An Analysis of Julius Caesar: His Personality and Legacy

William Shakespeare finished and published the play Julius Caesar in 1623, which was 391 years ago. The events catalogued within date to 44 B.C., which was 2057 years ago. In that time, the legend of Caesar has ingrained itself in the minds and political machines of every people on Earth.

We need look no further than the name "Caesar" for the extent of the reach the concept of such a man has attained. In nearly every language on Earth, one word sounds similar, no matter how different the culture or the politics. The Russians had a Tsar from 1547 to 1918. The Germans had a Kaiser from 1871 to 1918. The Ottomans had a Qaisar from 1453 to 1922, and these words and titles all directly translate to Caesar.

In the Tragedy Julius Caesar, the character of Caesar only speaks 1135 words, which is 5.9% of the total words spoken in the play. The astute reader will notice that this is quite a small percentage considering the title character is the one that we are discussing. This is simply because Caesar is not a major character in his own play. He sets the events in motion, but other than that, his presence simply exists in the background as a powerful symbol through the duration of his life and death.

As a symbol, Caesar is multifaceted. To some he is a coward “Ye gods, it doth amaze me, A man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world, and bear the palm alone.” (1.2.129). To others he is an ambitious rival “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things! O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, Knew you not Pompey?” (1.1.39). To a few, he is even a friend “He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man.” (3.2.91). However, to all he is a god...

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...s, the rabble is soon lost in their own mundane monotony. That was the problem with Caesar. In private, he was a meek and nervous man who was epileptic and hypoglycemic. Putting on a persona can only last so long. Soon enough, cracks in the façade start to creep through. In addition, in some cruel twist of fate, even if the masses have loved a showman his entire life, the second he dies, no one cares. Now, one should never use absolutes, but after the “Great Leader” Joseph Stalin of the USSR died, his right hand men quickly reversed all of his policies. So it was with Caesar. In the end, he himself became opium for the masses, and his death was merely the ending of another game.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, William Rosen, and Barbara Rosen. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar: With New Dramatic Criticism and an Updated Bibliography. New York: Penguin, 1987. Print.