Julius Caesar theme essay

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In Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” Public vs. Private self is a reoccurring theme. Throughout the play, characters tend to view their public persona more important than their private persona. The characters all think they know what is best for Rome but in the end only put themselves on the path that leads straight to their death. 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...

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