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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help
act 1 starts out with a picture of how citizens are thought of in the whole play. they are seen as fickle and disloyal even. and they are also seen as being totally satisfied with their lot in life, going with their own vocations, not at all dissatisfied. this is crucial to play, because it shows that caesar's rule brought peace and stability to rome, measured by the civic condition of the common people.
then cassius hints at a conspiracy at brutus, and brutus understands, and expresses his willingness to hear more about the conspiracy. caesar is offered the crown, but he refuses. this can be seen as a smart political move on his part, to win public sympathy.
cassius elaborates caesar's human weaknesses, but not much attention can be paid to this, because it comes out as petty and shows cassius to be grudging and resentful of caesar, because caesar is in power. dawns light on cassius' real intentions of wanting to kill caesar.
there's the Lupercal thing, which shows caesarto be a privately superstitious man, but he refuses to hear what the soothsayer has to say, showing a difference between his private life and his public image.
then cassius expresses belief that he can win brutus over by appealing to his sense of honour. shows cassius to be a calculating man, but all the calculating will blow up in his face in later acts.how's that? want to talk more about caesar??????
Posted by nik noor tahirah on April 07, 1997 at 23:26:51
In Reply to "act 1 -julius caesar?" posted by justin on April 05, 1997 at 11:33:28
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 4.2.97: Top | Help