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Characterise shakespeare plays short topic
Shakespeare's plot and characterization
Characterise shakespeare plays short topic
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Phillip Pullman, a British author, once wrote, “I stopped believing there was a power of good and a power of evil that were outside us. And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are”(goodreads.com). Pullman’s quotation on the actions of man being the source of good and evil closely relate to morality, principles regarding the distinction of right and wrong or a person’s values. The question of what human morality truly is has been pondered by philosophers, common folk, and writers for thousands of years. However, sometimes a person’s ethics are unclear; he or she are not wholly good or bad but, rather, morally ambiguous. William Shakespeare, an English playwrite, heavily presses the topic moral ambiguity in his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. The titular character, Julius Caesar, is a morally equivocal character who serves a major purpose in the play.
Julius Caesar is a moral, ethical man. He is a selfless man who puts others before himself. When Artemidorus gets word of the conspirator’s plans, he writes a letter to Caesar to warn him of his impending fate and rushes to the Capitol to give him word. Upon telling Caesar the letter is concerning him, Caesar simply brushes it off and responds, “What touches oneself shall be served last”(III,I, 8). Caesar altruistically puts aside an urgent manner concerning him to accept the offer of becoming King of Rome, which is the reason he went to the Capitol in the first place, which shows he is a benevolent, thoughtful person. In
Caesar’s eyes, he put aside an issue concerning him to serve Rome as king which shows he had good intentions. Additionally, Julius Caesar is a generous individual. Even in death, Caesar conti...
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...valent morality is to make readers feel and understand Brutus’s internal struggle of choosing between the life of his friend and the future of his homeland. The author shows the readers the two sides of Caesar, a moral, good man and an immoral, detestable person, to make the reader decide whether or not Caesar should die. Having readers feel conflicted about Caesar makes them understand Brutus’s conflict and get them thinking on whether or not Caesar truly deserves to die. It teaches the readers that it can be difficult to differentiate between right and wrong, and it can be challenging to do the right thing, especially when it could result in dire consequences.
Works Cited
Phillip Pullman. 2001-2013 goodreads.com. December 15, 2013
William Shakespeare. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classics, 2006. Print.
Julius Caesar, even though he is considered great, turns out to contain many flaws. He believes himself to be untouchable, and has a confidence that he cannot be harmed, even though that is not the case. He says so when he says, “Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me ne’er looked but on ...
The lines that define good and evil are not written in black and white; these lines tend to blur into many shades of grey allowing good and evil to intermingle with each another in a single human being. Man is not inherently good or evil but they are born innocent without any values or sense of morality until people impart their philosophies of life to them. In the words of John Locke:
Julius Caesar was one of Rome’s most memorable leaders because of the wars he won and the way his life was ended. Caesar was born in 100 B.C. His mother was Aurelia Caesar who supposedly birthed him by Caesarean section. Caesar’s father was Gaius Caesar. His family had noble, patrician roots, but they were neither rich nor influential during this period. Although Caesar was only a noble he believed that he was higher than other mortals and viewed himself as a descendant of the gods. He looked very highly upon himself a...
must not just make a plan, you must carry it out with his own manpower. He was
Julius Caesar is the leader of Rome and is seeking to become king in a matter of time. Though he is a good military strategist, he lacks knowledge in running government and is too greedy to have any concern for the peasants when he is alive. Caesar is all about conquering and power and he is afraid of nothing. Before he is murdered, he says “The things that threatened me ne’er looked but on my back. When they shall see the face of Caesar, they are vanished” (II, ii, 575). Th...
For thousands of years people have been talking about the great powerful Caesar. He is one of the greatest known dictators known to people today mostly because of all of the things he was able to accomplish during his rein as emperor. After reading primary sources about Caesar, it has given me a better understanding of what other people thought of him during this time period. It’s safe to say that Caesar was obsessed with power and respect from other people that would explain his thirst for war and land, which is one of his greatest strengths and helped in making Rome a great empire.
In Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", Caesar is displayed as a powerful and dynamic figure in Rome because of his many accomplishments in previous wars as well as battles. When Caesar returns to Rome from a recent victorious defeat in battle, he receives a warm welcome by all the citizens of Rome. They consider and see Caesar as a hero and a strong individual, which is why they attempt to crown him King three times. A group of generals in Caesar's army are jealous and concerned with the amount of power Caesar has; they make arrangements to kill him. "Power is said to be a man's greatest desire he'll do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, even to kill." In comparison to Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" and the film Julius Caesar, we see many similarities. Furthermore, I will discuss these similarities in great depth.
Greed, ambition, and the possibility of self-gain are always constant in their efforts to influence people’s actions. In Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, a venerable politician, becomes a victim of the perpetual conflict between power-hungry politicians and ignorant commoners. He is a man of honor and good intentions who sacrifices his own happiness for the benefit of others. Unfortunately, his honor is strung into a fine balance between oblivion and belief and it is ultimately the cause of his downfall. His apparent obliviousness leads him to his grave as his merciful sparing of Mark Antony’s life, much like Julius Caesar’s ghost, comes back to haunt him. Overall, Brutus is an honest, sincere man who holds the lives of others in high regard while he himself acts as a servant to Rome.
... for more ruling. This occurrence, that Caesar is surpassing his peers and creating a monopoly, is a very dangerous and serious threat. Cassius expresses his opinion by his statement, "Cassius. …but for my single self, I had lief not be as live to be in awe of such a thing as I myself. I was borne free as Caesar; so were you."(1,2,94-97) Cassius also shows that he sees that the Senate and senators are falling in power as Caesar is selfishly acquiring it.
...ation and well being of a country, people, and republic. “‘This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the conspirators save only he did that they did in envy of great Caesar; he, only in a general honest thought and common good to all, made one of them’”(998). Although a seemingly menacing traitor to his country at first, Brutus makes the journey to a sympathetic and noble tragic hero in the end.
In the play Julius Caesar, written and preformed by William Shakespeare, there are many characters, but two, Brutus and Cassius, stood out. The play begins in Rome where a celebration of Julius Caesar's victory over the former ruler of Rome, Pompeii. The victory leads to Caesar's betrayal by his jealous companions. Senators and other high status figures are jealous of Caesar's new and growing power, while others, like Brutus, fear the tyrannical rule Caesar could enforce. The conspirators, Brutus and Cassius being the most important, assassinate Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius, better known as Antony, and Octavius Caesar, Caesar's heir to the thrown, revenge Caesar's death. Antony convinces the Roman populous to destroy the conspirators and eventually begins a war with Cassius and Brutus' armies. Both Cassius and Brutus commit suicide to save their honor and Antony and Octavius win the war. The characterizations of Brutus and Cassius show a distinct contrast in their character traits and motives for the assassination of Julius Caesar.
He is so motivated by ambition that he decides to kill Caesar, the leader of Rome. Although dedication can be a good quality, in Cassius, it blinds him to all other things and makes him ruthless in his quest to rule Rome. Cassius’s desire for power is evident when he states, "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" (1.2.146-148). Cassius’ ambition leads him to go as far as to convince a dear friend with manipulation and false notes to help him plot to kill Caesar. His ambition makes him power hungry and he lacks the honor to back up his overzealous behavior. Cassius envies Caesar and because of this he resorts to bribery, assassinations, and imposing taxes for personal
...n remind us of ourselfs, and how we often try and fail. We see him lose his dear wife and continue warily onward. His only impetus seeming to be the love he feel towards his country. "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more." (948). In the end he has not only lost many companions, but he has lost his quintessent name. This will cause him to be judged forevermore, by many generations, and the realization that he has lost his good name is the culminating force that pushes him to end his life.
A tragic hero is the antithesis for the common protagonist. Most protagonists show how they overcome great obstacles however, the tragic hero shows a more humane character, that stumbles and falls. The tragic hero usually exhibits three specific traits that lead to his or her downfall. In the play, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the characters of Brutus and Caesar both exhibit the three attributes of a tragic character. The first trait of any tragic hero is a high rank and potential for greatness. Both Brutus and Caesar hold his trait, as they are beloved high ranking Romans. The second characteristic a tragic hero must possess; is a fatal flaw that dominates their personality, and Brutus’ sense of justice and Caesar’s ego, fulfill this
Ordering the death of a child. Destroying an army for personal reasons, and driving a husband and wife to suicide. These might sound like the acts of a movie villain, but they are acts perpetrated by Augustus Caesar. The last time I stood here, in front of you, we talked about Augustus Caesar and his abilities as a visionary leader. But “Visionary” and “Ethical” do not always go hand-in-hand. While Augustus was one of the greatest visionary leaders in history, I don’t believe anyone could ever accuse him of being ethical. Over the course of the next few minutes I’ll talk to you about the ethical traps from Course 14V6 that Augustus succumbed to: Ethical Relativism, and Drive For Success. I’ll then discuss how I’ve addressed each of these