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Julius Caesar Humanism Essay

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Julius Caesar is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar. Based on events from the Julio-Claudian dynasty, this play focuses on the political intrigue that ensued during Caesar's reign. Although it incorporates historical detail into its characters' motivations, this play is more about human behavior than politics. In this sense, it can be looked at as a morality play depicting the consequences of negative actions on both the individual and society. Throughout Julius Caesar, Shakespeare presents several principles of humanism derived from ancient sources. For instance, in the opening scene, Brutus outlines the virtues of humanity that Caesar's followers failed to recognize. He also highlights the value of knowledge and life itself- all tenets of humanism. In another scene, Caesar himself highlights the importance of valuing human life when he argues for sparing Antony's life after their battle. In doing so, he draws upon one of the oldest sources of humanistic thought Stoicism. This theme prevails throughout the entirety of the play such as when the common people turn on the group of senators who murdered Julius Caesar. During the Renaissance, a period of rebirth in Europe, humanism became a philosophical movement. Humanism emphasized …show more content…

The war pitted two powerful leaders against each other, Caesar against Pompey and Brutus against Caesar's friend and colleague, Cassius. The metaphor extends even further into modern times, There are many nations around the world where two rival political factions are fighting for power. During such times, both sides reason superficially and emotionally while ignoring vital facts they want to protect their ideals. The political arena is no different from the battlefield when it comes to the necessity of removing emotional blind spots from

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