Christina: Julius Caesar Analysis Act 1

The play opens with Flavius and Murellus harassing the common people for celebrating Caesar’s triumph over Pompey. The public’s loyalty and love of Caesar is increasing which infuriates the Senators as they are reminded that the public were once devoted to Pompey. The cobbler, full of wit and speaking in puns and riddles, gives humor to Scene 1. The Senators however, preoccupied with class distinction, see the witty cobbler as nothing but a ruffian. A major theme of this play we find evident in Scene 1 is the struggle for political power, and the power of ruling class over the lower class commoners.

In Scene 2, we learn of Caesar’s power and influence that rains supreme; Flavius and Murellus from Scene 1, for removing decorations from Caesar’s statues have been punished. While the first scene illustrates Caesar’s popularity with the masses, this scene presents an omen of his imminent fall, in the form of the Soothsayer. Caesar chooses to ignore the Soothsayer’s advice, the first in a series of failures to heed warnings about Caesar’s fate. Ignoring the warning is Caesar’s way of proving to his people that he is not afraid of bad omens and that he is fearless and lacks suspicion. It is interesting to note however that later on her orders Antony to touch his wife Calpurnia while he is running in the Lupercal races. It was believed that a runner in the race could cure infertility. Caesar’s belief in this suggests he is suggests. It also suggests he may suffer from impotency or infertility, one of his many hidden flaws.

We are introduced to Brutus and Cassius in Scene 2. The conversation they share in the scene reveals some things about their personalities. Brutus is a man “…with himself at war”, torn between his love for Caesar and his love for Rome. Cassius is determined to turn Brutus against Caesar. He continually praises Brutus and urges Brutus to consider the fact that Brutus is as powerful as Caesar. At the end of this scene, Cassius plots to turn Brutus against Caesar. Brutus’s inflexible ideas about how Rome should be ruled makes him easy to manipulate and Cassius takes full advantage of this, Cassius himself wholly abandoning his sense of honor to end Caesar’s rule.

It is also worth questioning Caesar’s behavior at the races when he refused the crown thrice. Did Caesar do so out of genuine humility or was it indeed a show he put on for his people? It is believed Caesar did this to gain popularity and even respect from the plebeians though it has been argued otherwise.









In Scene 3 unusual happenings are occurring around the city, more signs of an impending doom. Cassius reveals a darker side of his personality. While Cicero finds the night and all its strange events disturbing, Cassius finds it “very pleasing… to honest men”. Cassius not only dares to walk freely through the night but he relishes the atmosphere of terror. “And when the cross blue lightning seemed to open the breast of Heaven, I did present myself even in the aim and very flash of it.” He believes the heavens are warning Rome of Caesar’s destructive ambitions, yet it is Cassius who has the destructive ambitions. Cassius takes on a dark, sinister side, absolutely obsessed with bringing Caesar down.