Power in 'Julius Caesar': Critical Analysis

In the introduction part, the paper will explore and give a shortened synopsis of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar play and explore the modern interpretations of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as a problem play. This will be achieved through the appraisal of some of the main actors such as Cassius, Brutus, and Julius Caesar, and give a detailed presentation of their characters. The introduction section will also involve divergence into the historical setting of the paper, provide the historical context of Julius Caesar's reign as Roman Emperor and give an outline of his achievements. Also, this section will try to show why Shakespeare presented the play as a tragic, heroic piece and why Julius Caesar was murdered by a trusted friend yet the historical context of the Emperor’s murder is well known (Paolucci, 34). In the introduction part, the paper will also give a detailed evaluation of the study of the play and the historical and cultural aspects that have led to discrepancies in the study of this play. The part will also involve the appraisal of different criticisms of the play and why the play has remained popular among school studies. Further, different interpretations of the play will be given.

Another part of the play which will be presented in this study is the structure of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and how this has been applied by scholars in giving their interpretations of the play. It is a common practice for scholars to try and show the organization of the play. Here, the study will explore the ambiguous nature that is presented in the play with the central part of the play, the murder, drawing the first attention. The fundamental aspect of the play's structure that most scholars find to be unique is the satirical parallelism of the play (Velz, 21). The murder of Caesar, which Brutus wanted to be a ritual and the most significant sacrifice for the larger good turns out to be presented as just murder as shown by Antony's speech. Some important arguments will be given such as Leo Kirschbaum's disapproval with the insistence from some critics to remove blood from the scene. Kirschbaum argues that the bloody handshake between Brutus and Antony is significant and should not be ignored as Antony uses it to term Brutus' act of murdering Julius Caesar, a butcher (Dean, 272).

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Here, it will be necessary for the historical context of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to be made to encourage interpretations of its cultural concerns. The complexity of Julius Caesar cannot be ignored. From the late 18th century, scholars found complexity in the way Julius Caesar was being interpreted. Thus, students should first have an understanding of Elizabethan theater and Elizabethan legacies (Dean, 274). Application of this type of analysis of the play reveals why some translations have stated that Caesar was a great leader, but Brutus murdered him because he (Brutus) could not efficiently judge character. The Elizabethan legacy clearly shows that in assassinating Caesar, Brutus makes an analogy of man as a microcosm and the fallout of his will on the macrocosm of society, corresponding to the beginning of his degeneration (Paolucci, 71). The historical context can also be important in giving the right political interpretation of this increasingly complex play. Here, scholars use the argument that Shakespeare might have applied concepts from the Renaissance to paint Julius Caesar as a monstrous tyrant making Brutus the tragic hero (Shakespeare, 53).

In the continuation of the above historical and cultural interpretation of the play, it will be essential to explore the various themes that Shakespeare presents in the play. The most common topics that most scholars have identified from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar include corruption, betrayal, honor, leadership, and friendship among many more (Thomas, 32). The play is commonly praised for its wonderful exploration of leadership and friendship and popularity. Of particular interest will be the detailing of the obsession with power and how it can corrupt the mind of the ruler. The main aim of this part of the study will be to give an understanding of the reason behind some scholars’ interest in the corruption behind the murder of Julius Caesar. The play is sometimes interpreted as being fuelled by jealousy for power on Brutus’ part with his quote that “As Julius Caesar was ambitious I murdered him” is extensively used in this interpretation (Bloom, 23). Some interpretations have also stated that it is Cassius who is the envious one but uses Brutus to give credibility to his act of assassinating Caesar.

In this subsection, the modern interpretation of the play will be explored. Shakespeare's Julius Caesar has had diverse modern interpretations in film and music. The play has also had interpretations regarding current historical events such as the assassination of President John F Kennedy (Dean, 451). Here, modern interpretations will be appraised regarding their view of the characters of Julius Caesar and Brutus. As already discussed, the two most popular divergent interpretations regarding the play involve whether Julius Caesar is a benevolent and wise leader or if he is a tyrant. The historical context of the John Kennedy assassination will be explored to show why modern interpretations have taken the path of creating a parallelism between the murder of Julius Caesar and those of modern American leaders (Thomas, 37). Other interpretations in film and music will also be explored such as the murder of Cinna, the poet from the play where Holland is famous for stating that the killing (Cinna’s) is reminiscent of Brutus' mentality and the mobs.

After presenting all the interpretations of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, the paper will give the presentation which it best agrees with the paper’s position. In this case, the position the study will take will agree with the initial thesis made. The argument of the study asserts that throughout Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, power leads someone to corruption (Fortin, 341). Extensive evidence will be used from the play and other criticisms of the play to prove this notion. Firstly, the study will establish how Brutus and Cassius, his co-conspirator is envious of Julius Caesar’s position as the emperor of Rome. At the beginning of the play, Rome is enjoying a period of peace and prosperity, and this demonstrates that Caesar was not at all an evil leader (Niles et al., n.d). Cassius and Brutus and the other conspirators in the murder are influential people in the Roman Senate who only hate Caesar because of his honor and position. Such intuitions are best presented from Antony's realization that Brutus murdered Caesar because of his popularity. Take this example;

Cassius: Why, man, doth he bestrides the narrow world

Like a Colossus, and we petty men

Walk under his huge legs and peep about

To find ourselves in dishonorable graves.

Men at some time are masters of their fates.

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars

But in ourselves that we are underlings (Niles et al., n.d).

Here, Cassius is talking about Julius Caesar, and his envy is evident. Despite being a senior man in the Senate, Cassius refers to himself as a petty man. His inferiority complex thus fuels him to be envious and hate Caesar. Cassius also feels that Caesar's perceived larger-than-life stature makes him and others live dishonorable lives. He further believes that the fault that they are prepared to feel dishonored does not lie with their fate but rather at their hands signifying the conspiracy to do away with Caesar.

The corrupting influence of power is also shown in Julius Caesar. Caesar wants all the power but is cunning as can be demonstrated by his rejection of the crown three times when Antony offers it to him (HaengSoo, 331). However, Caesar's modest thirst for the poet shows his empathic nature. Contrasted with the aggressiveness and even manipulation of Decius and Cassius, the play presents a particularly unusual perspective around power. It becomes evident that the brutal Cassius has sociopathic tendencies and he is only preoccupied with the murder of Caesar to achieve power (HeangSoo, 330). The paper will then diverge into the psychological traits of sociopaths and psychopaths which makes them susceptible to killing for a perceived sense of being in control. For instance, it is known that most serial killers are driven by the compulsion of being in control (Hare, 189). The play will also show how power can corrupt even the noblest of all the men such as Brutus whose act stuns Caesar for he never expected Brutus to do that to him.

In conclusion, this paper has given the historical as well as cultural contexts in the various interpretations of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The article has shown the main explanations that most critics and scholars have given regarding Shakespeare's work. Arguments from different scholars have been presented. Also, modern and political interpretations of the play have been appraised in the study before the most convenient interpretation was chosen. The interpretation accepted reaffirms the thesis of the study. The nature of power to corrupt has then been explored through the tragic murder of Julius Caesar.

Works Cited

1. Bloom, Harold, et al. William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Infobase Publishing, 2009.
2. Dean, Leonard F. ' Julius Caesar' and Modern Criticism.' The English Journal, vol. 50, no. 7, 2001, p. 451.
3. Fortin, Rene E. 'Julius Caesar: An Experiment in Point of View.' Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 19, no. 4, 2008, p. 341.
4. HaengSoo Lee. 'Julius Caesar: Will to Power.' Shakespeare Review, vol. 43, no. 2, 2007, pp. 329-348.
5. Hare, Robert D. 'Criminal Psychopaths.' Police Selection and Training, 2005, pp. 187-206.
6. Niles, Rebecca, et al. 'Folger Digital Texts.' Folger Digital Texts, www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/?chapter=5&play=JC&loc=p7.
7. Paolucci, Anne. 'The Tragic Hero in Julius Caesar.' Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 3, 2011, p. 329.
8. Shakespeare, William. 'THE STAGE-HISTORY OF JULIUS CÆSAR.' Julius Caesar, pp. xxxiv-xlvi.
9. Thomas, Derrick. Understanding Shakespeare's' Julius Caesar' Online: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Greenwood Publishing Group,
10. Velz, John W. 'Undular Structure in 'Julius Caesar.'' The Modern Language Review, vol. 66, no. 1, 2011, p. 21.