OPPapers.com

Tradegedy Of Julius Caesar

In act 1, Shakespeare establishes the character and their motivation that lead to the death of Caesar. How does Shakespeare do this?

Shakespeare's ‘Julius Caesar' is based on the power struggles and personalities that surrounded the assassination of Julius Caesar. The different characters of Cassius and Brutus lead them eventually to each want the death of Caesar whose arrogance threatens to make him take the opportunity of becoming emperor of Rome. The first Act establishes the nobility and innocence of Brutus who is drawn into a conspiracy by the scheming of Cassius, whose plan is to supplant the ambitious Caesar for personal not political reasons.

Cassius is very jealous of Caesar and wants to have the power that Caesar has. Cassius tries to persuade Brutus to believe that Caesar is selfish and untrustworthy. Cassius knew that Brutus was loyal to Caesar at the time, and feared that Brutus alongside Caesar would be a force. Cassius was very intelligent to persuade Brutus. Cassius says that Caesar: "hears no music," which tells us that he is not evil, but has a lack of inner harmony and could never be satisfied. Cassius is a very envious of Caesars position and fearful of what Rome might become if Caesar becomes the king. "He doth bestride the narrow world / like a Colossus and we petty men / walk under his huge legs and peep about / to find ourselves dishonourable graves"

Cassius had many motives for the killing of Julius Caesar. One of Cassius's motives was his greed for power. Cassius believed that he should have as much power as Julius Caesar. Cassius was also worried that if Julius Caesar had been king he would lose all of his power and become another regular citizen of Rome. Cassius showed his greed for power when he would always talk about how Caesar would get so much power and he was treated like he was nothing. Cassius was also motivated to kill Julius Caesar because of his reputation. Cassius believed that Julius Caesar had a better...