Superstition in Julius Caesar Julius Caesar Essays

Superstition in Julius Caesar

In the play of Julius Caesar, we see a brief picture of Roman life

during the time of the First Triumvirate. In this snap shot, we see many

unfortunate things. Shakespeare gives us the idea that many people try to

circumvent what the future holds, such as unfortunate things, by being

superstitious. Superstition seems to play a role in the basic daily life

of most Roman citizens. For instance, the setting of the first scene is

based upon superstition, the Feast of Lupercal. This feast is in honor of

the god Pan, the queen of fertility. During this time, infertile females

are supposed to be able to procreate, and fertile ones are supposed to be

able to bear more. It is also a supposed time of sexual glorification and

happiness. Other scenes depict how throughout Rome, roaming the streets

are mysterious sooth-sayers, who are supposedly given the power to predict

the future. Dictating what is to come through terse tidbits, these people

may also be looked upon as superstitious. In the opening scene, one sooth-

sayer, old in his years, warns Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March," an

admonition of Caesar's impending death. Although sooth-sayers are looked

upon by many as insane out of touch lower classmen, a good deal of them,

obviously including the sayer Caesar encountered, are indeed right on the

mark. Since they lack any formal office or shop, and they predict

forthcomings without fee, one can see quite easily why citizens would

distrust their predictions. Superstition, in general elements such as the

Feast of Lupercal, as well as on a personal level such as with the sooth-

sayers, is an important factor in determining the events and the outcome of

Julius Caesar, a significant force throughout the entire course of the play.

Before the play fully unravels, we see a few of signs of Caesar's

tragic end. Aside from the sooth-sayer's warning, we also see another sign

during Caesar's visit with the Augerers, the latter day "psychics". They

find "No heart in the beast", which they interpret as advice to Caesar that

he should remain at home. Ceasar brushes it off and thinks of it as a

rebuke from the gods, meaning that he is a coward if he does not go out,

and so he dismisses the wise advice as hearsay. However, the next morning,

his wife Calphurnia wakes up frightened due to a horrible nightmare. She

tells Caesar of a battle breaking out in the heart of Rome, "Which drizzled

blood upon the Capitol," with Caesar painfully dying, such that "...The

heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes." Although Caesar

realizes Calphurnia is truly concerned about his well-being, he seeks

another interpretation, coming to the conclusion that the person who

imagines the dream may not be the wisest one to interpret it's meaning.

Later Caesar tells his faithful companion Decius about it, and he

interprets it quite the contrary, "That it was a vision fair and

fortunate," and indeed, today is an ideal day to go out, since this is the

day "To give a crown to mighty Caesar." Perhaps Decius is implying here

that today is a day where much appreciation and appraisal will be given to

Caesar, surely not the endangerment of his well-being as Calphurnia

interprets it. Caesar predictably agrees with him, as most citizens enjoy

believing the more positive of two interpretations.

After Caesar's assasination at the hand of Brutus, Cassius, and the

rest of the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius are chased into the country

side, where we see a few superstitious signs of their forthcoming painful

death in battle. In a dream, Brutus sees Caesar's "ghost", interpreted as

an omen of his defeat. He also looks upon the ensign, and instead of the

usual stock of eagles, ravens and kites replace them, construed as another

sign of their loss at Phillipi. Not surprisingly, Caesar's death is

avenged in the end, with the two of the conspirators' double suicide. As

superstition is inter-twined within the basis of the entire play, we can

reasonably conclude that it is because of this irrational belief of why

certain events occur and how to avoid them, that Caesar is retired and

eventually avenged. In the words of Caesar's devoted follower and

companion Mark Antony, "His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in

him that Nature might stand up and say to the world, 'This was a man!'"