Julius Caesar
"Julius Caesar" is a drama created by British playwright Shakespeare. The plot of "Julius Caesar" revolves around the struggle between two political parties in ancient Rome.
Based on ancient metaphors, the play delves into the intricate and contradictory relationship between authoritarian centralization, aristocratic democracy and popular sentiment in the Elizabeth I era.
Creative background
Time backgroud
Beginning in the late Elizabeth, the kings who once occupied the center of English drama have withdrawn from the stage. The authorities have obviously strengthened the restraint of literature and art, and will never allow playwrights to judge the history of the British dynasty at will. Playwrights, including Shakespeare, have not dared to go further. On March 24, 1603, Queen Elizabeth died, and her lifelong marriage ended the Tudor dynasty, and then James I created the Stuart dynasty in England.
However, Shakespeare ’s enthusiasm for historical subjects will not subside due to political imprisonment. Subconsciously, the consideration of British history has been changed to bypass the official ban and appear in front of the world. "Opetra" represents the historical tragedy of Roman themes.
Synopsis
In 44 B.C., Caesar, who had taken over the power, celebrated a celebration ceremony with some followers to support him as "the emperor". The Consul Cassius, who consciously saw through Caesar's mind, was furious. In order to prevent the emergence of "dictators", he persuaded Brutus, the chief executive officer known for his integrity, to form an alliance with him to join other nobles to relieve the danger of the country. Although Brutus was a friend of Caesar and was promoted by him, he resolutely served as the leader of the "Rebel Party" to defend the ideals of Rome's republic and freedom.
The Consul Cassius is also a person who is practical and has personal ambitions. It is clear that the success of the coup depends on Brutus' prestige, so he obeyed Brutus's command.After Caesar was stabbed to death by a chaotic sword, the open-minded Brutus not only did not agree to the execution of Caesar's celebrity Antony, but instead allowed him to take Caesar's body and make a memorial speech to the public.
Antony cleverly and publicly incited, leading the crowd's dissatisfaction with Caesar to oppose the "rebellion", so Brutus and Cassius and others were forced to flee. In the second battle in 42 BC, Brutus made another strategic mistake, the whole army was destroyed, and he committed suicide by wearing a sword.
Character introduction
The main characters
Brutus - A supporter of the republic who believes strongly in a government guided by the votes of senators. While Brutus loves Caesar as a friend, he opposes the ascension of any single man to the position of dictator, and he fears that Caesar aspires to such power. Brutus’s inflexible sense of honor makes it easy for Caesar’s enemies to manipulate him into believing that Caesar must die in order to preserve the republic. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believes that Caesar’s death will benefit Rome. Unlike Caesar, Brutus is able to separate completely his public life from his private life; by giving priority to matters of state, he epitomizes Roman virtue. Torn between his loyalty to Caesar and his allegiance to the state, Brutus becomes the tragic hero of the play.
Julius Caesar - A great Roman general and senator, recently returned to Rome in triumph after a successful military campaign. While his good friend Brutus worries that Caesar may aspire to dictatorship over the Roman republic, Caesar seems to show no such inclination, declining the crown several times. Yet while Caesar may not be unduly power-hungry, he does possess his share of flaws. He is unable to separate his public life from his private life, and, seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization and idolization of his image, he ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing himself as eternal as the North Star.
Antony - A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in order to save his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as a traitor. With tears on his cheeks and Caesar’s will in his hand, Antony engages masterful rhetoric to stir the crowd to revolt against the conspirators. Antony’s desire to exclude Lepidus from the power that Antony and Octavius intend to share hints at his own ambitious nature.
Cassius - A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius dislikes the fact that Caesar has become godlike in the eyes of the Romans. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that Caesar has become too powerful and must die, finally converting Brutus to his cause by sending him forged letters claiming that the Roman people support the death of Caesar. Impulsive and unscrupulous, Cassius harbors no illusions about the way the political world works. A shrewd opportunist, he proves successful but lacks integrity.
Appreciation of works
1.Main point
Cultural poetics is particularly fond of politics, and "politics" is the theoretical "core" of cultural poetics. Cultural poetry giant Foucault believes that "power relations are everywhere, but no relationship is inevitable." Through the analysis of cultural poetry power discourse theory, the seemingly non-political lines in the play highlight various powers.
Discourses of characteristics are interwoven with each other to form a criss-cross network of power relations. The traditional view of power regards power as a top-down force of simple suppression and suppression, but in Foucault's view, power is not a negative force as it is commonly understood, it is a manufacturing The affirmative power of discourse.
2.Artistic features
Body poetics
Among the many works, the play "Julius Caesar" is a classic that reflects Shakespeare's body poetics. The special background of historical tragedy, the selection of themes based on historical facts, and the distinctive body theme tendency make these plays a reliable material for interpreting the author's body view. In the play, the bodies of Caesar, Antony, and even the ordinary people act as a place for display and performance, become the direct objects of the implementation of power relations, and form a powerful driving force for narrative.
As an analysis of the source, genealogy is in the expression of body and history. Using the body perspective to re-examine the cause and process of this event, it is not difficult to see that this is a game of body and politics, and Caesar's body is the focus of the struggle.
Supernatural phenomenon
This creative technique has been well implemented in the following four tragedies. Whenever the plot climaxes, there will be ghost scenes to help. The appearance of the vision in Julius Caesar brings out the extraordinary tragic atmosphere of Caesar's killing, especially highlighting the nature of the murder of Caesar.
On the one hand, it plays a role in creating tension in the play, on the other hand, it also reflects that the nature of this assassination is not a "justice" as the murderer advertised, but out of the maintenance of Brutus and others. The privilege of the old nobility. The two appearances of Caesar ghost not only promoted the development of the plot, but also highlighted the tragic atmosphere of the play.
Inspirational quotes
Men at some time are masters of their fates.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
(Cassius, Act 1 Scene 2)
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look:
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous
(Caesar, Act 1 Scene 2)
But, for mine own part, it was Greek to me.
(Casca, Act 1 Scene 2)
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods.
(Brutus, Act 2 Scene 1)
When beggars die there are no comets seen:
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
(Calphurnia,Act 2, Scene 2)
Cowards die many times before their deaths,
The valiant never taste of death but once.
(Caesar, Act 2 Scene 2)
Et tu, Brute?—Then fall, Caesar.
(Caesar, Act 3, Scene 1)
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.
(Antony, Act 3 Scene 1)
Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.
(Brutus, Act 3 Scene 2)
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
(Antony, Act 3, Scene 2)
This was the most unkindest cut of all.
(Antony, Act 3 Scene 2)
There is a tide in the affairs of men.
(Brutus, Act 4 Scene 3)