Examples Of Duality In Julius Caesar

Duality as a concept is an interesting one. It is one that many an artist has focused on through character foils, juxtaposition, and parallels to name a few. Duality can be shown in a mood change from one scene to the next, in a gleeful person inside a dull, depressing setting and more. When used correctly, it’s powerful to say the least. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare makes a point of twisting his characters and their words/actions to fit those of people in real life. It makes this historical story seem just that much more real, to the point where, more than two millennia later we can study and apply his work to our lives in a way that is almost scary. Through this passage of time, his theme rings true, that violence breeds only

Today, however, we will be focusing on how he gets this across through character work in duality. This topic leads us to not only discussions of how Shakespeare’s work reflects real life, but also to discussions of gender roles in this work and how they mirror, compliment, and clash with one another.

The first example of duality to be examined is that of Caesar’s pride compared to his softness towards his wife. This switch happens in less than a page, a true showing of the two-sidedness of not only Caesar, but many, towards their partners. He is, at first, calloused and full to bursting with pride. He says, in reference to his wife’s original pleas for him to stay home, “No, Caesar shall not./ Danger knows full well/ That Caesar is more dangerous than he./ We are two lions littered in one day,/ And I the elder and more terrible./ And Caesar shall go forth,” (II: ii: 46-51). This reaction is nearly ridiculous from an outside perspective, especially one with the knowledge that by the end of the next act, he will have been murdered because of this foolish decision. All this, just to make sure those around him continue to see him as strong, powerful, and nearly omnipotent. He works to make sure he appears godlike to his followers and

Brutus is portrayed from the beginning of the play as someone with good sense and rationality. Even while plotting the murder of another man, he still justifies it in a way that makes the death of another human being make sense. “It must be by his death./ And for my part I know no personal cause to spurn at him,/ But for the general,…” (II: i: 10-13). While the other conspirators the audience has been presented (most notably, Cassius and Casca) have been worried about personal matters, their own power, or money, Brutus convinces us that this is for the better good, even if it means the active killing of another person (II: i: 33-36). The fact that he can continue to be level-headed in a matter such as this is incredibly telling to his character. In direct contrast, the audience witnesses a huge change when Act IV Scene III occurs. For multiple pages of dialogue, Brutus is insulting Cassius in a fit of what seems to be pure rage (e.g. IV: iii: 21-29). It even gets to a point in which Cassius admits that he is nearly angry enough to kill Brutus, and yet this man who we’ve only seen to be sensible and level-headed for the entire play, continues to taunt Cassius. “CASSIUS: Do not presume too much upon my love./ I may do that I shall be sorry for./ BRUTUS: You have done that you should be sorry for,” (IV: iii: