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Understanding The Context Of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

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Intro: Understanding the context of the pending death of Queen Elizabeth allows us readers to meaningfully engage with concepts in the play Julius Caesar with a much greater understanding of the politics and fear of it. We can reflect on the lessons Shakespeare’s play was trying to teach us. How the entire country was England was in fear of the greedy nobles waiting for the queen to finally pass so they can take over the throne without the people’s best interest in mind, only power.

Paragraph 1: To fully understand the context of Queen Elizabeth's eventual death, the ambitious and greedy nobles who try to take the throne for themselves will help us understand the play Julius Caesar and how Cassius wishes to obtain power for himself as well. …show more content…

In Act 1 scene 2 Cassius said to Brutus “ I was born free as Caesar. So were you.” Here we can see that Cassius challenges Caesar's worth, as he believes Caesar is no more worthy than himself but how is he worthy enough to become the ruler of Rome when they were born equal. Cassius has also revealed his belief that one must be honorable and worthy of ruling Rome to have such a position, Cassius believes Caesar does not possess any of those …show more content…

All the conspirators save only he Did that they did in envy of great Caesar.” he was stating that, unlike the other conspirators who acted out on envy, Brutus acted for what he believed was the greater good. To gain power was to go to war, Antony had won his but the power wasn’t for him but for Octavius, the rightful owner of the throne. If the queen were to die, there was no one to take over the throne so the nobles would fight over it, but they weren’t honorable or vengeful, just greedy. The vengeful Antony, the greed of nobles. England was soon to be turned into a battlefield just as Rome once was. The violent acts of these characters further help us connect and relate all of them together, their goals were similar as both parties wanted power, but not similar enough to be the same as one of them was out for

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He did not want to make his actions appear to be a senseless murder or a greedy attempt at gaining power; rather, he was trying to make his actions seem justified, and for the common good. Brutus’s use of syntax in the initial portion of his speech placed words in an order such that it appealed to the logic of the audiences, or in other words, used logos to convince the audience. In essence, he is making his organizing the words in a way such that it becomes cause-and-effect - “...As Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I honor him.

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240 Words | 1 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s tragic play “Julius Caesar,” Mark Anthony remarkably masters oratorical manipulation through employing anaphora and connotative diction to foster dissent amongst the Romans. As Anthony reminisces on Caesar’s valiant actions, he empathetically repeats that the conspirators are “honorable men” while subtly insinuating that they are the “traitors [and] villains” who killed Caesar (3.2.137, 103, 108). Unable to speak ill of Brutus, Mark Anthony utilizes ambiguous connotations to disguise his true intention of avenging Caesar. Moreover, the anaphoric repetition’s variance in diction emphasizes Brutus’ reputation becoming increasingly deceitful and nearly comical, casting doubt on the true motives and credibility of the

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"What’s so special about caesar?", This quote shows how much Cassius despises Caesar and how he feels he is no better of a man than Brutus or himself. They both had a common goal but were not sure of each other's very different and clashing reasons for attempting to reach the goal ahead. Cassius seemed to have been a puppet master and conductor of the conspiracy twisting things to suit his own preferences, and to rise against a super power in order to achieve his ultimate goal. The differences in motivation between Brutus and Cassius vividly reflect their morals, just as their morals reflect back upon their reasons.

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620 Words | 3 Pages

The audience learns Cassius is a leader and does not believe any of his equals have the right to be above to him. It is apparent Cassius declares Caesar as his equal when he states, (1.2 99-101) “ I was born as free as Caesar, so were you. / We both have fed as well, and we can both / Endure the winter’s cold as well as he”.

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Brutus decided to join a group of conspirators, who then asked for his help to kill Caesar. Btutus agreed for the sake of Rome, not knowing it would only set up the future for what was to come. Brutus thought that the rise of Caesar would be a threat to the people of Rome, thinking that they would lose all freedom and become slaves. “Caesar straddles the narrow world like a giant, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and look forward only to dying dishonorably, as slaves.”

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Catherine Terry Mr. Graham 19 October 2022 Freshman English - E The Hardship and Tragedy of Julius Caesar The roles of conflict, foreshadowing, and rhetoric are prominent traits to take into consideration, when discussing the play Julius Caesar. Conflict is what leads to one of the ultimate plots of the play, the rebellion against Caesar, and the decision to follow through with his assanation. Foreshadowing is consistently shown throughout the play, and takes on a massive role.

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1050 Words | 5 Pages

Although Caesar, as the upcoming ruler of Rome in Julius Caesar, should be portrayed as the ideal leader of the play, he actually has too arrogant of a character to be so. Therefore, Shakespeare places honor in Brutus and allows Brutus to have the role of the idealistic leader of the story. Although Shakespeare writes this play in a controversial time period during England’s political turmoil, he allows the audience to be able to choose the true ruler of loyalty to the crown or the honor of a noble man through the understanding of the two contrasting character

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When Brutus spoke about his motives to kill Caesar he said, “As he was valiant I / honor him. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” (3.2.27-28). Brutus honored Caesar but saw that his ambition has the potential of being very dangerous. He thought that a danger like Caesar could not be left to grow more powerful when there is a solution to the issue now.

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William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is an exciting play about the murder of a leader and the chaos that follows. As Julius Caesar prepares to rule Rome, the conspirators think of their future as Romans under the rule of Caesar. Caesar’s true values of pride and arrogance show as he begins to rule. The conspirators' fear of Caesar’s pride and Caesar’s overly prideful attitude prove that downfalls are met when pride remains unchecked. While planning to assassinate Caesar, the conspirators compare him to a high-soaring bird, exhibiting the idea that unchecked pride results in a leader’s downfall.

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Brutus was the last of the conspirators to stab Caesar before he died, then the rest of them brutally stabbing him over and over. Another quote that demonstrates this well is, “Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets!”

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“Julius Caesar” Saves England Shakespeare has written a many great stories, so great that even after over 400 years, they are still studied in schools today. Many consider his tragedies to be his greatest works of all, however “Julius Caesar” was also based off history, with a few artistic liberties. When Shakespeare had written the play, Queen Elizabeth I was the monarch, but she was nearing the end of her reign. Shakespeare used the play “Julius Caesar,” to show the fear of what would ensue when Queen Elizabeth I died by telling the story of Caesar’s assassination using violence, suspense, and danger.

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By examining events and occurrences related to the end of the Elizabethan era, the life of Julius Caesar, what occurred under Queen Elizabeth, and how rome was ruled, one can see their significance in influencing the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. The real Julius Caesar’s personality and behavior as well as his policies were influential in how Shakespeare came up with his character. Also, the conflict between the wealthy and poor in England and Queen Elizabeth’s actions that were looked down upon by some, influenced how he was going to include this conflict and critique those in power. The Roman Empire aided because it’s inventions eventually helped Shakespeare, but also it’s long history of rulers and frequent change allowed him to base his characters off of historical figures and incorporate the struggle for power. When the Elizabethan Era was ending Shakespeare used this fear that many had and paralleled it with the citizens of Rome, when Caesar was assassinated.

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769 Words | 4 Pages

Julius Caesar, a tragic play written by William Shakespeare, centers around the assassination of Caesar with the context of incidents that triggers the murder and the exploration of the aftermath for the conspirators. A succession of ambitious men tries eagerly to acquire the absolute power to rule over the enormous Roman Empire, yet Caesar is the only one who seemingly succeeds. However, his ambition and triumph over Pompey intimidate those who favor democracy and dread Caesar might abuse his power to become a tyrant. As a direct result, those citizens in the name of Roman’s good and justice sake form a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar together. By attempting to persuade more people to participate, the adversaries of Caesar employ animal imagery to reveal Caesar 's ambition and danger.

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211 Words | 1 Pages

In Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caeser,” the conspirators found Caesar to be a threat to the well being of Rome; thus, the conspirators found it just to murder the

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952 Words | 4 Pages

We all know the classic Shakespeare’s “Tragedy of Julius Caesar”. For decades, people have been hooked on the story’s incorporation of betrayal, power, and murder. However, one must look at the underlying factors that contribute to the plot itself. Ambition, political intrigue, and conspiracy plays a role on The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by enhancing the plot, capturing the audiences’ attention, and manifesting Shakespearean ideology.

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