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.

Christina: Julius Caesar Analysis Act 2

It seems Cassius’s words to Brutus in Act I Scene 2 have gotten to him; he begins to think about turning against Caesar and even comes to the conclusion that Caesar must be killed. Brutus is further influenced by the letters which unknown to him were forged by Cassius himself. We see here how Brutus is so easily influenced by others in the same way the plebeians are easily influenced by Caesar and men of high power. Brutus never once questions the authenticity of the letter. With the conspirators he commits himself wholeheartedly, even making some of their decisions, such as whether or not to have an oath and whether or not Antony should be killed too.

While he seems sure of himself before the conspirators, Brutus is unable to confess his thoughts to his wife Portia. She symbolizes Brutus’ private life and thoughts and his reluctance to speak with her suggests he has traces of doubt about the conspirators’ plot. The fact that he dismisses her symbolizes his dismissing his own private feelings and morality for the sake of a plan he hopes to be for the ‘general good’.

As Portia is a representative of correct intuition in Brutus, Calpurnia is for Caesar. Both wives try to warn their husbands of trouble brewing and both are ignored. Caesar stubbornly refuses to heed the grave warnings Calpurnia has interpreted from her nightmare. We see a lot of this stubbornness in Caesar as well as egotistical behavior. He increasingly refers to himself in the third person and seems to know no fear, not even from the frightening predictions his wife gives. “Yet Caesar shall go forth for these predictions are to the world in general as to Caesar”. There is obviously a lack of the humility Caesar had displayed earlier on at the Lupercal races when he was offered the crown.

At this point we wonder whether the conspirators have the right idea conspiring to assassinate Caesar. He seems to long for power and may become a tyrant, as said by Cassius and as feared by Brutus. However, we must also consider that the conspirators may want to kill Caesar for their own ambitions. They see Caesar as strong competition for their individual fight for power over the people. Brutus is the exception here; it is clear Brutus’ decision to be a conspirator stems from a genuine concern for Rome.