William Shakespeare's Ideas About Order, Rules, and Authority in Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare's Ideas About Order, Rules, and Authority in Julius Caesar

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and in the years before and

after it, the concept of order was a very important one. This was

illustrated by Tillyard, a twentieth century writer, in a description

of 'The Great Chain of Being', a six rank order of the universe

according to Elizabethans. At the very top of the chain was God, then

angels. Man followed, as he had existence, life, feeling, and

understanding and so was above other creatures. At the very bottom of

the Great Chain of Being, came those things that had mere existence-

inanimate objects such as elements, liquids, and metals. Water was

seen as nobler than earth, and gold, predictably more noble than lead,

but these objects were regarded as inferior.

Roman society, much earlier on, also had very strong ideas about order

in the universe. The play Julius Caesar considers a man who is seen to

go beyond his place in the order of existence. Julius Caesar appears

to want to be King, although this was not his right by birth. Order

plays an important part in Julius Caesar from the very first scene of

the play, which was referred to as 'a brilliant and daring opening

scene' by Frank Kermode (see bibliography). Marullus and Flavius, two

Tribunes (higher than commoners, otherwise known as plebeians) berate

the plebeians for their fickleness in welcoming Caesar, who has gained

power by fighting with fellow Romans. From a piece of verse spoken by

Marullus (who the audience later learns has, with Flavius, been 'put

to silence'), the audience is given a specific idea of the ranking

order within Rome. Plebeian...

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...nceps' ('chief one'),

calling into doubt Antony's true authority in Rome.

In conclusion, Shakespeare uses the historical setting of Julius

Caesar to display view of power and authority in a way which is still

relevant to modern society, and all societies throughout history.

Verse is used to signify authority, and many metaphors are also

included, such as serpents:

'And therefore think him as a serpent's egg

Which hatch'd, would, as his kind grow mischievous;

And kill him in the shell.'

Many are taken from the great chain of being prevalent in Elizabeth

I's reign, most notably the description of a ladder in AII, si:

'Lowliness is young ambition's ladder'

The interpretation of this play is tempered by Elizabethan ideals and

beliefs of the time, but Roman honour is still a major part of the

play.