Examples Of Superstition In Julius Caesar

Superstition has been around for longer than history has been recorded on the earth, it was used to explain the unexplainable and to help people live their lives. For this reason, it has played a main role in many classical pieces of literature. Even though superstitions had been around for a long time when Julius Caesar took place, there were still some people who did not heed their warnings and paid the price for it. In Julius Caesar there are many examples of people listening to superstition, and there are some where characters do not listen to superstition. One person who is an example of not listening to superstition is Julius Caesar, himself. Even though he was shown to be a superstitious person, and many signs were thrown into his face

For example one of the signs that Caesar saw and chose to ignore was when the sacrifice that he asked for had an unusual defect, “They would not have you to stir forth today./ Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,/ They could not find a heart within the beast” (Shakespeare.2.2.38-40). At first Caesar listens to this warning along with a couple others such as his wife Calpurnia pleading with him not to go to the capital. However, as soon as Decius Brutus says, “And know it now: the senate have concluded/ To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar,” (Shakespeare.2.2.93-94). Due to the selfishness of Caesar wanting to be crowned he through out all of the warnings sent to him in superstitious manner. He wanted to be crowned the ruler of Rome more than anything, and for this single-minded determination he was repaid in the worst manner possible; through death. Since Caesar chose to believe what he wanted and not what he would usually believe, he went to the capital. But, even in the capital he was still warned through a Soothsayer and a friend of his not to go to the capitol building. Again, for what he thought was his own benefit he ignored everyone. When he finally got to the capitol building he went in and through a plot that was lead by some of his closest friends he was brutally stabbed to death. If he had listened to the signs and not given into

The Ghost of Caesar appeared before Brutus saying, “To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi,” (Shakespeare.4.3.290). Even though Caesar forsook the superstitious things that he believed, he still came back as a supernatural phantom to warn the friend who betrayed him about his death. Shakespeare tried to portray that this superstitious event was caused by Caesar’s will, belief in the supernatural and his faith that even after killing him his friend would still heed his advice. His belief in superstitions caused him to have a little bit of extra life, and allowed him to warn Brutus of the coming danger to him. In some ways this was Caesar’s way of trying to atone for not listening to the signs he had seen. This is shown by the fact that instead of Caesar cursing Brutus for killing him, he tried to warn him of the fact that he was going to die if he went to Philippi. This shows that Caesar’s beliefs were still somewhat on the right track, since he still had enough of a heart to try and save his