Shakespeare's Julius Caesar- Et tu Brute
Dr. Senarath TENNAKOON
Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in 1599, when he moved into the newly
opened Globe theatre. His comedies and historic plays including 'Henry
V' were created during 1595-1599. His greatest plays, 'Macbeth', 'King
Lear' and 'Hamlet' were created later (1599-1608).
Two themes stand out in 'Julius Caesar': power and loyalty. Power
affects the key characters in the play. Julius Caesar was almost mad and
overconfident with political power. He was extremely ambitious. His
commands had to be carried to the letter and once Antony declared "If
Caesar said, do this it must be performed." Caesar always called himself
by the third person as 'Caesar' and not in the first person as 'I'. He
considered himself to be a different person. The Senate made him a
Dictator. Caesar won many battles and brought victory to Rome. He
conquered Gaul (modern France) and invaded Britain in 55 BC. His legions
crossed the river Rubicon (the modern frontiers of Italy).
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A scene from Julius Caesar |
He defeated Pompey. No doubt he was the most powerful man then in
Rome. While he desires himself to be crowned as the Emperor, he refused
the crown offered to him thrice by his friendly follower, Mark Antony.
Perhaps he desired a proper coronation in the Capitol, in a formal
manner. However, he was unfortunate as on the Ides of March (15 March,
44 BC) he was assassinated by a group of senators that included his
bosom friend, Brutus. Although Caesar had a very strong mind, he had an
aging frail body subject to fevers, epileptic fits and partial deafness.
Some senators like Cassius knew about Caesar's physical weaknesses.
Caesar feared one person mostly. He was Cassius. He referred to Cassius
as 'that lean man with a hungry look'. Caesar knew very well that
Cassius was mean and jealous. Not only Cassius, some senators disliked
and feared Caesar too, as he was growing in power and the Republic was
becoming non-democratic. As Caesar brought about sweeping reforms that
favoured the quality of life of the plebeians (the common people) the
well to do privileged class feared about their positions and authority.
Julius Caesar's sex life too was known to his associates. He married
three times. He married Oinn's daughter, Cornelia in 84 BC, Pompeia in
68 BC (divorced her in 62 BC) and Calpurnia in 59 BC. Apart from these
legal marriages, he developed an affair with Cleopatra with whom he
fathered Caesarion.
At the Lupercalia festival Mark Antony offered the crown three times.
But Caesar refused it. Why Critics believe that Caesar just did not want
to display his ambition in public, although he liked to be crowned.
The character of Brutus is quite different from that of Caesar.
Brutus was Caesar's bosom friend and he always declared that he was not
interested in power. He believed in the exercise of power by the
Republic elected by the people. But during that time, the Republic was
not fully democratic. Many senators feared that because of Caesar's
power and arrogance, the Senate would lose its authority and the
privileges of the senator families as Caesar has brought about sweeping
political reforms to please the plebians (the ordinary people). Although
Brutus was a noble man who loved and respected Caesar, ultimately he had
to turn against his friend to kill Caesar. Brutus was an idealist. He
was a patriot who loved Rome and her people.
He firmly believed in a democratic Republic. But it is said that he
fell into the flattery of Cassius; joined the conspirators and brought
about the tragic end of Caesar. Unlike Caesar, he enjoyed a happy family
life and after the assassination of Caesar, he killed himself like a
brave Roman. 'Brutus let his idealism overcome his reason and paid the
price for it' (Walker, 1998). Mark Antony comes to the forefront only
after the murder of Julius Caesar, although he happened to be a friend
and follower of Caesar. His inborn talents blossom up at the famous
funeral speech at Caesar's funeral.
He declares 'I came to bury Caesar and not to praise him. Brutus is
an honourable man etc." He stirred up the masses with his oratory to
rally around him to take revenge from the assassinators of Caesar and he
was immensely successful. He too was ambitious. But he did not contest
with Octavius, the chosen heir by Julius Caesar. Antony was a good
battle planner like Caesar and he crushed the enemies at Philippi
battlefield. Antony proves himself to be a great statesman, a powerful
public orator, and a shrewd politician.
Calpurnia, Caesar's faithful and beloved wife was very loyal to him.
She does not use or abuse Caesar's power. But she has come to understand
Caesar's overconfidence and overambition. She believes in bad dreams and
attempts to prevent Caesar going to the Capitol on the Ides of March.
Portia is the loyal and beloved wife of Brutus. She was like Calpurnia
in many ways. Her loyalty and passion for Brutus was overwhelmingly
great, that she could not survive without Brutus during the war days,
that she swallowed hot coals and faced a very tragic death.
While Cassius is mean Casca is a cynic. Casca makes cutting remarks
at Caesar when he describes Caesar's behaviour at the feast of
Lupercalia. In 'Julius Caesar' the main vehicle of expressing the
feeling of the characters is nothing but speech. There are two forms of
speech. Firstly, there are blank verses which do not rhyme. Blank verses
are encountered whenever formal communication occur between the key
characters. It is also observed when important matters or issues are
being said. At other times, prose is being freely employed. Caesar
speaks with his wife in a formal way. The soothsayer shouts several
times: "Beware the Ides of March". Antony uses hyperbole in his funeral
oration. "O what a fall was there my countrymen. Then I and you, all of
us fell down", says Antony. But Antony's speech is full of high poetry
too. There is rhetoric in his speech when he says that the conspirators
are 'honourable men'.
While imagery is profound in all Shakespearen plays, this feature is
distinctly observed in 'Julius Ceasar'. Calpurnia's horrible dream,
Ceasar being disturbed by the storm, the priests cutting open a beast
and finding that it had no heart, and the soothsayer's 'Ides of March'
are bad omens and these are described with a sense of rich imagery.
Intelligence of the key characters is yet another feature. Who is more
intelligent is a central issue.
Caesar, thinks that he is all the more intelligent and powerful.
Brutus, considers him to be more witty than Antony in war. But Antony
reveals his superb strategic knowledge of war than that of Brutus.
Cassius is dangerous, shrewd and schematic. He is the key organiser of
the assassination. Casca is a deadly cynic but he is terrified by the
storm! Caesar was stabbed to death by the conspirators and it was when
Brutus stabbed Caesar passed away.
When Caesar saw Brutus his bosom friend stab him he has uttered "Et
tu Brute" and died. At the funeral oration, Antony lifts Caesar's clock
torn by the conspirators' daggers and shows it to the crowd. He declares
"The unkindness cut of all was made by Brutus, whom Caesar loved".
References
1. Dyson A.E. (1987) Issues in Contemporary Critical Theory,
The Macmillion Press Ltd.
2. Doubtfire. D. (1983) Creative Writing, Hodder and Headline, UK.
3. Wandor M (1993) Drama Today, Longmans House UK.
4. Walker Martin (2003) Julius Caesar, York Press, London. |
