Julius Caesar | Key Characters & Character Analysis

Julius Caesar Character Studies

The character of Caesar is perhaps the most difficult to interpret, since reading it one wayor another can alter one's perspective on the entire play. If the ruler is viewed as an overly ambitious, vain, and pompous tyrant, then his assassination can be seen as a noble and necessary act to purge Rome of a potentially corrupt dictatorship. On the other hand, if Caesar is regarded as a wise and benevolent leader, then the conspiracy appears to be an attempt to overthrow the government by a group of envious and power-hungry politicians. Perhaps the most effective way to resolve the issue of Caear's character is to consider that Shakespeare intentionally presented an enigmatic figure to emphasize the contradictory nature of the assassination itself and to leave undecided the question of whether the conspirators' actions were justified. Brutus, the other protagonist of Julius Caesar, is often regarded as the tragic hero...
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