Julius Caesar themes-1

Julius Caesar
Themes
Introduction
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar explores the characteristics of good

leadership. Power, the ability to speak well, wisdom in lawmaking,
strategy on the battlefield, bravery—these characteristics are all
required. Characters in Julius Caesar show all of these traits. Yet
none of them are perfect leaders; they're all flawed. The audience
is left to decide for themselves who would have been the ideal
leader for Rome.
Tyranny and Power

Shakespeare explores the theme of tyranny throughout the play
and through the central question of the work: Is Caesar a tyrant,
and is his murder justified? Although the audience is presented
with no direct evidence of Caesar's tyranny, Cassius uses
figurative language to convince first Casca and then Brutus that
Caesar is indeed a tyrant who must be executed for his own good
and for that of Rome. Cassius likens Caesar to a wolf that views
the Romans as sheep. He states that were Caesar to become king
and thus tyrant, Cassius would consider himself a slave, and he
would rather take his own life than live enslaved.
The pursuit of power—fueled by ambition—is closely related to the
theme of tyranny. Caesar's much-discussed ambition earns him
the leadership spot. As Antony points out in his funeral speech,
Caesar's rule kept Rome stable economically. Senators who envy
Caesar or disagree with his methods all show some form of
ambition themselves. Although he accuses Caesar of ambition,
Cassius pursues power himself. He sends false evidence
regarding Caesar to trick Brutus into believing ill of his friend.
Using this falsehood and peer pressure, he persuades Brutus to
accept the de facto role of conspiracy leader in Caesar's
assassination. Ambition leads Caesar, and later Antony, to
disregard the needs of others. Once his great-uncle is
dead, Octavius begins his climb toward power, defying Antony
regarding battle strategies at Philippi.
Communication and Persuasion

Communication in Julius Caesar is often a life-or-death
affair. Shakespeare's characters communicate, or attempt to
1
communicate, in several different ways: through private
conversation, public speeches, and written messages. Even
character interactions viewed from afar are interpreted as
messages. In Act 5, for example, Pindarus mistakenly reports that
Titinius has been killed, and this miscommunication results
in Cassius's death.
Earlier, in Act 2, Scene 1, Cassius uses rhetoric in conversation
and in his forged letters to persuade Brutus to join the
conspirators. Throughout the play Shakespeare demonstrates the
power of public speech and rhetoric to motivate groups of
individuals to readily act as one. Marullus describes this
phenomenon in Act 1 when he berates the Romans for celebrating
Pompey's defeat.
In Act 3, Scene 2, Brutus and Antony demonstrate the ease with
which public opinion can be manipulated. During the funeral, under
Antony's influence, the people grow from an angry crowd into a
pitchforks-and-torches mob willing to kill the innocent. The mob
drives Brutus and Cassius from Rome, instigating a war and
paving the way for Antony and Octavius to seize power.
Free Will versus Fate

Can humans employ free will to control the dates or manners of
their deaths? The play revolves around a major death, that of
Caesar, and questions whether it was inevitable or justified.
Caesar himself believes firmly in fate. The strength of this belief
may be what kills him—if he'd heeded the intervention of omens,
he may not have gone to the Capitol.
Cassius, by contrast, believes he can change his destiny. And this

belief starts a chain of events that leads to his death.
Cassius, Brutus, Titinius, and Portia all commit suicide. They take
death into their own hands, on their own terms—a demonstration
of free will, but perhaps in the face of a death that fate has carved
out for them.
Shakespeare's characters repeatedly try to seize control of events
beyond their control, with mixed results. Flavius and Marullus try to
curb Caesar's soaring self-image by desecrating his statues.
Brutus attempts to manage public perceptions at Caesar's funeral.
Cassius sets in motion the events leading to Caesar's downfall, in
the name of achieving liberty for Rome.
Despite the frequent failures of their bold actions, the main
characters often endorse free will as imperative, the only way out
2
of a powerless, miserable life. Brutus, for instance, grows bolder
throughout the play. In the first act, he's unhappy with Caesar's
coronation but unconvinced that he can change anything. By the
fourth act, he's confidently giving commands in war.
Honor
A person's honor—that is, integrity or high moral standards—is a
concept that Shakespeare uses throughout the play. Brutus thinks
of himself as an honorable man, one who serves the general good
of the people. Cassius uses honor as a tool to manipulate Brutus
into joining the assassination conspiracy. He flatters Brutus's
sense of honor, saying he wishes Brutus could see himself in the
same praiseworthy light as others see him. Once Cassius
convinces Brutus that Caesar has become dishonorable, Brutus
agrees to take part in the assassination. In his funeral
speech, Antony uses honor as a means to discredit Brutus and the
other conspirators and set the mob against them.
Force and Brutality

Shakespeare illustrates that Roman culture, especially for men,
dictated that physical force was proof of worth just as much as
intellectual acumen or political savvy. Arguments were solved
through battle. Characters willing to show force end up on top, as
in the case of Antony's and Octavius's killing 100 senators (or 70,
depending on which report is accurate). Characters reluctant to
show force get taken advantage of, as when Brutus resists killing
Antony.
Shakespeare doesn't present it that simply, of course, and allows
each major character to define in his own way what it means to be
a leader. They each struggle to prove their worth: Caesar by
overturning his wife's argument, for instance, and Brutus by
holding back his emotions.

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Julius Caesar

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar explores the characteristics of good

Tyranny and Power

Communication and Persuasion

Free Will versus Fate

Cassius, by contrast, believes he can change his destiny. And this

Force and Brutality

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