Theme Of Jealousy In Julius Caesar

Cassius’ jealousy is shown at the Feast of Lupercal and on the night of the storm. The first appearance of Cassius is in a public place on the Feast of Lupercal. During the festivities of the day, Cassius and Brutus have a conversation about Caesar. Cassius says, “Men at some time are masters of their fate; / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves, that we are underlings” (I.ii.139-141). Cassius is jealous of a higher power. He states explicitly that the flaw of all people is their comfort in being “underlings”. Cassius emphasizes that allowing a higher power forces men to abandon the control they have over their fate. On the night of the storm, Cicero and Casca are talking in the street when Cassius comes across them. They talk about the storm that Cassius goes on to compare to Caesar. Cassius says, “Now I could,

Cassius also directly compares himself to Caesar. Cassius clearly considers Caesar to be no better than he is, and therefore he is jealous. Later in this conversation, Cassius again speaks of Caesar. Cassius says, “And why should Caesar be a tyrant then? / Poor man, I know that he would be not a wolf / But that he sees the Romans are but sheep; / He were no lion, were not the Roman hinds” (I.iii.103-106). Cassius uses four metaphors in this speech. He compares the Romans to sheep and female deer, and he compares Caesar to a wolf and a lion. Caesar only has power because the people allow him to. If people fought back and weren’t such sheep, he would not be the wolf. If people weren’t as easily dominated as female deer, he would be no lion. Cassius is crediting Caesar’s strength to the weakness of the people. Cassius clearly doesn’t believe Caesar deserves the power he has and is jealous of Caesar’s power. On multiple occasions during the Feast of Lupercal and on the night of the storm, Cassius’ jealousy is