Shakespeare's works have lessons we should learn from to make a better future. Romeo and Juliet teaches us that we should put aside our differences as we're only human, as in the end both families made up due to Romeo and Juliet's death. With the way Shakespeare has expressed himself, we should heed his lessons and pay attention to the literary elements he hides. Shakespeare employs foreshadowing, irony, and the tragic hero archetype in Julius Caesar to caution Elizabethan England against civil war and political unrest. First, foreshadowing is used throughout the play to suggest the consequences of unchecked ambition and political turmoil. For example, in Act I, Scene II, Cassius tells Brutus, "Men at some time are masters of their fates: / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings." This line foreshadows the characters' actions later in the play, which will ultimately lead to their own downfall. Similarly, in Act III, Scene I, Caesar ignores the soothsayer's warning to "Beware the Ides of March," which foreshadows his assassination later that day. By using foreshadowing, Shakespeare emphasizes the dangers of unchecked …show more content…
For example, in Act III, Scene II, Antony gives a ironic eulogy for Caesar. He repeatedly refers to the conspirators as "honourable men" even though he knows their treachery. This use of irony underscores the danger of blindly following leaders who may not have people's well-being at heart. Additionally, in Act II, Scene I, Brutus tells Cassius that he will not need an oath to confirm his loyalty to the conspiracy. His statement that an oath is unnecessary for loyalty is also ironic. He later agrees to the assassination of his close friend Caesar, which is a betrayal of their friendship and trust. The use of irony highlights the hypocrisy of characters who claim to act out of honor, while their actions are motivated by