Examples Of Misogyny In Julius Caesar

Ancient Rome to Modern Literature: The Timeless Theme of Misogyny

Misogyny is the idea of hatred or contempt for women. From William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to modern literature, misogyny has been portrayed in various ways, often reflecting the ideas, values, and beliefs held toward women. Despite the progress made toward gender equality, misogyny remains a timeless theme throughout history and continues to be relevant today.

In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, misogyny is shown through multiple of the male characters’ actions and attitudes toward the female characters. In Act Two of the play, Caesar and Brutus both dismiss their wives’ concerns and in turn, pay the price. Caesar’s wife, Calphurnia is portrayed as weak and superstitious,

In Act Two, Scene Two, Calphurnia is portrayed as weak and superstitious when she begs Caesar not to go to the Senate because of her nightmare, and Caesar proceeds to respond with “How foolish your fears seem now, Calphurnia! I’m ashamed that I yielded to them. Give me my robe, because I’m going.” This shows that Caesar is dismissive of his wife’s concerns and does not take her seriously, and when Caesar goes to the Senate, he is stabbed in the back, much like in Calphurnia’s nightmare. In Act Two, Scene One, Brutus dismisses Portia’s concerns about his behavior and tells her to go back to bed, saying “You are my true and honorable wife, as dear to me as the blood that runs through my sad heart.” This shows that Brutus is not taking his wife’s concerns seriously and is more concerned with his feelings. When Brutus does not listen and carries on with his plans, he is filled with guilt after Caesar’s

For example, in Act One, Scene Two, Cassius tries to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar. Cassius tells an anecdote about how he witnessed Caesar while he was sick, and he said “I heard him groan- yes I did- and the same tongue that ordered the Romans to obey him and transcribe his speeches in their books cried, “give me some water, Titinius.” like a sick girl. This shows an example of using a girl as a symbol of weakness. In Act One, Scene Three, when Cassius is speaking to Casca about Caesar, he insults multiple people for tolerating Caesar. Cassius says “Our tolerance for slavery and oppression shows us to be weak, like women.” He says that they are not weak like women, but by tolerating Caesar’s power, they are becoming weak, this is a direct mention that women are a symbol of weakness and inferiority. Another example is in Act Two, Scene Four when Portia is anxious about Brutus’ safety and is worried about the conspiracy. Portia says “Oh, a woman’s heart is so weak!” In this quote, she is saying that because she is a woman, she cannot do anything more than what she is currently doing to help her husband. Overall, the play portrays women as being weak and inferior to