Illustrating Shakespeare William Shakespeare´s writing style is very different compared to other writers. Shakespeare emphasizes dreams and superstition throughout a few of his plays. Along with the superstition is foreshadowing and Shakespeare uses that a few times in the play. In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, superstition and the supernatural are illustrated in the Lupercal Festival, the Soothsayer's warning, and in Calpurnia's dream. In Julius Caesar Shakespeare illustrates the supernatural and superstition in a multitude of ways. At the Lupercal Festival, Caesar orders Antonius to touch Calpurnia during the race to make her fertile. Caesar explained to Antony that touching Calpurnia would be more important than the race itself, ¨Forget your speed Antonius, To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say The barren, touchéd in this holy chase, shake off their sterile curse¨ (Page 846). The people of Rome are superstitious about this because their ancestors said if you were touched by a runner in the race your sterile curse will be lifted. Shakespeare is showing superstition through the Lupercal festival with Antonius and Calpurnia. Shakespeare uses the Soothsayer to foreshadow the events at the Capitol. During Act I the …show more content…
Shakespeare draws in the audience with his many variations of foreshadowing. In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, superstition and the supernatural are illustrated in the Lupercal Festival, the Soothsayer's warning, and in Calpurnia's dream. Antony is to touch Calpurnia at the race based on a superstition. The Soothsayer foreshadows what happens to Caesar on the Ides of March. Calpurnia also dreams of what is to happen to Caesar. To conclude William Shakespeare provides different examples of superstition throughout his play, The Tragedy of Julius
The play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare showcases many characters and events that go through many significant changes. One particular character that went through unique changes was Julius Caesar. The 16th century work is a lengthy tragedy about the antagonists Brutus and Cassius fighting with the protagonists Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus over the murder of Julius Caesar. Although the play’s main pushing conflict was the murder of Julius Caesar, he is considered a secondary character, but a protagonist. Throughout the theatrical work Julius Caesar’s actions, alliances, character developments, and internal and external conflicts display his diverse changes. William Shakespeare retold a very unique event
Julius Caesar elected himself as the dictator of Rome. He became a favorite to many of the people of the lower classes. Unlike many leaders, Caesar valued the poor. Most people agreed with his decisions, but some of the higher classes’ did not. On March 15 44 BCE, now called the Ides of March, a few of Caesars’ closest peers decided to murder Caesar. Marcus Brutus killed Julius Caesar, on March 15.
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.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”. Elements of Literature. Ed. Deborah Appleman. 4th ed. Texas: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2009. 843-963.
Julius Caesar was born on July 13, 100 B.C. Though he was a descendent of the oldest patrician family, Julius Caesar grew up in a very poor district of Rome called Subura. As a child, he studied martial arts, history, and law (“Julius Caesar”). At the age of seventeen, Julius married Cornelia, the daughter of Luciussulla, who was a dictator of Rome. Because Luciussulla did not approve of the marriage, he tried to force the two to divorce, but they both refused. Julius Caesar studied philosophy and oratory in Greece. Soon after returning to Rome, Cornelia became pregnant. Named after her father, the baby’s name was Julia. Cornelia died in 68 B.C., leaving Caesar to care for their daughter (Gruen,12).
Expository Essay The decisions that one man makes can determine the length of life. Rome has many people that have the characteristics to be great leaders. Antony is a manipulative man, Brutus is an honorable man, and Octavius is a quiet strength. All three men would do an excellent job in leading Rome. Antony is a manipulative man. This is shown throughout the play in several cases, but most prominently at Caesar’s funeral. “I thrice presented him a kingly crown which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” (III, ii, 96-96). Antony is very cleaver in the way that he presents his case to the people. He uses rhetorical questioning to show the people that Caesar was in fact not ambitious.
Who would have been the best suited leader of Rome in sixth century B.C.? Many believe it could have been Marcus Antonius, Marcus Brutus, or the great Julius Caesar. Marcus Brutus is known to be the most honorable man in Rome at the time and was well respected. Caesar is the ruler and has a successful military. He also seeks wealth and power. Antony is Caesar’s right hand man and good friend. He later acquires the position that Caesar had and also seeks wealth and power. All three men are after the job, but Brutus is obviously the one who was most suited for it and also the only one who never got the chance.
By using just the right combination of words, or by coming up with just the right image, Shakespeare wrote many passages and entire plays that were so powerful, moving, tragic, comedic, and romantic that many are still being memorized and performed today, almost four centuries later. But the greatness of Shakespeare’s ability lies not so much in the basic themes of his works but in the creativity he used to write these stories of love, power, greed, discrimination, hatred, and tragedy.
The play begins with a festival celebrating Caesars victory in Pompey where a soothsayer warns Caesar to “beware the ides of March 1.2.25” but Caesar shows no fear and brushes the soothsayer off and says, “he is a dreamer. Let us leave him. 1.2.26” Caesars ego is too big and in the end his ego leads to his death. Instead of taking what the soothsayer said into consideration, he ignores his warning because “Caesar is more dangerous than he (danger). 2.2.45” In other words, Caesar acts brave and fearless and is unafraid of what fate may bring him, but as the audience sees later in the play, Caesar is actually afraid to go to the capitol BECAUSE it is the ides of March. Overall, this foreshadows the upcoming events in the play but also depicts how the m...
Ever wondered what it takes to be a good king or ruler? Julius Caesar is one of the most famous rulers of all time. He was one of Rome’s greatest and most powerful leaders. His changes to the empire helped take Rome to new levels of success. The life of Caesar was short, yet great. It is important to learn about this great man and his many accomplishments.
In all of Shakespeare's plays, there is a definitive style present, a style he perfected. From his very first play (The Comedy of Errors) to his very last (The Tempest), he uses unique symbolism and descriptive poetry to express and explain the actions and events he writes about. Twelfth Night, The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream are all tragicomedies that epitomise the best use of the themes and ideology that Shakespeare puts forth.
Another example of foreshadowing is the clues to the death of the Marquis St. Evremonde. The people that want a revolution hate the Marquis. “That I believe our name to be more detested then any name in France” from Charles Darnay to the Marquis (113). The Marquis hears this and reply’s “’A compliment’, said the Marquis, ‘to the grandeur of the family’”(showing that he is completely oblivious to what is going on in France)(113). This is foreshadowing that the people will probably punish the Marquis. The final event is when the Marquis’s coach ran over a child and he replied “’It is extraordinary to me, said he ‘ that you people cannot take care of yourselves and you children’”(102). Then Defarge throws his coin back into the carriage, showing his anger. This event angers the people, and is a key part in the foreshadowing of the Marquis’s death.
Superstition has been around almost since people first inhabited the earth. For this reason, it has played a main role in many classical pieces of literature. One of Shakespeare’s tragedies, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, is full of superstition and the supernatural. It contained so much superstition in order to foreshadow key events in the plot, to further develop characters, and to thrill and relate to the Elizabethan audience for whom the play was written.
Julius Caesar was the last leader of the Roman Republic. It is debated whether or not Caesar was a successful leader, however his influences on society then and society now are impossible to deny. Caesar is still relevant in modern society due to his tremendous influence on culture, language, military and political tactics, invention of a modern calendar, and his iconic representation of the Roman Empire.
William Shakespeare was a genius. Not only was he able to use the supernatural in his works to the fullest extent of Elizabethan belief, but he was skillful at molding the supernatural into remarkable assets to his plot. However, Elizabethan beliefs weren’t the only influences that shoved their way into the meanings of his plays. His whole outlook on life also played a major part in the way that he shaped the supernatural. Not only does his use of supernatural elements within his works reveal the Elizabethans’ obsession with mythical beliefs, but it also reveals his attitude toward these beliefs at different points of his career. His remarkable handling of the supernatural is on reason why William Shakespeare is generally regarded as the greatest writer of English literature.