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Essay On Superstitions In Julius Caesar

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Essay On Superstitions In Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar is a play that is surrounded with superstitions. The definition of Superstition is excessively credulous beliefs in and reverence for the supernatural that you see. There is more Roman mythology and superstitions prominently in act one, scene three. Where you see Casca, who is afraid for his life because there is a terrible storm, and he fears that there is either a civil war in heaven or the world offended the gods. That is one out of many instances that happen throughout this play. Superstitions were a big part of Roman culture. Their whole life revolved around superstitions. For example, they believed that if a location had suffered the strike of a lightning bolt that it was considered a connection to the god Jupiter. It was considered a bad sign for lightning to strike something or someone. That’s why Casca was so afraid; because of the storm, he feared that they were doomed because the gods were upset with him. Because of this immense fear of the gods sending lightning as a warning they would perform rituals to rid of bad luck to keep the gods at peace. A big part of Roman culture was also omens. The omens are events of prophetic …show more content…
Because omens and superstitions determined the outcome of wars and political events, major leaders of Rome would normally call upon prophets to watch for signs “omens” to make sure that the specific event or war was blessed and approved of by the gods. All major decisions made were influenced by superstitions. If there was a war or a political matter, they would consult a prophet first to make sure it was safe to proceed with their plans. Roman laws and family life were also affected because of superstitions. The Roman family life was surrounded with superstitions and omens. For example, if a family member tripped over the doorstep of their own house, it was considered bad luck and they would stay at home the rest of the

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