Julius Caesar Literary Elements

Tragedy

English

The play is set in Rome in 44 BC.

There is no singular point of view expressed in the play, but the narrative closely follows the thoughts and emotions of Brutus as he struggles with his decision of whether to support or betray Caesar, and then the aftermath of what his decision brings.

The tone of the play is anxious and desperate. The mood of the play is bleak and doomed.

There is no discernible protagonist or antagonist in the play, as characters' differing perceptions often cloud the audience's ability to separate them into particular camps. Cassius is likely a contender for antagonist, as he expresses envy and murderousness toward Caesar from the play's start. Brutus and Antony are both types of protagonists, as they inspire the audience's sympathy and support throughout.

The major conflict in the play is that the senators, convinced Caesar's rise to power will only hurt Rome, conspire to assassinate him, which leads to civil war.

While the precise climax of the play is up for debate, the clearest climax occurs in Act Three, when the senators stab an unwitting Caesar to death. Caesar looks at Brutus and says, "et tu, Brute?" meaning "you too, Brutus?" before dying. The remainder of the play explores the consequences of Caesar's murder.

Foreshadowing plays a central role in the play, especially preceding Caesar's death. Omens, the soothsayer's warning about the Ides of March, and Calpurnia's vivid dream about her husband all foreshadow the senators' plan to murder him.

Antony uses understatement throughout his eulogy for Caesar as a way to imply to the audience that the conspiratorial senators are not at all honorable without explicitly saying so.

Shakespeare's plays usually contain many allusions to ancient Greek and Rome, and Julius Caesar – which is set in this exact period of history – is no exception. In the play, characters often allude to other Roman military generals (like Pompey) as well as to important figures like Aeneas, who is credited with the founding of the city. There are also many allusions to ancient Greece, which predated the Roman empire.

Imagery plays a crucial role in language of the play. Some important examples of imagery include animals, weather, omens, and violence.

The central paradox of the play is that the plot to assassinate Caesar, which was supposed to usher in newfound peace to Rome, actually leads to civil war.

In their eulogies, which occur one after the other, Brutus and Antony appear as parallel characters – both were friends of Caesar, but Brutus chose to betray him in order to, he presumed, save the Roman people from a tyrant. Notably, Brutus's eulogy is written in prose while Antony's is in verse, lending Antony's more rhetorical flair (which explains why the crowd sides largely with Antony).

Throughout the play, animals are personified to signify the predatory or victimized behavior of characters, usually Caesar. At the beginning of the play, for example, Cassius compares Caesar to a lion who is only a lion because the Roman people make such easy "hinds," or deer. Conversely, after the senators stab Caesar to death, Antony compares Caesar himself to a slaughtered deer. The personification of various animals throughout the play helps emphasize certain characters' perception of Caesar's role in Rome.

The play makes use of a number of early modern theatrical devices including dramatic irony, supernatural intervention, asides, and enhanced rhetoric. Antony's eulogy for Caesar has become a famous and thoroughly-studied example of rhetorical skill, as it is dramatic and persuasive at the same time it criticizes the very men he purports to revere.