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Masculinity In Julius Caesar Essay

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In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, masculinity is the gauge of Roman worthiness. The significance of the roles of women in the play can be incited from the two female characters namely, Calpurnia and Portia, who are instrumental and inferior in the world of men they have to live in. Despite their minor appearance in the play, the substantial presence of these women coerces as bearers of foreshadowing to intensify the calamities of the events their placidity shall succumb to, to capture the mediocre stereotypical perceptions of women, as well as to provide lucid insight on the personas of their celebrity husbands in their private lives. Shakespeare shows that subjectivity towards gender roles results in a flawed understanding of human emotion.
When analyzing Caesar and Brutus and their own …show more content…

In this play, it seems that the two marriages are related into more of a partnership, as these two women serve as a point of reason and foundation for their husbands even though their warnings are not heeded.
Calpurnia, Caesar’s loving wife is paramount in her belief in superstitions that she actually has warned Caesar from his tragic death. Her dream described by Caesar as, “she saw [Caesar’s] statue/ Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts/Did run pure blood. And many lusty Romans/ Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it,” (2.2.76-79) is referring to the event that did occur during the aftermath of the assassination in which the conspirators, indeed did cover their hands in Caesar’s blood as a declaration of victory. Calpurnia, deeply alarmed by the dream, urges Caesar to cancel his outing resolutely. Her statement, “You shall not stir out of your house today,” (2.2.13) is written as a direct order and not a request, which distinguishes her as having an independent, self-made

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We can draw conclusions about Calpurnia's character from this, and confidently state that Calpurnia has great compassion for others. In addition, this quote also has a more important significance. Calpurnia is clearly proud of her care for the children, but she explains how she does not want anyone saying she does not take good care of them. This is a perfect example of how this character is marginalized in this book. She clearly takes good care of her children but does not receive enough credit because of her class.

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