Theme Of Power In Julius Caesar

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” Abraham Lincoln proclaimed this while speaking about how people use power for both good and evil. Power puts a leader in the position to either corrupt their character or improve on it. In Shakespeare’s, Julius Caesar, there are many major themes. Many characters find their normal personalities sabotaged when they have power, while the other major theme in this essay is how those who are effective orators can easily change the minds of a crowd.

The first major theme seen throughout Julius Caesar is on how easily a crowd can be swayed by an effective speaker. From the beginning, persuading and convincing was used to flip the ordinary minds of Rome.

Cassius starts the theme off by getting Brutus on the conspirators side. He says to Brutus, “That you have no such mirrors as will turn your hidden worthiness into your eyes that you might see your shadow. I have heard, where many of the best respects in Rome...Have wish’d that noble Brutus had his eyes”(1.2.55-61). Eventually, Cassius flatters Brutus enough to have the ambition to bring down Caesar and join him and the other. Not only did the main characters use effective speaking, but characters as small as Portia also do this. While trying to convince Brutus to tell her his secret plans, she says, “Tell me you counsels... I have made strong proof of my constancy, giving myself a voluntary wound here, in the thigh; can I bear that with patience. And not my husband’s secrets” (2.1.296-302). When Brutus gives in and shares his plans with Portia, the power she feels with this information leads right into the second main theme of this essay.
The second major theme of this essay is seen throughout Julius Caesar when power changes hands because the last ruler or leader let the power change them for the worse.

Like in the example in the paragraph above, Portia earns power by learning about Brutus’s plans to murder Caesar. She couldn’t keep his secret and shared his plans with other. Her power would eventually kill her in the end when she swallowed hot coals to keep her mouth shut (4.4.152-156). Another example of this takes place when Caesar ignores the warnings and omens of the conspirators plans to kill him because he feels he has so much power nothing can touch him. His first warning came from Calpurnia, who had a dream that said, “...my statue, which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, did run pure blood, and many lusty Romans came smiling and did bathe their hands in it”(2.2.76-79). This dream Calpurnia had was a omen of Caesar’s death, and the people of Rome gladly washed their hands in his blood. Then moments before his assassination Artemidorus tried to warn Caesar of the plans with a letter, but Caesar refused to read it saying he will deal with whatever pertains to himself last (3.1.6-9). This arrogance of feeling as much power as a god, would be the end for Julius Caesar. Cassius would also let power corrupt him. After killing Caesar, Cassius used his power, and take bribes for positions(4.3.79-82). Both Cassius and Brutus let the power get to their heads, even when Brutus claimed to murder Caesar

for the good of Rome.
As a final point, with power, comes choices and actions which can change a person for better or for worse, and great orators have the power to sway a crowd, creating a potentially, dangerous mob. These themes are only two of the many major themes in Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar. Now take this current day situation into consideration: Will America let an effective orator such as Donald Trump, sway them so easily for votes? Will Donald Trump as president then use this power to corrupt himself and America?