Julius Caesar - Shakespeare

#"Julius Caesar" is a

tragedy by William

Shakespeare, believed

to have been written in

1599.

Julius Caesar opens in

44 B.C., at a time when

Rome ruled territories

stretching from as far

north as Britain to as

far east as Persia.

However, Rome's

military success had

come at a serious cost

to the political situation

in the home city, which

was governed by a

senate. Rome's

senators became

increasingly

factionalized causing

internal disarray, which

allowed the more

successful military

generals gain power.

Furthermore, the state

suffered from class

divisions, and the

plebeians had managed

to win the right to elect

"tribunes," or

representatives , giving

them some political

power. However,

women and most of

the plebeian men

remained excluded from

this franchise. Thus,

although the republic

showed some signs of

democracy, the

majority did not

participate in the

general politics.

Several men attempted

to take over the

government during this

tumultuous period,

most failing in the

endeavor. Julius Caesar

was a Roman general

who had made a name

for himself through his

successful campaigning

of northwest Europe.

His advantage lay not

only in winning battles,

but also in his popularity

among the poorer

classes in Rome. He

possessed innate

talent, charisma,

ambition, and luck,

which, when combined,

allowed his political

power to increase.

Supporters of the

traditional form of

government realized

that men like Caesar

posed a serious threat

to the republic, and

when legal and military

attempts failed to stop

him, conspirators led by

Caius Cassius and

Marcus Brutus

assassinated him.#shakespeare