Should the Title of Shakespeare's Play "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" Be Changed?
- Submitted by: fergusonk
- Views: 523
- Category: English: Shakespeare
- Date Submitted: 11/28/2013 01:27 PM
- Pages: 3
- Report this Essay
Should the title of Shakespeare’s play really be “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”?
Though some people believe the title of Shakespeare’s famous play Julius Caesar should be changed to something like: The Tragedy of Marcus Brutus or the Tragedy of Cassius the Conspirator, Julius Caesar is the person everyone seems to be talking about throughout the entire play. Caesar is also the reason behind the national tragedy of Rome, he is present in the play after his death as a ghost, is a major political leader, the reason why Brutus and Cassius died, supplies the struggle of the conspirators, and his power and existence changed everyone’s life. These are some of the major reasons Shakespeare named the play Julius Caesar.
Even if you think Julius Caesar isn’t about Caesar’s personal tragedy, you could still say it’s about the national tragedy of Rome, which revolves around Caesar. Although Julius Caesar won many important battles, he was the one starting these devastating battles and is considered a tyrant by most people because of the way he changed Rome and how it was ruled. Caesar made himself look better than everyone else, leading to many Romans to feel too far below him. In the play, Cassius explained to Brutus how Caesar truly was: “How he did shake ‘Tis true, this god did shake! / His coward lips did from their colour fly... (I, II, 123-134).
Secondly, after Caesars death in Act three, his spirit still seems present throughout the play. This is especially noted when Caesar’s ghost appears to Brutus, and Caesar mentions how he will be at the battle, or when the conspirators talk to Caesar’s ghost about their downfall: “O Julius Caesar” declares Brutus, “thou art mighty yet! / Thy spirit walks abroad” (5.5.3). Caesar’s spirit not only lives on throughout the course of history but also throughout the rest of Shakespeare’s play.
Thirdly, even if Brutus or Cassius seem like the tragic hero in the play, that doesn’t mean the play has to be named after them. William...
Though some people believe the title of Shakespeare’s famous play Julius Caesar should be changed to something like: The Tragedy of Marcus Brutus or the Tragedy of Cassius the Conspirator, Julius Caesar is the person everyone seems to be talking about throughout the entire play. Caesar is also the reason behind the national tragedy of Rome, he is present in the play after his death as a ghost, is a major political leader, the reason why Brutus and Cassius died, supplies the struggle of the conspirators, and his power and existence changed everyone’s life. These are some of the major reasons Shakespeare named the play Julius Caesar.
Even if you think Julius Caesar isn’t about Caesar’s personal tragedy, you could still say it’s about the national tragedy of Rome, which revolves around Caesar. Although Julius Caesar won many important battles, he was the one starting these devastating battles and is considered a tyrant by most people because of the way he changed Rome and how it was ruled. Caesar made himself look better than everyone else, leading to many Romans to feel too far below him. In the play, Cassius explained to Brutus how Caesar truly was: “How he did shake ‘Tis true, this god did shake! / His coward lips did from their colour fly... (I, II, 123-134).
Secondly, after Caesars death in Act three, his spirit still seems present throughout the play. This is especially noted when Caesar’s ghost appears to Brutus, and Caesar mentions how he will be at the battle, or when the conspirators talk to Caesar’s ghost about their downfall: “O Julius Caesar” declares Brutus, “thou art mighty yet! / Thy spirit walks abroad” (5.5.3). Caesar’s spirit not only lives on throughout the course of history but also throughout the rest of Shakespeare’s play.
Thirdly, even if Brutus or Cassius seem like the tragic hero in the play, that doesn’t mean the play has to be named after them. William...