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Julius Caesar Women Essay

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The position of women within society has been seen differently over time by people from all around the world. Despite the fact that women today live in a somewhat equal society in the West, historically speaking, women were thought of as inferior to males and only good for childbearing and taking care of the home. Women are portrayed in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar as being unduly sentimental, inconsistent, superstitious, and lacking in voice both at home and in politics. Shakespeare employs Calpurnia and Portia in Julius Caesar to illustrate the conflict between how women were perceived in ancient Rome and how they actually were. Due to pre-Romanism perceptions of women, Calpurnia advocates for the undervalued power of womanhood. Shakespeare's …show more content…

A leader who embodies the virulent spirit of the state with leadership characterized by strength, courage, and constancy is required by Rome's patriarchal society. Caesar assumes this role fairly appropriately as he comes from combat brave and victorious; as a result, Caesar's foes must weaken his masculinity in order to depose him as Rome's strong ruler. Roman society views women as a symbol of frailty, believing that their inadequacy in terms of physical, mental, and political capabilities renders them of little use beyond reproduction. The characterization of the novel's two female characters, Portia and Calpurnia, captures the prevalent stereotypes about female behavior. Calphurnia, Caesar's wife, exhibits women's propensity for superstition and dread when she begs him to stay in after having a dream that a statue fashioned in his likeness was Cesar spilling blood. “Do not go forth today. Call it my fear." (2.2.50) With her request to Caesar for him to use her concern as an alibi, Calphurnia creates the idea that fear is a feminine …show more content…

Because she has been overcome with anxiousness, she displays her lack of dependability and discloses to Lucius Brutus her role in the plan. The drama does show women as having a strong, stereotypically feminine trait in common, though: they all have an innate sense of the future. Despite their strength, Julius Caesar's forces frequently find themselves in unexpected situations. Caesar disbelieves in the prophecies of his own demise, much as Brutus mistakenly thinks that the populace will cheer his murder. The play seems to imply that the same resolve that the Romans hold up as the pinnacle of masculinity can turn into a liability when it manifests as rigidity and imperceptibility. Both Portia and Calphurnia are conscious of the imminent perils. The women appear to be tuned to a different frequency, much like animals that can detect the approaching of an earthquake. In her dreams, Calphurnia sees the statue of Caesar oozing blood as happy Romans wash their hands in the stream. Calphurnia knows that her dream foretells bad luck for Caesar even though Decius mocks her

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When Calpurnia is scared she is still able to comfort Scout such as a mother would to her child by saying, “‘Don’t you fret,’ Calpurnia whispered to me, but the roses on her hat trembled indignantly,” (Lee, 158). When it is clear that Calpurnia and Scout have no relation, whatsoever, she still is able to reassure her. She continually proves her solicitude towards Scout by teaching her about what goes on in the world and by caring about her well being, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Calpurnia knows that they would not be connected other than the fact that she works for them and has to watch over them. Nevertheless, Calpurnia goes above and beyond when she decided to take their own needs before her own, by comforting them and not letting them worry about something, when she is clearly worried herself.

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Fearing evil, she tried to convince Caesar that her dream was a warning for him not to go to the Senate that day. Ceasar even has one of his servants go to the priests to do a sacrifice to see what they have to say about Calpurnia's fears. When the animal was sacrificed, there was no heart in it... a bad omen indeed. Caesar even ignores this omen when Decius Brutus re-interprets

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