Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: Characters, Themes, and Rhetoric

Flavius

A Roman tribune who, along with Murellus, scolds commoners for celebrating Caesar rather than mourning Pompey.

Murellus

A nobleman who views the plebeians as fickle and "hard-hearted" for forgetting their previous loyalty to Pompey.

The Soothsayer

A fortune-teller who provides the primary foreshadowing of the play by telling Caesar to "Beware the ides of March".

Brutus

A high-ranking, honorable Roman who loves Caesar personally but fears his ambition will destroy the Republic.

Julius Caesar

The military leader of Rome who is offered a crown three times but suffers from physical weaknesses like epilepsy and deafness in one ear.

Cassius

The lead conspirator who uses manipulation, forged letters, and stories of Caesar's weakness to recruit Brutus.

Casca

A cynical Roman who reports how Caesar "swooned" and fell down when offered the crown at the Lupercal festival.

Cicero

A well-known Roman senator and orator who speaks with Casca during the terrifying storm in Scene iii.

Calpurnia

Caesar's wife, whom Caesar wants Antony to touch during the Lupercal race to cure her "sterile curse".

Cinna

A conspirator tasked by Cassius with planting forged letters where Brutus will find them to sway his opinion.

Mark Antony

A vibrant, athletic, and fiercely loyal supporter of Caesar who offers him the crown during the games.

Octavius

The adopted son and heir of Julius Caesar, who is traveling toward Rome as the conflict begins.

The Commoners' Purpose

They are in the street to celebrate Caesar's "triumph" over the sons of Pompey, a former Roman leader.

The Tribune's Punishment

Flavius and Murellus are "put to silence" (removed from office or killed) for removing decorations from Caesar's statues.

The Lupercal Ritual

Caesar asks Antony to touch Calpurnia during the race so she can become fertile and provide him an heir.

Brutus's Internal War

Brutus tells Cassius he has been "with himself at war," meaning he is torn between his friendship with Caesar and his duty to Rome.

Caesar's Swimming Weakness

Cassius tells a story of Caesar challenging him to swim the Tiber on a stormy day and crying "Help me, Cassius, or I sink!".

Caesar's Fever in Spain

Cassius mocks Caesar for shaking and crying for water "as a sick girl" when he had a fever while at war.

Caesar's "Lean and Hungry Look"

Caesar tells Antony he distrusts Cassius because he "reads much," "thinks too much," and "seldom smiles".

The Refusal of the Crown

Caesar refused the crown three times; each time he did so, the crowd cheered, which seemingly caused Caesar's seizure.

The Figuative Tempest

The literal storm in Scene iii represents the "unnatural" civil war and the conspiracy brewing against the head of state.

The Senators' Plan

The senators intend to establish Caesar as king in the Capitol on the day after the storm.

Cassius's Suicide Threat

Cassius tells Casca he will wear a dagger to the Capitol to "deliver himself from bondage" if Caesar becomes king.Rhetoric & Key QuotesParallelism in Act I, Scene ii The use of repeating structures like "Write them together... Sound them... Weigh them..." to show Brutus and Caesar are equals.

Anaphora in Act I, Scene i

The repetition of "Then they came for..." to emphasize the systematic and unstoppable nature of a rising tyrant.

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars..."

Cassius explains that their low status as "underlings" is their own fault for not taking action against Caesar.

"Set honour in one eye and death i'th' other..."

Brutus declares that he will face death indifferently as long as his actions are for the "general good" and honor.

"These growing feathers plucked from Caesar's wing..."

Flavius uses this metaphor to explain that removing Caesar's support will keep him from "soaring" into tyranny.

"Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!"

Cassius uses an Apostrophe (addressing the city) to lament that Romans are no longer brave enough to resist one-man rule.

The Aeneas Allusion

Cassius compares himself to the hero Aeneas carrying his father Anchises out of Troy to show he is Caesar's savior, not his inferior.

Queen Elizabeth Context

Shakespeare included the fear of a power struggle because Queen Elizabeth was elderly and had no direct heir to the throne.