I remember in Jr High memorizing (and I still can remember most of it) Mark Anthony's eulogy to Caesar ('Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.' It was powerful and was an early indicator for me of language's potential energy. “What a terrible era in which idiots govern the blind.” ― William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 1 Julius Caesar was one of my first Shakespeare loves. Not quite as good as seeing the play, but all the action is clear enough with minimal sound effects.Ī Piece of Work that Will Make Sick Men Whole. Performances were clear and dramatic in this production.
Brutus is clearly the protagonist, but I think Mark Antony wins it. As a tragedy, this is one of those Shakespearean plays where almost everyone ends up falling on a sword one way or the other. The conflicts are patriotism versus friendship, loyalty versus ideals, and the taint of self-interest always present in one's motives. Having just been informed of Caesar's death, and with the assassins having convinced the Roman public that they'd saved Rome from a tyrant, Mark Antony gives his famous speech which is a masterpiece of mob manipulation, turning them against the conspirators and in favor of the slain Caesar. Among the famous lines to which we owe this play: "Et tu, Brutus?" "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" "Cowards die many times before their deaths the valiant never taste of death but once." And "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." Mark Antony's speech is probably the highlight of the play. So, this is the famous play about the conspirators who assassinated Julius Caesar, fearing his ambition to become king. However, you also miss a lot if you aren't already familiar with the context and the Shakespearean language, because of course ol' Will packs a lot into every single line. I think that reading Shakespeare's plays does not do them justice - they aren't meant to be read, they are meant to be performed, and seen performed. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars
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