How Is Julius Caesar Respected

Julius Caesar certainly held a leading role in the play, Julius Caesar, but I do not believe that he was the main protagonist. Throughout the play, William Shakespeare paints Julius Caesar as a powerful, arrogant, and narcissistic man. With his power and wealth, Caesar becomes very influential and respected in Rome, despite the fact that Caesar tends not to listen to others, even on important matters. At the beginning of the play, a soothsayer warns Julius Caesar to, “Beware the Ides of March.” Caesar quickly dismisses this as an insignificant rumor. Then, when the doomsday, “Ides of March,” has arrived, his beloved wife, Calpurnia, begs him not to go to the court because of a nightmare she had. Calpurnia’s nightmare foretold of his demise. Unfortunately for Caesar, Caesar brushed her off and refused to be humiliated and miss going to the court because of the warnings of a soothsayer

Brutus is not as wealthy or powerful as Julius Caesar, but is just as well respected and influential over Rome. Although Brutus is respected, he is now respected in the same way as Caesar. In my mind, the way Brutus is admired, is far better than how Caesar is respected. Brutus is respected for being honest, listening to others, and returning the respect that is shown to him. After the conspirators asked for Brutus’s help, because he was very well respected in Rome, Brutus’s wife, Portia, begs him to tell her what is upsetting him. Brutus then tells her that she has the right to know, for they were husband and wife, before telling her the situation with Caesar and the conspirators. This leads to an internal struggle Brutus faces throughout the play. The battle against himself is over what is truly best for Rome, as a country. He forces himself to look past personal preferences, and joins the conspirators that kill Caesar, despite formerly being a friend and advisor to Julius