The Sunday News
Charles Dube
JULIUS Caesar, by William Shakespeare, is back again as an O-level Literature set book. Current Form Threes are studying the text. Today’s discussion might be of help to them as it sums up the whole story, albeit in a simplified way. Students need to read and understand the story in order to enjoy it. Agreed, students struggle to understand Shakespeare’s language, but they have to try as much as possible to follow the teacher’s guidance which starts with an effective introduction.
An effective introduction from the teacher includes giving a brief background of the writer, a summary of the story, significant parts of the story as well as key quotations. The enthusiasm of the teacher to the story will translate to the students. In other words teachers should enjoy the story first then the students will follow suit. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is quite interesting because it has a main problem or struggle.
Once the students understand the story, obviously they will enjoy it. But what quality attracts us to certain stories, whether they are true stories or fiction? What keeps us reading these stories even when we should be attending to other business or delay our sleeping time? Some scholars have the answer for us which are also prevalent in the text Julius Caesar — conflict. Conflict is referred to as the energy of a story. It is conflict, or struggle, that gives any story its energy and makes it interesting. John Leggett gives us some common types of conflicts from which we can fit in the conflict in Julius Caesar. There is conflict between two characters. A conflict between a character and a group or a whole society. There could be a conflict between two groups or cultures, a conflict between a character and a natural force or event. In addition to these there could be a conflict between a character and something in himself or herself: perhaps fear, shyness, homesickness, or an inability to make a decision.
The first four items are examples of external conflict. In an external conflict a character struggles with an outside force. A conflict that takes place within a character’s mind, like the one when Brutus is torn between joining the conspiracy against Caesar or not, is called an internal conflict. Together with citing some other parts of the play or story to create interest on the students to read ahead of lessons, teachers can make reference to the following most famous quotations from Julius Caesar.
In Act One Caesar has an encounter with the Soothsayer. As Caesar passes through the crowd, the Soothsayer cries out to him asking him to, “Beware the ides of March.” Caesar dismisses the Soothsayer as a dreamer and continues on. It is critical at this juncture to mention that Caesar’s encounter with the Soothsayer foreshadows his assassination in the senate by the conspirators. Caesar’s arrogance drove him not to pay much attention to the Soothsayer’s warning.
We might as well talk about the meeting between Cassius and Brutus in the same Act. When Caesar and his entourage have left, Cassius remains with Brutus and grabs the opportunity to present the best argument to convince Brutus, his friend and brother-in-law to team up with him and other conspirators to assassinate Julius Caesar. Cassius asks if Brutus can see his face, and when Brutus says the eye cannot see itself other than through reflection Cassius accepts that it is true and regrettable. He says he will therefore be Brutus’ mirror and will show him his real worth.
Brutus reveals he has concerns for the state. “If it is for the good of the state one side and death on the other, then I will consider both impartially.” However, Brutus does not commit outright to join the conspiracy though Cassius is convinced that Brutus is almost won to their side. Cassius is cunning as he cooks a petition, pretending it is from angry citizens demanding Caesar’s ouster from power and he throws it in Brutus’ window.
Another part of interest which could excite and inspire students to read on is Antony’s speech when he addresses the crowd soon after the murder of Caesar in Act Three of the play. Antony says: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I came to bury Caesar not to praise him. The evil, that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones, so let it be with Caesar.” Antony turns the people of Rome against Brutus and the other conspirators.
After Brutus addresses the Plebians and successfully convinces them that Caesar’s murder was necessary to preserve their freedom, Antony delivers his cleverly crafted speech in defence of Caesar while making sure not to condemn Brutus and the rest of the conspirators. Antony’s speech is punctuated by a lot of ironical statements because he does not want to be openly seen condemning Brutus and others. However, Antony argues that Caesar had no plan to turn Rome into a dictatorship.
He reminds the crowd of the good done by Caesar. “He hath brought many captives home in Rome, whose ransom did the general coffers fill: You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” All this was not close to any form of dictatorship. When Caesar is stabbed by the conspirators, he is alarmed to see Brutus being one of them. His dying words are: “Et tu, Brute? Then fall Caesar!”
The conspirators gather around Caesar and he sees his trusted friend Brutus among them. Stunned that Brutus is among his assassins, Caesar cries out, “and you too, Brutus?” This is an important line in the story because it sets Brutus apart from the other conspirators. It is clear that Brutus’ accomplices had committed a heinous crime but with Caesar’s final words we recognise that the self-sacrificing and noble Brutus has perpetrated the same terrible crime so his motivation is rendered immaterial. For that moment, Brutus the idealist becomes the murderer.
It should be noted at the opening of the play that the tribunes, Flavius and Marullus are very angry that the working class of Rome gather to celebrate Caesar’s victory, while forgetting Pompey, the Roman hero who was killed in battle.
This hostility toward Caesar serves to introduce the deep political divide that becomes the central issue in the play. Brutus and others were for Republicanism and opposed Caesar, a monarchist.
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