Julius Caesar

1
Julius Caesar
2
Life of Marcus Brutus

• Family history
• Descended from Junius Brutus (Roman hero)
• Expelled the Tarquins when they tried to change
  Rome from Republic to Monarchy
• Paranoid about people trying to overthrow him
  (killed his own 2 sons)
• Statue in Rome (referred to throughout play)
• Tough and good with violent affairs, but his mind
  was not up for learning

3
Life of Marcus Brutus

• Marcus Brutuss mother, Servilia, was also from
  noble descent
• One of Caesars lovers
• Marcus Brutus born around same time Servilia and
  Caesar were lovers
• Caesar suspected that Marcus Brutus was his son
• Pompey had Brutuss supposed father put to death
  (not Juniushe is an ancestor to Brutus)

4
Life of Marcus Brutus

• Marcus Brutuss Life
• Naturally a good leader had been
• Honorable
• Noble
• Virtuous
• Well-liked and highly regarded by commoners and
  his fellows
• Put morality and values above personal gain
• Decisions made were for the good of the people
• Educated in Philosophy and Oration

5
Life of Marcus Brutus

• His role in the conspiracy against Caesar
• Cassius convinced Brutus to join through flattery
• After he joined conspiracy, suffers from insomnia
  and was always ill at ease
• Wife Portia, becomes concerned about him, and
  confronts him
• Stabs herself in the leg to prove her love to
  Brutus
• Also to prove that she could keep secrets he bore
  (constancy)

6
Life of Marcus Brutus

• Thought killing Caesar was really the best thing
  for Rome. (Caesar was too ambitious)
• After killing Caesar, Brutus allows Mark Antony
  (friend of Caesars) to live
• Grave mistake
• Allows Antony to speak at Caesars funeral
• After speech (Caesars will included) the
  citizens (plebians) riot and destroy the houses
  of conspirators and run them out of Rome
• War begins Antony and Octavius verse Brutus and
  Cassius

7
Life of Marcus Brutus

• Brutuss Vision
• He sees a ghost that says, I shall see thee at
  Phillipi.
• Goes on to fight Antony and Octavius at Philippi
• Once there, his forces are destroyed as are
  Cassius
• Commits suicide by running into his own sword
  while his servant Strato holds it

8
Life of Marcus Brutus

• Philosophy of Brutus
• Stoic
• Moderation of everything
• Not too happy or too sad
• Even tempered no matter what comes
• Anything considered right or noble about the
  conspiracy was attributed to Brutus, according to
  Plutarch

9
Life of Marcus Brutus

• Contrast this with Cassius (Brutuss Foil)
• Cassius was an Epicurean
• Lived life for the sole purpose of pleasure
• Self-interest
• He does lose his cool and shifts from emotional
  highs to lows rather quickly in this play and his
  life
• He was responsible for the barbarous and cruel
  acts of the conspiracy according to Plutarch

10
More Roman History and characters related to the
play and other Shakespeare plays

• 1st Triumvirate
• Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Crassus ruled Rome as
  a triumvirate
• Caesar and Pompey were military men, Crassus was
  a rich man
• After quickly disposing of Crassus, Pompey and
  Caesar battled for sole possession of the Roman
  Empire
• Caesar wins out
• Caesars victory over Pompey brought peace to
  Rome after many years

11
More Roman History and characters related to the
play and other Shakespeare plays

• Marcus Brutuss role in the Civil War
• Everyone thought that he would side with Caesar
  because Pompey had ordered his fathers death
• Surprisingly, Brutus joined Pompey as a matter of
  principle he truly thought that Pompey was right
  and that Caesar was wrong
• Pompey loses
• Caesar orders that Brutus shouldnt be captured
  by force and that if he should flee, let him do so

12
More Roman History and characters related to the
play and other Shakespeare plays

• Julius Caesars Reign
• After overcoming Pompey, Caesar has brought many
  riches to Rome through his Gallic campaigns
  Veni. Vidi. Vici.
• He is considered one of the greatest military
  commanders of all time
• Brought the Roman Empire all the way into Great
  Britain to Hadrians Wall
• Named dictator for life
• He suffered from epilepsy falling sickness

13
More Roman History and characters related to the
play and other Shakespeare plays

• The people, on 3 separate occasions, offered him
  the crown, but he refused all 3 times
• Never named himself king
• Killed by Cassius, Brutus, and other conspirators
  at the Senate meeting held in the presence of a
  statue of Pompey
• History after the Civil War Octaviuss Reign
• 2nd Triumvirate Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius

14
More Roman History and characters related to the
play and other Shakespeare plays

• Lepidus is disposed of first
• Antony and Octavius fight for rule of King
• Antony allies himself with Cleopatra
• Cleopatra uses her allure, beauty, and experience
  to manipulate Antony and distract him
• When he should have been getting his army ready,
  he was messing around with her
• On one occasion, Antony was abandoned by
  Cleopatras navy in the middle of a battle

15
More Roman History and characters related to the
play and other Shakespeare plays

• Even after these offenses, she charms him to
  still stick with her (she charmed Julius Caesar
  as well)
• Eventually Antony loses the war and his life
  because of this
• Cleopatra kills herself rather than be subject to
  Octavius
• These events are dramatized in Shakespeares
  Antony and Cleopatra
• Octavius rules the empire becomes Emperor Pax
  Romana