Caesar in Julius Caesar

In using Julius Caesar as a central figure, Shakespeare is less interested in portraying a figure of legendary greatness than he is in creating a character who is consistent with the other aspects of his drama. If Brutus and Cassius were eminently evil men insidiously planning the cold-blooded murder of an eminently admirable ruler, Julius Caesar would be little more than a melodrama of suspense and revenge. On the other hand, if Caesar were wholly the bloody tyrant, there would be little cause for Brutus' hesitation and no justification for Antony's thirst for revenge. In fact, Shakespeare creates in Caesar a character who is sometimes reasonable, sometimes superstitious, sometimes compassionate, and sometimes arrogantly aloof. In so doing, he has projected Caesar as a man whom the nobility have just reasons to fear, yet who is not a villain.

Flavius concludes his criticism of Caesar in Act I, Scene 1, by expressing his fear that Caesar desires to "soar above the view of men / And keep us all in servile fearfulness." His opinion is given credence when, moments later, Casca and Antony's attitude toward Caesar demonstrates that they consider him a man whose every wish should be considered a command by the citizens of Rome. Caesar's opinion of himself throughout shows that he complies with that attitude. He does not fear Cassius because he believes himself to be beyond the reach of mere humans, and he caps his explanation of his incapability of experiencing fear by observing, ". . . for always I am Caesar." However, his reference to his partial deafness provides an obvious contrast between the conceptions of the vain man who perceives himself in godlike terms and the actual, aging man who stands in imminent danger of assassination. His potential for evil is further emphasized by the swiftness with which he summarily has Flavius and Marullus "put to silence." Finally, at the very moment preceding his death, Caesar compares himself to the gods of Olympus in his determination to continue his arbitrary administration of Roman justice.

Caesar's teeming arrogance and pride more than offset his proven ability to reason. He expresses a fatalistic acceptance of the inevitability of death when he tells Calphurnia how strange it is to him "that men should fear; / Seeing that death, a necessary end, / Will come when it will come." But it is not his belief that the hour of his death has been predetermined and thus cannot be avoided that causes him to ignore the portents, his priests, and Calphurnia. Instead, he ignores them because of Decius' challenge to his sense of pride and to his ambition. Caesar, who is so perceptive in his analysis of Cassius, cannot always look "quite through the deeds" of a calculating deceiver.

From his first appearance, Caesar openly displays a superstitious nature, but also from the beginning he displays a propensity to ignore warnings and signs that should alert a man of his beliefs. He enters the action of the play by advising Calphurnia to seek a cure for her sterility by ritual, and he exits fifteen lines later, dismissing the soothsayer as "a dreamer." He ignores the soothsayer, Calphurnia, the many portents, his priests, and finally Artemidorus because he has ceased to think of himself as a fallible human being, and because he passionately wants to be crowned king. He does not fear Cassius, although he knows him to be a danger to political leaders, because he believes that he and Cassius occupy two separate levels of existence. Cassius is a man; Caesar, a demigod. He even comes to think of himself in terms of abstract qualities, considering himself older and more terrible even than "danger." His sense of superiority to his fellow humans, as well as his overriding ambition to be king, ultimately prevent him from observing and reasoning clearly.

Caesar as a viable character in the play endures beyond his assassination. Brutus wants to "come by Caesar's spirit / And not dismember Caesar." In fact, Brutus and the conspirators succeed in dismembering the corporeal Caesar, but they fail to destroy his spirit. Antony invokes the spirit of Caesar first in his soliloquy in Act III, Scene 1, and he uses it to bring the citizens of Rome to rebellion in Act III, Scene 2. The ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus at Sardis and again at Philippi, signifying that Brutus has failed to reconcile mentally and morally his participation in the murder, as well as signifying that his and Cassius' fortunes are fading. Caesar's spirit ceases to be a force in the play only when Cassius and Brutus commit suicide, each acknowledging that he does so to still the spirit of Caesar.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/j/julius-caesar/character-analysis/caesar

cliffnotes on julius caesar

In 1599, when William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar was performed at the new Globe Theatre, Elizabeth I was an aged monarch with no legitimate heir — neither a child of her own nor a named heir. The people of England worried about succession, fully aware of the power struggles that could take place when men vied for the throne of England. They were also aware of the realities of the violence of civil strife.

It is no surprise, then, that the subject matter of this play was relevant to their concerns, even as the content of this play drew on and adapted ancient history. In 44 BC, Rome was at the center of a large and expanding empire. The city was governed by senators but their politics were plagued by in-fighting, and the real glory and strength belonged to generals like Caesar and Antony. In addition, a new group, the Tribunes, had entered the political field. After a hard-won battle, the plebeians, the working class of Rome, had elected these men as their representatives and protectors (as represented by Flavius and Marullus in Act I). The return of the triumphant Caesar and his desire to centralize power went against the grain of the decentralizing that was taking place. Such a setting was fraught with the makings of dramatic conflict.

Shakespeare took this potential for upheaval and used it to examine a leadership theme. Concentrating on the responsibilities of the ruling class, he looked at what could happen if that class no longer had a unified vision and had lost sight of what it meant to be Roman. In fact, the characters of the play lose touch with the tradition, glory, integrity, and stoicism of their past. As you read the play, note the way that Cassius uses the memory of that glorious past to persuade men to become conspirators, and the way that the actions of the conspirators do or do not return Rome to its golden age.

Persuasion, too, is a concept at the center of this play. Everyone seems to be trying to convince someone else of something: Caesar tries to create an image in the public's mind of his crowning (an ancient form of spin doctoring); Cassius finds the best way to manipulate each man he seeks to bring to his side; and Brutus, whom the reader hopes will refuse to participate, takes longer than the others to respond to Cassius' manipulations, but eventually does respond and even finishes the job for him by persuading himself (see his soliloquy in Act II, Scene 1). This pivotal scene, when Brutus joins the conspirators, is also interesting because Portia, Brutus' wife, serves as the voice of Brutus' conscience. Portia is, in some ways, a stronger character than Brutus and yet, because of her position as a woman in an overwhelmingly male-dominated world, her role is minimal.

If gender is not a central issue to this play, questions of masculinity and effeminacy are. Caesar's weakness — his effeminacy — makes him vulnerable. On the other hand, the incorporation of the so-called feminine traits of compassion and love into the friendship between Brutus and Cassius paradoxically allows the men to show greater strength and allows the audience to have greater sympathy for them. (For a more detailed discussion of this issue see "A World Without Women" in the Critical Essays section of this Note.)

Finally, it is important to have a look at the end of this play and consider what kind of resolution it actually brings. In fact, this approach helps analyze any of Shakespeare's plays. Near the end of Julius Caesar, lessons appear to have been learned and Brutus seems to have received his proper due, but audience must not forget that the final speakers, Antony and Octavius, have not always been truthful men and may not be in the future. The ambiguity of the ending of this play is characteristic of Shakespeare's work. The more neatly things seem to be resolved, the more likely it is that the action has just begun.

dulce et decorum est

Below is a link to a reading of the poem and a few notes.

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html

Also,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulce_et_Decorum_est

and,

http://www.shmoop.com/dulce-et-decorum-est/

Proverbs in Things Fall Apart

PROVERBS in Things Fall Apart

A proverb is a short pithy saying that usually states a general truth or piece of advice. In the Umuofian society, proverbs are used very often in conversation and help people understand things better by presenting the truth and can also give them advice. Parables or myth-stories serve as a spiritual, moral and practical compass for the Igbo. They teach reasoning, tradition and cultural values. Different characters take different stories and assimilate them into their life. Okonkwo, for example, prefers the violent masculine stories of his ancestors to act out in his own exploits. Here are a few examples of proverbs used in Things Fall Apart, along with what they can be interpreted to mean.

Proverb 1: "Okonkwo was as slippery as a fish in water."(Chapter 1)
Meaning: Simply put, this proverb was intended to mean that Okonkwo was fast and agile. This particular proverb is a good example of how some were described, its intention, to give people a better understanding of a person by simply giving a metaphorical saying that he/she could easily visualize.

Proverb 2: "Proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten." (Chapter 1)
Meaning: While this proverb is more complex than the first, it still can easily be interpreted. It is essential for the reader to know that palm-oil is a very important item in Umuofian society, and is used to cook and as a fuel source. Eating the words simply is a poetic way of saying to take them in, or to gain knowledge. Basically, this one means that proverbs are, essentially, words of wisdom.

Proverb 3: "Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them." (Chapter 1)
 Meaning: Unoka decided to use this complex saying to say that he will pay his biggest debtors, or people he owes more money to before the debtors that he owes less, most likely as a way to express his gratitude for the generosity of those who lend him more.

Proverb 4: "If a child washes his hands he could eat with kings." (Chapter 1)
Meaning: In the Umuofian society, if you are able to remove the footprint of your ancestors, you would be able to aspire to anyone you wished in the society. Okonkwo could not be respected, due to his father’s notoriety, until he became the notorious warrior that he was.

Proverb 5: "When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk."(Chapter 2)
Meaning: For the people of Umuofia, the moon was very important. The influence and effect of the moon on the people in the tribe was so strong that if the moon shone on them, even a cripple could walk. This was an extreme way of saying that the moon gave the tribe the power to do anything.

Proverb 6: "Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to other, let his wing break." (Chapter 3)
 Meaning: This proverb is rather complex, but it basically means that Okonkwo was ashamed of his father and was afraid of having the same misfortune of his – father and the same end.

Proverb 7: "A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness." (Chapter 3)
Meaning: According to this proverb, if you respect greatness, you will become great yourself. In addition, this proverb means that in Umuofia successful men respect greatness.

Proverb 8: "A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing" (Chapter 3)
Meaning: This proverb could mean a multitude of things, however it is quite apparent that the main meaning is that something strange does not happen for no reason at all. Obviously, a toad does not usually run in the daytime, unless something happened, and the reader can infer that the proverb means that everything happens for a reason.

Proverb 9: "An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb." (Chapter 3)
Meaning: This proverb means that someone is uneasy if something is said that affects them personally; whether it is a joke or not – they cannot laugh about it.

Proverb 10: "The lizard that jumped from high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did." (Chapter 3)
Meaning: This is a simple proverb. Even if nobody appreciates what you have done, you will remain proud of yourself since you know your accomplishment was successful.

Proverb 11: "Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching." (Chapter 3)
 Meaning:  Essentially, if Nwakibie gave yams to every man who asked, many of the yams would be wasted by their lack of effort. The yams did not mean as much to someone who had not rightfully earned them. Basically, someone must know how hard others worked for what they have in order to respect the property themselves.

 Proverb 12: "You can tell a ripe corn by its look"  (Chapter 3)
 Meaning: Branching off the previous proverb, Nwakibie could tell that Okonkwo is ready to receive his gift and not take it for granted. This means that none of the yams will be destroyed

 Proverb 13: "Looking at the king's mouth, one would think he never sucked at his mother breasts" (Chapter 4)
 Meaning: Although Okonkwo once was a little baby, it feels as he never could be so vulnerable, because now is so big and robust.  It scares him to think that he could have ever been as vulnerable as he was when he was younger.

 Proverb 14: "Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble."  (Chapter 4)
 Meaning: This proverb is also rather simple. Basically, people who are blessed with luck by the gods, should be humble, and not criticize other people. They should not think they are better solely because they are luckier.

 Proverb 15: "When a man says yes his chi says yes also."  (Chapter 4)
 Meaning: A man's spirit, or chi, will guide him and help him tackle any task that is at hand once he puts his mind to it.

 Proverb 16: "They called him the little bird nza who so far forgot himself after a heavy meal that he challenged his chi." (Chapter 4)
 Meaning: This proverb could indicate that Okonkwo was ignorant and not humble. Okonkwo was said to be so proud he would challenge his own chi. Even though being proud would be a good thing, it would be bad to think a man could challenge his chi.

Proverb 17: "A child's fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm." (Chapter 8 )
Meaning: Once again, we are shown that proverbs are complex and poetic ways of saying simple things. This one simply means that those who obey their parents will not be punished by their parents.

 Proverb 18: "When mother-cow is chewing grass its young ones watch its mouth." (Chapter 8 )
 Meaning: Children copy their parents and learn everything they do from them. It is important for parents to set a good example, or else their children will not live up to their expectations.

 Proverb 19: "If one finger brought oil it soiled the others." (Chapter 13 )
 Meaning: Basically, if you do not treat yourself for sickness, whether it be mental or physical, you will pass it on to others.

 Proverb 20: "Mother is supreme" (Chapter 14 )
 Meaning: Your mother is extremely important as she is the one who gives you life.

  Proverb 21: "Never kill a man who says nothing." (Chapter 15 )
 Meaning: If somebody never says anything to you that offends you, then you never should do wrong to them. Only if they do something wrong that offends you should you take action against them.

 Proverb 22: "There is nothing to fear from someone who shouts."
 Meaning: Men who shout should not be feared, as that is the most they will do. They will never be the type of person to take physical action; therefore, you should not fear them.

 Proverb 23: "Living fire begets cold, impotent ash." (  Chapter 16 )
 Meaning: If someone thinks too highly of himself and his influence is too much, then the person alongside them will never be able to come as successful.

Proverb 24: "A child cannot pay for his mother’s milk." (  Chapter 19 )
 Meaning: Parents who think that their children should pay them back for taking care of them are ridiculous. This is because the parents are the ones who brought them to life and therefore they are responsible for them and should take care of them by nature.

 Proverb 25: "Men have learned to shoot without missing their mark and I have learned to fly without perching on a twig." (  Chapter 24)
 Meaning: External influences have a great enough effect on people to change their fate. 

julius caesar translations

Attached is the link to Sparknotes' No Fear Shakespeare, Julius Caesar translations (line by line).



http://nfs.sparknotes.com/juliuscaesar/

Julius Caesar videos

Please see link below for youtube's BBC version of the play, Julius Caesar.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdrBYFdJKxw&list=PLFFFBF6FCC6922537 

essay on julius caesar 2

Consider Caesar’s funeral in Act 3 Scene 2.

a)      How do the Plebians respond to Brutus explanation for Caesar’s death? (9 mrks)

b)      Discuss the strategies employed by Antony to move the crowd. (8 mrks)

c)      Which of the two speakers was more convincing? Give reasons for your response. (8 mrks)

POINTS

 a) 

• Brutus explains that Caesar had to die because he had become too ambitious. He claimed he killed Caesar, not because he loved him any less, but because he loved Rome more.

•  He appealed to their emotions and desires to be free and not be slaves.
• at first, they were against the death of Caesar. they later changed and supported Brutus as they believed he did it for them. 
• None wanted to be slaves, or under the rule of an ambitious (overly ambitious) ruler.
• They fall for him referring to them as friends and lovers.
• By the end of Brutus' speech they cheer for him to be emperor, and they become reluctant to hear anything else from anyone else.

b)

• Antony too refers to the people as friends and countrymen, likening himself to them, allowing them to see him as one of them.
• He is cognizant of the fact that Brutus has won over the crowd, but also knows that they are fickle. he treads lightly, referring to Brutus as an honourable man. 
• Repetition and rhetorical questions (showing how Caesar was not ambitious) makes the people start questioning their (the conspirators') honour.
• he strategically pauses to allow the crowd to soak in the information and deliberate among themselves. He knows those who he has convinced will convert the others.
• Antony reads Caesar's will where he leaves them money and land, proving that Caesar loved them and whoever killed him, did him a great injustice.
• Showed them Caesar's body riddled with stab wounds. To the people, it would appear to be a slaughter, treating him less than he deserved. This ofcourse angers the mob and leads them to go after the conspirators.
• Antony's speech is written in prose, versus Brutus who spoke in the iambic pentameter. This gave the impression that Antony's speech was less planned and as such the people would believe he spoke from the heart. Brutus' speech on the other hand seemed more deliberate and staged/ calculated.

c)

• The people are able to be swayed by Antony's speech.
• Antony used more techniques (ensuring the desired effect)
• Brutus' points are refutable
• Brutus did not cover all his grounds. He was overconfident.

ESSAY #1

Malique Dawkins

4Pool2

Consider Caesar’s funeral in Act 3 Scene 2.

a)      How do the Plebians respond to Brutus explanation for Caesar’s death? (9 mrks)

b)      Discuss the strategies employed by Antony to move the crowd. (8 mrks)

c)      Which of the two speakers was more convincing? Give reasons for your response. (8 mrks)

In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the scene where Caesar’s funeral is being held brings out the persuasive techniques of both Brutus and Antony. At the funeral, Brutus and Antony speak to the Plebians, wanting that they are on their side in a war on account of Caesar’s death. The common people listen to them both, Brutus then Antony, but they are more on Antony’s side after both of them speak, as they are easily persuaded and gullible. Due to this, Brutus and Antony cannot be judged on persuasive techniques by the Plebians’ standards. However, through the audience’s or the readers’ views, the better speaker can be identified.

Brutus speaks before Antony to the crowd at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus sends Cassius off with some of the Plebians, while the rest stay with him. He addresses the common people using mainly the use of emotional appeal, one of the persuasive devices. He says that though he killed Caesar, he did not do it because he hated Caesar or loved him any less, but that he loves Rome more, and believed that Caesar was not fit for the power. He asks the crowd if they would rather that Caesar lived and all the slaves would die, or that Caesar would die and all would live free. Brutus also says that he weeps for Caesar and that he had to die. He ends his speech by asking if there are any who think that what he did was wrong, and gave them the impression that such man was not a true Roman, making the crowd remain silent. Due to his use of emotive language, he is able to win the crowd before Antony even reaches the pulpit.

Antony speaks after Brutus when he leaves the funeral. Antony also uses emotive language to persuade the crowd, but his main technique is repetition. He first states that he is not there to praise Caesar, but to bury him. He then goes on to repeatedly say that Brutus said that Caesar was ambitious, after which he states that Brutus is an honourable man. His exaggeration and repetition of this begins to let the Plebians as well as the audience or readers think differently of Brutus. Antony also presents facts that Brutus is wrong, such as when Caesar denied the crown three times. Antony tears up when speaking about Caesar, automatically making the Plebians feel sorry for him and they would want to believe him. They speak amongst themselves while Antony tries to compose himself, saying that Antony may be right as the facts are all there.

Of the two speakers, Antony is the better speaker. This is so because he enables more persuasive techniques than Brutus. A reader or a person in the audience could easily tell that the Plebians are easily persuaded, but it is clear that Antony is the better speaker. Brutus only uses emotive language to persuade the Plebians, which is an effective technique, but it must be accompanied with more techniques, otherwise the speech is not very effective. Antony, however, uses not only emotional appeal, but repetition and facts and statistics. Antony’s proves to be an effective speech.

To conclude, Antony and Brutus, after Caesar’s death, now have to show the crowd which of them is the one who is telling the truth and deserves Caesar’s place. Both of them speak to the Plebians at Caesar’s funeral, and both were able to persuade the crowd (though Antony was more effective in doing so). Shakespeare uses them to bring out persuasive techniques, allowing that they both use one common one, and makes the Plebians take their sides. Antony turns out to be the better speaker, using more persuasive techniques than Brutus, and starts the flame to the raging fire of war to see who is really in power.

 ESSAY #2

Daniel Battick                               4 Pool 2             Ms. Atkins                        Julius Caesar(#2)

Some of the greatest public speaking that Shakespeare has written is found in Act 3 Scene 2 of his play Julius Caesar. The speech of Brutus (lines 13-39) and the speech of Antony (lines 65-242) are extremely significant to the plot of the play. Brutus goes up into the pulpit to address the issue of Caesar’s killing to the common people, or the Plebeians, because they demand to know the reason that he was murdered in cold blood by the conspirators and they must be satisfied. Antony, Caesar’s dear friend, ascends into the pulpit after Brutus has finish speaking. He has obtained permission by the conspirators to give a funeral oration, and he gives quite an oration with various persuasive strategies that move the crowd.

The Plebeians are taken with Brutus’ speech, indeed, they are satisfied. In his speech, he insists that Caesar was great, but ambitious, and for that reason he was killed. Brutus declares to the masses that though he loved Caesar, he loves Rome more, and Caesar’s ambition posed a danger to Roman liberty. The Plebeians hail Brutus as a hero, and they cheer for him. They say “Live Brutus, live, live!” and others say “Give him a statue with his ancestors.” One Plebeian even suggests that Brutus should be Caesar. Also, they now call Caesar a tyrant. Basically, all the Plebeians are now on his side, as they understand why Brutus had to do what he did as he has saved them from oppression. Brutus is now satisfied that he has done his task and has swayed the crowd onto his side. He descends from the pulpit and turns it over to Antony so he can do his funeral oration.

Before Antony can begin, he must subdue the raucous, pro-Brutus crowd. So Antony gains the attention and approval of the Plebeians when he addresses them as friends and gives the perception that he has not come to praise Caesar, but to bury him. Antony explains his purpose so the listeners fully understand the matter being disclosed. While appearing to agree with Brutus’ portrayal of Caesar, Antony rejects it in reality by listing Caesar’s virtues. Repeatedly referring to Brutus as “an honourable man”, Antony’s speech becomes increasingly sarcastic; questioning the claims that Brutus made in his speech that Caesar acted only out of ambition, Antony points out that Caesar brought much wealth and glory to Rome, and three times turned down offers of the crown. Antony’s use of repetition is very persuasive, but he also appeals to the emotions of the people. As he is speaking, he begins to break down in tears for Caesar, and the crowd are swayed by Antony’s grief. One person says “Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping” and another says Antony is the noblest man in Rome. The will is perhaps Antony’s masterstroke. So skilled at focusing his listeners’ attention on a specific detail, he ‘just happens’ to mention the will. The Plebeians plead with Antony to read the will, but he teases them, saying that it is too much for them to know how Caesar much loved them and he ‘fears’ he would wrong the ‘honourable men’ who killed the ambitious Caesar. They shout for him to read it. Antony descends into the crowd, and when he shows them Caesar’s corpse, they weep. When he cleverly praises Brutus’ speech over his own, they move to attack the conspirators. And then Antony reveals how much Caesar’s will left to the people. They swear vengeance to the conspirators and leave. Antony has successfully persuaded the crowd.

Antony is obviously the more convincing of the two speakers. The truth is that Antony uses better persuasive techniques than Brutus and he gets more involved with the people, or rather he goes down to their level. Apart from using rhetorical questions and sarcasm, Antony uses a lot of emotive language. He appeals to the hearts of the Romans and gets them to weep, to love Caesar for everything he did. He addresses them as “good friends, sweet friends” and this is another persuasive technique to get them to be on his side. Brutus does not use any of that language, and it is almost as if he is above them (on the pulpit). But when Antony steps down from the pulpit, it is symbolic of him coming down to their level, to be with them and mourn with them. Just the response of the crowd though clearly shows that Antony is more convincing. They are ready to kill Brutus after Antony’s speech, and that simply portrays the fact that Brutus is less convincing than Antony.

These two speeches at the funeral greatly affect the plot of the play. Brutus thinks he has completely won over the crowd, and rightly so because they all shout for him to be king, but Antony is very adept in the art of public speaking and persuades the people to rise up against Brutus and the other conspirators. In truth Brutus was a fool to let Antony speak in the first place, but Antony takes the opportunity well is certainly more convincing than Brutus in his oratory.