Julius Caesar is one of the most engaging tragedies by William Shakespeare.The dramatis personae are Caesar, his wife Calphurnia, Marcus Brutus, Caius Cassius, Marcus Antonius and Octavius.
The story is thus.Its the feast of Lupercal.Caesar has returned triumphant from Spain.While celebrations are on the common people are censured for supporting Caesar.After the rituals are over, Caesar is offered the crown of Rome.Not only does he not accept it, he faints too.A soothsayer from the crowd asks Caesar to be careful of March 15th.
Cassius, an old adversary of Caesar tries to turn noble Brutus against Caesar.He talks of his grandiosity and infirmity.Brutus doesn’t know what to say.Cassius gets his friends to talk ill of Caesar too.Brutus is stoic by nature and very honourable.He really doesn’t know what to do.
The 15th of March arrives.Cassius does all thats in his power to win over Brutus.Cassius visits Caesar with his friends to take him to the senate.Before the group arrives Decius is sent to convince Caesar that all the ill omens are actually in favour of him.The egoistic Caesar believes him.
In the senate an old matter is broached.It gets Caesar all excited and conceited.While he is waxing eloquent on himself, Casca stabs him.The others including Brutus follow.He receives 64 wounds in all.
Brutus speaks from the public pulpit about Caesar before his funeral.In a glaring oversight, he allows Mark Antony to speak after him.The crowd loves Brutus’ talk but Mark Antony plays to the galleries.Cassius and Brutus are forced to flee Rome.Antony forms a triumvarate with Caesar’s nephew Octavius and Lepidus.The threesome defeat Brutus’s men in Phillipi.Both Brutus and Cassius commit harakiri.
A few things here.Caesar was a great military man but a poor judge of human beings.Brutus was the only honourable one among them.Antony was the practical one.All except Brutus were jealous of Caesar.The tragedy of JC is that of noble Brutus being led to doom by his idealism, his stoicism and his inablity to be worldlywise when required.