Julius Caesar Vs Machiavelli

“Don't be afraid to give up the good for the great”- Rockefeller
Through a comparison of literature, changing ideas, values and attitudes all which reflect the current social, cultural and historical contexts are evident. In the Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli, the treatise written for young princes clearly highlights the value of deception in politics and popularised the idea that the “end justifies the means”. Similarly, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a tragedy that actualises Machiavelli’s ideas of power shifts and emphasises how the darker side of the human nature shines through if love or fear isn’t maintained. The texts were both written during periods of intense societal transformation with the Elizabethan Era coming to an end

The repetition of Brutus is an honourable man is an attempt by Anthony to twist the warning by Brutus to not talk ill of the conspirators. However, by being suggestive to the plebeians and indirectly attempting to correlate Caesar to a honourable man, Anthony is being what Machiavelli would call virtuous. This relates to the quote “So, a leader doesn't have to possess all the virtuous qualities I've mentioned, but it's absolutely imperative that he seem to possess them” which relates clearly to his virtu’s nature where he attempts to legitimise Brutus’s doing while at the same time manipulating how Caesar appears to the people saying Caesar was a good

“He is a dreamer let him pass” is a line which emphasises Caesar’s arrogant nature after he passes by a soothsayer who tells him “Beware the ides of march”. Caesar is seen to address himself in first person multiple times throughout the play in attempt to display himself an immortal and godlike. Just like Elizabethan times, Caesar was seen with almost a godlike stature consequently linking to why the Caesar in the play attempted to incorporate religion into his power. “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars” is also ironic in the it highlights both Caesar’s gullible nature and Brutus’s virtue’s nature in which the phrase “dear Brutus” acts also as an extended metaphor for queen Elizabeth’s reign. Shakespeare cleverly highlights to her to the need for a unified England with schisms in Christianity occurring. Protestants were gaining power in England after she legalised Protestantism. Similarly, Luther’s 95 theses was becoming more widespread and causing internal disputes within the Catholic Church consequently leading to the Protestant Reformation. Nevertheless, Shakespeare’s advice wasn’t taken to heart by Elizabeth and the English Reformation occurred shortly after her