The Roman virtues of being true to your husband, true to your friends, and true to your country, as well as the basic equality of men, were highly prized in the Elizabethan period, so they must have been much on Shakespeare’s mind when he wrote Julius Caesar in 1599.

Like Romeo and Juliet, this play is a tragedy. You may argue that Caesar is not as sympathetic a character as Romeo or Juliet because of his ambition and possible corruptness, but the play is still definitely a tragedy. Caesar, indeed, isn’t an innocent man, and his power has become corrupt. The play still captures human interest, but it is not for the sentimental romance such as that in Romeo and Juliet. It is because the issues that the characters face are so applicable today. Julius Caesar deals with corrupt governments, one’s conscience, doing what will be good for everyone rather than thinking about one’s self, and the ability to change the populace’s minds. It also reaches into the area of grandness and becoming too ambitious.

The title is a bit misleading because the play’s focus is not really Caesar. Caesar is killed about halfway through the play. Instead most people will agree that Brutus is the true hero in Julius Caesar. The play is about the internal conflict in Brutus over whether or not he should kill a friend for the good of the Roman people. Brutus is someone who remains good from the beginning to the end of the play. In the final scene, Mark Antony even says, “This was the noblest Roman of them all” when looking down at Brutus.

Julius Caesar is considered one of the world’s greatest tragedies, and you will realize that it is very moving, partly because of its comparisons to our world today. (For instance, note the differences in the peaceful transition of power in the recent and hotly-contested United States election compared to the assassination of Caesar and the resulting riots and wars.)

One of the most important themes is the question of what qualities make up a good leader. The play explores this question at length in its detailed examination of Caesar and Brutus as leaders. Your awareness of the constant scrutiny to which today’s leaders are subjected (witness the recent presidential election) makes the play’s examination of leadership timely.

You may be quite opinionated about who is and is not a good leader. By comparing and contrasting the leadership qualities held by Caesar and Brutus, as well as many of the other characters, you can hopefully become more aware of the careful thought that is necessary to choose a good leader.

Another important and relevant issue is peer pressure. Nothing or no one has more influence on adolescents than their friends. The issue of friendship and the importance people place on it is another issue explored in the play. You may have strong opinions about the differing philosophies of friendship followed by Brutus and Antony. You can have lively discussions over the question of who is the better friend.

Contemporary Relevance

How does Julius Caesar apply to us today? First of all, many of the lines from the play are famous now. For example, "It was Greek to me" comes from Julius Caesar (1.2.84). Caesar’s famous line "Et tu, Brute!" (3.1.77) is known by almost everyone. Who hasn’t heard of Antony’s "Friends, Romans, countrymen" (3.2.73) speech? But even more important for us are the themes that come from the play.

Suicide

Many of Shakespeare’s plays deal with the topic of suicide. In Julius Caesar, many characters take their lives (or have others take their lives for them). Is this really right? Let’s consider each case separately.

Portia: She commits suicide when she learns the fate of Brutus, her husband. What does the play provide as her reasoning? Does the action seem justified? What is Brutus’s reaction? Is it what you expected?

Cassius: He had his servant kill him because he mistakenly thought that Brutus’s armies were defeated. Don’t you think that he should have checked to make sure his servant was correct? Taking one’s life is a very serious matter, and Cassius seemed to give up so easily. What does Shakespeare tell us about people here? Possibly, people commit suicide because they are misinformed. So many young people today take their own lives because they don’t think that people care about them. Like Cassius, they are misinformed!

Titinius: He finds Cassius dead, so he commits suicide out of shame. This is an interesting scenario. Was it a custom for that time? Or is there another answer?

Brutus: Brutus takes his life (runs into a servant’s sword) when he discovers that he is defeated. He is described as “noble” by Antony. Is taking one’s life really noble? Again, this could just be one of those cultural things at the time. However, it could be a case of simply “chickening out,” and not facing hard trials.

Politics and the People

Julius Caesar was a politician who was becoming very powerful, but he was not yet a tyrant. He wasn’t all good, but he wasn’t all bad either. Did he deserve to be removed from his position? Did he deserve to be killed? The conspirators believed so. This is an important issue today. How many countries have witnessed the assassinations of rulers? Do people have a right to assassinate their ruler if he or she is corrupt?

What does Shakespeare tell us about people? Is it that people people are just like sheep? Can they be led in any direction, and their minds changed in an instant? What do the reactions of the people to Brutus’s and Antony’s speeches suggest? Shakespeare also showed that the people were a powerful force. The war could not have started without the people’s support. How furious the people could get! Why does Shakespeare include the story of Cinna the poet? Is Shakespeare right in his perception of the people? Are there other suggestions in history to suggest these things?

Inner Struggles

Brutus had to deal with a great inner struggle. Should he kill his friend out of duty to the people, or was his friendship with Caesar more important? His conflict was difficult because neither choice was completely right.

Everyone has to struggle with conflicts within themselves. They might not be as grand as Brutus’s struggle, but there will be conflicts that will keep you up during the night. Brutus’s conscience, as well as urging from his friends, led him to make his decision. He would do what was better for the people, even if it meant killing a friend. What evidence from the text supports Antony’s assertion that Brutus stood alone as being truly “noble” in his actions?

The way Brutus solved his problem is a wonderful example for us. Humble yourself and think about the people that the problem affects instead of focusing on what’s best for “me.” You can also turn to your friends for advice; but in Brutus’s case, they forged letters so that he would join their cause. Nice friends, right?

Was Brutus right, though? Should he have killed Caesar? The latter half of the play shows the consequence of Brutus’s decision. Looking at that, Brutus may have been incorrect in his decision. What do you think?