Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in 1599. The play follows events that actually took place in ancient Rome in the first century B.C., but also reflects to some degree the realities of English life in the late sixteenth century, during what is known as the Elizabethan era. For his interpretation of the facts, Shakespeare seems to have drawn on Sir Thomas North's 1579 Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romanes. North's book was a translation of Plutarch' s Parallel Lives, a work originally written in Greek toward the end of the first century A.D. In particular, Shakespeare drew on Plutarch's articles about the lives of Caesar, Brutus, and Antony. In fact, some of the passages in Julius Caesar incorporate phrases that are very similar to those employed by Plutarch. While Plutarch provided a basis for some of the elements of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, there are several differences between the versions. For example, presumably for theatrical purposes, Shakespeare condensed the actions described by Plutarch a great deal. The play moves very quickly from scene to scene. Events that took place over the course of two years unfold in less than a month in Shakespeare's play. Moreover, the scene in which Cassius and Brutus first speak about Caesar is presented in much more detail by Shakespeare. Finally, the playwright added the speeches Brutus and Antony give to the Roman people after Caesar's death. Although primarily influenced by Plutarch's work, Julius Caesar represents Shakespeare' s dramatic interpretation of the events.
Caesar, Brutus, cassius, Antony, and Cleopatra were enticing figures in Renaissance England because the play allowed the Elizabethans to explore questions that otherwise might be considered taboo.
Caesar, Brutus, cassius, Antony, and Cleopatra were enticing figures in Renaissance England because the play allowed the Elizabethans to explore questions that otherwise might be considered taboo.
Ambition and Conflict: Caesar is a great man, and an ambitious man. His ambition is what worries Brutus, and ultimately leads to Brutus joining the conspiracy to murder Caesar. Cassius is also a very ambitious man, and because he is so jealous of Caesar's power, wishes to kill him to gain more power for himself. Ultimately, the ambition of these two men leads to their downfalls and to virtual anarchy in the streets of Rome. Great ambition leads to great conflict.
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