1. “Romans countrymen, and
lovers,hear me
for my cause, and be silent, that
you hear.
Believe me for mine honour, ande
have respect
To mine honour ”
JULIUS
CAESAR
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1599)

2. The plot
• First act:
In 44 B.C. Julius Caesar defeats his rival.
• Second act:
Brutus decides to kill Caesar.
• Third act:
Caesar is assassinated, eventually Antony
gives his funeral oration.
• Fourth act:
A military dictatorship succeeds the rule
of Caesar
• Fifth act:
Brutus and Cassius committ suicide.

3. Julius Caesar: the title character
Julius Caesar:
•Protagonist of the play
•Focus of the discussion
•Reason for the revange
•Julius Caesar: past;
conspiracy: future and desire
for freedom

4. The characters
• Brutus:Roman nobleman
with sense of principles
and nobility, power of
words
• Antony: Roman nobleman
with charm, more pratical
than Brutus and a subtler
political mentality,power
of words

5. The rhetoric of politics
• Rhetoric:maker of history,irony and rhetoric forms are
ideological-political values in persuading,convincing

6. Ambition in public man
• Ambition:problem
of goodness and
honestly in people
having public roles
(for this reason
Antony defeats the
“clever”Brutus)

7. Julius Caesar: the mirror of the
Elizabethan order
• Order not only political or
social
• Universe ruled by
benevolent God
• King’s right from God
• Everyone linked together
by a chain
• Cassius’s jealousy
destroys the divine
harmony

8. The power of monarchy
• Historical play about a
political assassination
• Historical plays were
popular at
Shakespeare’s time
• Nowadays democracy,
Shakespeare’s time
strong rulers