius Caesar, humans have selfishly betrayed one another since the dawn of time. Written by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar portrays the tragedy of the Roman ruler. Deceived by his friends, Caesar is brutally murdered as the conspirators try to prevent him from ascending to the throne as the next leader of Rome. By placing their own egotistical interests and misconceptions before Rome’s, the conspirators wrongfully murdered Julius Caesar. Throughout the play, Brutus continually questions whether or not he should follow through with the plan to assassinate Caesar. He even makes the remark several times that Caesar personally did nothing to him saying, “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general. He would be crown'd: How that might change his nature, there's the question” (II.i.10). Brutus recognizes that other than his own fears for the future, Caesar has done nothing to deserve death. The conspirators repeatedly claim that because of Caesar’s unruly ambition, he would take the throne and expose his greedy, selfish side, although he has never shown any sign to actually having one. Convincing Brutus of this, they become obsessed with the idea that Julius Caesar would become a megalomaniac after his rise to the throne, making this the main incentive that the conspirators have against him, eventually making a rash decision to “sacrifice” him, supposedly for the good of...
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...Julius Caesar is known as one of the greatest war tactions in history. His battlefield tactics are still used in modern day warfare. Had it not been for his narcissism, his accomplishments would have been even greater. Augustus Caesar, Julius’ nephew and adoptive son, succeeded his uncle as the new Emperor of Rome. Throughout this essay, I will discuss the achievements of Julius Caesar, the achievements of Augusts, and the qualities of both their personalities. Julius Caesar is known for his many conquests in ancient Roman history. It was an intrical part in making the Roman Empire as vast as it was between 58-50 BC. As a young aristocrat, Julius Caesar went to Greece to perfect his public speaking skills and his knowledge of philosophy (Starr, page 75). In 63 BC he secured election to the august post of “pontifex maximus,” which made him chief in the Roman religious affairs (Caesar, page 4). In 61 BC, after one year of being praetor, Julius became governor of a Spanish province. In 60 BC he returned from Spain with exceptional military experience and decided he wanted to be consul, and as a result, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed the first Triumvirate, which basically means they were the authority in the civilization. The triumvirate ruled for Caesar to be one of the consuls for the following year, 59 BC (Starr, page 79). After one year as consul, in Caesar appointed himself as governor of Illyricum and Cisalpine Gaul for...
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...Julius Caesar: Antony & Brutus In the play, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, two characters bang heads in a not literal way but also connect very well in others. Antony and Brutus both are friends of Caesars but when he is killed the true colors of these characters come out and as readers, we see who is on which side. Antony and Brutus have many things in common but as well, they also have many things that make them different. Throughout the play, Julius Caesar, Brutus and Antony show differences in each other in many ways. For example, Brutus was very honorable and Antony was very persuasive. “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more...”(Shakespeare 42) When Brutus spoke at Caesar’s funeral, he appealed to the people’s logic. As Antony spoke, he spoke to the emotions of the people not just their logic. “Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me” (Shakespeare 44) . Brutus’ speech was very short and to the point of just telling the people what they wanted to hear. While in Antony’s speech, which was longer, spoke only of all the good Caesar had done. Another difference between Antony and Brutus is that Antony is very smart and uses his intelligence throughout the play while Brutus is very naïve about multiple things. “Will you be patient? will you stay awhile? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it. I fear I wrong the honorable men whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it.”(Shakespeare 46). Antony is very manipulative...
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...Gaius Julius Caesar[b] (Classical Latin: [ˈɡaː.i.ʊs ˈjuː.li.ʊs ˈkae̯.sar]; July 100 BC [1] – 15 March 44 BC)[2] was a Roman general, statesman, Consul, and notable author of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. In 60 BC, Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed a political alliance that was to dominate Roman politics for several years. Their attempts to amass power through populist tactics were opposed by the conservative ruling class within the Roman Senate, among them Cato the Younger with the frequent support of Cicero. Caesar's victories in the Gallic Wars, completed by 51 BC, extended Rome's territory to the English Channel and the Rhine. Caesar became the first Roman general to cross both when he built a bridge across the Rhine and conducted the first invasion of Britain. These achievements granted him unmatched military power and threatened to eclipse the standing of Pompey, who had realigned himself with the Senate after the death of Crassus in 53 BC. With the Gallic Wars concluded, the Senate ordered Caesar to step down from his military command and return to Rome. Caesar refused the order, and instead marked his defiance in 49 BC by crossing the Rubicon with a legion, leaving his province and illegally entering Roman Italy under arms.[3] Civil war resulted, and Caesar's victory in the war put him in an unrivaled position of power and influence. After assuming control of government...
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...The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar There are many different characters with different personalities throughout “The tragedy Of Julius Caesar” such as Brutus and Cassius. Along with the many differences they have Cassius and Brutus also have a lot of similarities such as how they both think that Caesar is too powerful. A major difference between them is their moral choices and reasons for killing Caesar. When Brutus and Cassius were first introduced you could see their differences clearly but as the play develops people discover that the have a lot more similarities than it first appeared. A difference between Cassius and Brutus is that they have very different morals. When it comes to Cassius to killing Antony he thinks that Antony will become a nuisance and a possible threat. “As to annoy us all; which to prevent, Let Antony and Caesar fall together” (2.1.160.). Unlike Cassius, Brutus thinks that it is unnecessary to kill anybody other than Caesar because it would be just killing senselessly. “For Antony is but a limb of Caesar. Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers.” (2.1.165.). Brutus thinks that Antony is of no threat to the conspirators and he does not want unnecessary killing. If Brutus had followed Cassius’ advise and kill Antony they could have avoided the war and Brutus and Cassius would not have committed suicide. A similarity that Brutus and Cassius have in their personalities is that they both want to kill Caesar because they think he has too much...
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...and holds her blind faith in the superstitions, and Caesar who always has the upper hand in their relationship and is looked up to as a hero . This passage brings out the subtle theme of the position and role of women in society at the times and it highlights the varied interpretation of the omens. This emphatic extract opens with Calpurnia’s direct address to, “Caesar”, which in a subtle way shows us the formal relationship that the two share. Calpurnia, without any hesitation, instantaneously vividly describes her abnormal dream and concerns regarding the upcoming ceremony when she says, “I never stood on ceremonies yet now they fright me.” This gives the play an eerie edge as it becomes mysterious when she is terrified by something she has never experienced before. The harsh adjective “horrid” used to describe the “sights” magnifies the feeling of trepidation. She reveals her dream to beloved Caesar, in an attempt to persuade him of the fact that he was in some sort of danger. This nightmarish dream is predominantly foreshadowing Caesar’s death as, “a lioness whelped in the streets, graves have hawn’d and yielded up their dead…which drizzled blood upon the Capitol…and ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets”. In those premonitions, Shakespeare creates a sematic field that conveys a predominantly pessimistic death. A ghostly atmosphere has been captured and reproduced for the audience. The exclamation “O Caesar” suggests her deep despair and dread for her husband...
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...Augustus Caesar Born Gaius Octavius, Augustus was born in September of 63 B.C. Octavius' father, Gaius Octavius, was a praetor for two years until he died in 58 B.C. Therefore, Octavius grew up without a father for most of his life. Through Octavius' long life of seventy-seventy years, he accomplished a great deal. He reduced the size of the Senate, he was an integral part of the second triumvirate, and he was elected the Pontifex Maximus, just to name a few of these accomplishments. Octavius received the name Augustus by holding the consulship and receiving various awards. This title was not given out to just anyone. In order to receive this title, one must be a large contributor to the city (Boardman 533-534). Octavius Caesar was related to the famous Julius Caesar through Octavius' mother. Atria was Octavius' grandmother and Julius Caesar's sister, therefore making Octavius his great-nephew. When Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C., his will read that Octavius was to be adopted by him, making Octavius his son and heir to the Roman Empire. Also, in his will it stated that every citizen of Rome would receive a cash gift. Octavius rushed to Rome to take his throne, but when he arrived in Rome, he realized the Antony had already taken control of the city. He could not persuade Antony to release the money in Julius Caesar's treasury so he had to borrow all the money he could to give the gifts to the citizens. Julius Octavius Caesar was only eighteen when he was thrust...
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...Gabriella Vallejo Nigrelli Pd. 3 English 2 PAP 5/14/14 The More the Words, the Less the Meaning Words can be cunning and deceiving when the right person is using them. William Shakespeare displays the concept of how words can be powerful weapons when manipulated by the right person in his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (JC) as Brutus persuades the citizens of Rome to understand the righteousness of his delusional actions in his eulogy at Caesar’s funeral. The way Brutus charismatically urges the approval of the Romans is similar to the way Hitler brainwashed the citizens in Germany to exile Jews with his hypnotic way with words. Brutus’s intelligence does not diminish in the slightest as his choice of words cause the citizens’ change of heart towards his sinful actions and intentions, proving the theme that words can be powerful weapons. Brutus is very convincing when he argues that he assassinated his friend for the good of Rome, simply because “[he loved] Rome more” (JC 3.2.20) than his best friend. Brutus participates in killing Caesar, and he stands before the citizens saying that his death is a good thing because Rome will stay a Republic and not go back to an empire. He explains that while he loves his friend, his heart was always set on what was best for Rome. Brutus cleverly questions the citizens with, “who here is so vile that will not love his country” (JC 3.2.28-9). Brutus tests the citizens’ integrity and how civilized they are with this rhetorical device...
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...Julius Caesar differently. After reading the article, “Julius Caesar” by Thomas K. Grose and an excerpt from Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures: A Concise History, multiple similarities and differences become visible. Following a thorough examination of both texts, it is apparent that Thomas K. Grose does a more efficient job presenting the material on the famous legend Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar is definitely a man of many honorable achievements. Noted as one of the greatest conquerors in all of history, he extended the Roman Empire by adding Gaul, Portugal and part of Spain. Thomas K. Grose refers to Caesar as "a superb political strategist and often a wise law-maker”.One hundred years prior to Julius Caesar, the Roman Empire was prospering at great rates. Unfortunately, by the time Caesar became involved with the empire, it was a complete mess. The Roman Empire was filled with food shortages, unstable housing, and joblessness. In an attempt to restore the empire, Caesar implemented a dictatorship. At age sixteen, Julius made his first smart political move. He dedicated his life to the daughter of Cinna, who was in charge of the Populist Party. When Caesar was nineteen, Cinna passed away and Sulla who was a tyrannical leader took over. Sulla ordered Caesar to divorce his wife but Caesar refused. While hiding from Sulla in the mountains, Caesar developed into a determined young man who yearned for authority. At the age of twenty, Sulla finally allowed Caesar to join...
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...Julius Caesar Scrapbook Brutus By Carleigh Gifford For Mr. Young English Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 Act 1 Dear Diary, Caesar has returned from his victorious battle against Pompei. All of the commoners of Rome welcome Caesar back with great joy because they love him. On the other hand, I heard that the tribunes were very unhappy that Caesar was back and that they were destroying all of the decorations that were made to honour him. When Caesar entered with all of his friends, he was warned by the soothsayer to beware of the ides of March. After hearing the crowd go wild, Casca informed Cassius and I that Caesar was offered the crown three times and refused it all three times. This confused me a little bit because I know how much Caesar wanted to be emperor of Rome. I want to put some thought into my decision to make sure I do the right thing. This evening, the weather was very strange and violent. Everyone thought that it was a bad sign, but Cassius truly believed that it was to scare off Caesar and that no one else should take it as seriously. I can’t sleep, because I can’t get what Cassius had said to me, off my mind. Is killing Caesar really for the good of Rome? Brutus Act 2 Dear Diary, Today I have decided to agree with Cassius that killing Caesar would be the right thing to do. I’m only agreeing to this because I truly believe that murdering Caesar would be for the good of Rome. If the conspirators and I don’t kill him...
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...Caesar was a great military commander, and led many campaigns. This included: The Helvetic Campaign in 58 BC, The Belgic Campaign in 57 BC, The Venetic Campaign in 56 BC, and many others. The point of these campaigns was to get public and political attention. Caesar was also not afraid of danger or risk. For example, when he saw that young men were timid of a fight, he told them to go in the back and “let the rest of us” handle it. It is safe to say that he had a big ego that was not easily contained. Caesar bribed people into what he wanted, without getting fully reprimanded for it. It is one of those things where the townspeople hated him, yet they loved him. A situation that we discussed was the pirate ship murders. Caesar would not allowed to be taken as a joke, and definitely proved his point. He was a very powerful human being in the sense of he always got what he wanted. Even when he was captured, Caesar knew somehow he would get out. His ambition is what got him so far in his life. He strived for his success, no matter what the cost. For example, he married his daughters away for power. Who will ever know what actually went through his mind when he made moves like this. One thing is for sure – it all worked for him. Another standout point of Caesar was that he definitely kept his high standards. Although he was one of the biggest military leaders, he allowed other people to be put before himself. When one of his men was ridiculing a poor man for not having the correct...
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...AUGUSTUS CAESAR (27BC-14AD) Augustus Caesar of Rome was born with the given name Gaius Octavius. He took the name Gaius Julius Caesar after the death of his great uncle and adoptive father Julius Caesar. Caesar made Octavia the heir and willed his properties to him. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IA2JWkCTthXSjr1Ak5E8Qts3npV2n4moOnu54fhpyHvvYChyYaKxcbkecGT0ZEXPWTl9mNIVv9PBzVkXljJruWII6ArN_Tp6xNMKu51rzXYlYrluveffi70i5Jxk03NobFo1qy0 Marcus Antonius also called Mark Anthony was Julius Caesar’s top lieutenant. Mark Anthony, Caesar Octavian, and another Roman General, Marcus Lepidus, formed the second Triumvirate. Mark Anthony took Caesar’s possession of his papers and assets and expected that he himself would be the principal heir. He refused to hand over Caesar’s funds, forcing Octavian to pay the late dictators bequest to the Roman populace. In 40 B.C, Anthony married Octavia, Octavian’s sister, and later left her for Queen Cleopatra in Egypt. When Anthony gave Roman provinces to his children by Cleopatra, Octavian declared war on Anthony. This is because, his children with Cleopatra were non-Roman citizens. The Roman Navy under Agrippa defeated the combined fleets of Antony and Cleopatra, and within a year, both had committed suicide. This battled was called the battle of Actium. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gAkpU4UmLut4Di5t-pI0QwJyfQPqzr2ZzPQ4kUJXG_mtgP8oQAUyLK1J9aXgDE_Oug21-ZroDJxuKa5eazldunLqpTtClGUEhG-A_DHhnSTWTlkdKLmkKiOoQfnyaWQvahRi77whttps://lh5.googleusercontent...
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...Composers of texts often seek to present their opinions in such a way that influences the responder to agree or empathise with the composer. In both Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth, the composers’ perspectives on these historical figures and events are portrayed in unique ways which contradict and are contradicted by perspectives from other sources. Reasons for these differences can include the form of text and context of the composer, both of which affect not only the composer’s perspective, but the way in which they present it. Both Julius Caesar and Elizabeth are forms of text which serve primarily to entertain the audience. Even supposedly ‘historical’ plays and films do not have to adhere strictly to the ‘facts’ of history, but often stray from such accuracy in order to enhance entertainment value. For this reason, the viewpoint they may present on historical events or personalities can often conflict with accounts from other, more strictly historical, sources. For example, Julius Caesar was largely based off and echoes Plutarch’s Life of Caesar, and yet the two differ notably in many respects, such as the depiction of the funeral oratories given by Brutus and Antony. In Plutarch’s history, events are recounted very drily and matter-of-fact: “Brutus… came down from the capitol, and spoke to the people.” There is no direct quotation, details of the speech, or emotive language. Shakespeare on the other hand has both men give a detailed and well-crafted...
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...Julius Caesar He used his Censorial powers to appoint many new senators, which eventually raised the senate's membership to 900. To minimize the risk that another general might attempt to challenge him, Caesar passed a law which subjected governors to term limits: Governors of Praetorial provinces had to abdicate their office after one year, while governors of Consular provinces had to abdicate their office after two years. He passed a law which allowed him to appoint all magistrates in 43 BC, and all Consuls and Tribunes in 42 BC. He established order, begun measures to reduce congestion in Rome, draining large tracts of marshy lands, gave full voting rights to the inhabitants of his former province south of the Alps, revised the tax laws of Asia and Sicily, resettled many Romans in new homes in the Roman provinces and reformed the calendar, which, with one slight adjustment, is the one in use today. He established a police force, appointed officials to carry out his land reforms, and ordered the rebuilding of Carthage and Corinth. He also extended Latin rights throughout the Roman world, and then abolished the tax system and reverted to the earlier version that allowed cities to collect tribute however they wanted, rather than needing Roman intermediaries. Fall of the Republic The main cause was the expansion of territory controlled by Rome. The army of the Roman Republic was composed of citizen soldiers, who generally returned home after a single campaigning...
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...Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare Renowned English poet, playwright and actor William Shakespeare’s birth date is not known; however, he is said to have been baptized on the 26th of April 1564. He died on the 26th of April 1616 but not before he had written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets and other literary pieces. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into several languages over the years and have been produced in many forms throughout the ages. The Play Julius Caesar is a play about friendship, betrayal and power. The play is a historical tragedy as it presents the biography of one of the greatest man to have ever lived in Rome. Caesar was made Dictator and Consol after he chased Pompey and his forces out of Rome in an attempt to obtain ultimate power. Caesar’s ultimate goal was to become Rome’s first king and he remained focus on this goal until his death in 44BC. His death was as a result of fate and his refusal to acknowledge the many signs and omens that foreshadowed his fall. Brutus a very good friend of Caesar also took part in his assassination. Brutus feared that Caesar would become a tyrant and harm the people of Rome. In an attempt to ‘save’ the people Brutus helped Cassius to take Caesar’s life. After Caesar’s death he is avenged by his loyal servant Antony who skillfully manipulates his way into the band of conspirators. Later, after winning the love of the people Antony pursues and conquers Brutus’ and Cassius’ forces...
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