Julius Caesar | Themes & Symbolism

Julius Caesar Principal Topics

The depiction of Roman politics is a major issue in Julius Caesar. The nature of this concern lies in the question of whether Caesar's assassination should be considered murder or a justifiable action. One argument maintains that Shakespeare portrayed Caesar as a contemptible despot with a seemingly limitless appetite for conquest. Brutus joins the conspirators because he fears that the Roman republic will be destroyed if Caesar becomes king. From this perspective, Julius Caesar can be interpreted as a conflict between liberty and tyranny in which the conspirators' assassination of the would-be dictator is noble and just. A contraxy reading asserts that Shakespeare created a benevolent, If somewhat vain, leader in Caesar, who is brutally murdered by envious traitors who manipulate Brutus's republican ideals to give their cause some credibility. This interpretation is manifested in the character of Antony, who remains loyal to Caesar and avenges his murder by rousing...
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