Julius Caesar Conflicting Perspectives Analysis
Julius Caesar – Exam notes
Julius Caesar (Act 1 Scene 1 – and other aspects of the text)
Conflicting Perspectives. What are they? I’m here to explain to you the conflicting perspectives of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ and Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘The Dictator’. Both texts explore conflicting perspectives which are conveyed through their leading characters. Within these two textual forms, Shakespeare and Cohen use linguistic features such as emotive language, simile and prose to delve into the motives of each character and what has caused them to contradict each other.
The opening scene of ‘Julius Caesar’ introduces Flavius and Murellus (tribunes) who are angry at the commoners on the street for celebrating the return of Caesar after …show more content…
his defeat of Pompey. The different attitudes towards the Plebeians between Flavius and Murellus show the audience the first set of conflicting perspectives within the play. Whilst Murellus chastises the commoners for not paying respect to Pompey and being “cruel men of Rome”, Flavius is more concerned with his personal malevolent feelings towards Caesar. This is shown when he says “Disrobe the images if you do find them deck’d with ceremonies”. Flavius refers to Caesar as being like a bird “These growing feathers pluck’d from Caesar’s wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch”. This use of metaphor reveals Flavius’ jealousy of Caesar and the power he holds. These introductory perspectives foreshadow Brutus and Cassius’ later conflict regarding the reasoning for Caesars murder.
Alike Murellus, Brutus’ feelings and actions are from a noble and honourable perspective.
This is highlighted in his funeral speech in Act 3. Brutus speaks in prose to the Plebeians and tries to present a reasonable argument for killing Caesar. He believes that by killing Caesar he is doing his country a great deed and that it is not for any personal hatred for Caesar but for his love of Rome. “Not that I love Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”. His motives are patriotic and for that he is presented as ‘an honourable man’ and given leeway for his murderous actions. Contrary to Brutus’ honourable motives, Cassius conspires to murder Caesar to satisfy his envy for him. He’s jealous! This is conveyed during Act 1 Scene 2 when Cassius almost loses his temper, describing Caesar as a ‘sick girl’. Cassius is shocked that someone who can become sick and ask for help can also be viewed as a God. “It doth amaze me; a man of such feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear the palm alone”. Cassius’ jealousy of Caesar is outlined when he refers to Caesar as a Colossus “Like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs”. Shakespeare’s use of simile to describe Caesar ‘like a Colossus’ reveals Cassius’ negative attitude and jealousy towards Caesar. Through the use of linguistic features such as dramatic/emotive language, prose and simile, Shakespeare is able to differentiate between the conflicting perspectives of Brutus and Cassius in his play
‘Julius Caesar’.
A similar theme of conflicting perspectives is explored in Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘The Dictator’. ‘The Dictator’ is a humorous ‘mockumentary’ about Admiral General Aladeen, a childish, misogynistic dictator who risks his life to avoid the acceptance of democracy in his beloved fictional country Wadiya. Conflicting perspectives are explored through the leading characters General Aladeen and Nadal, the former nuclear weapons manager in Wadiya. Throughout the majority of the movie, Aladeen shares the same perspective as Nadal. That is an anti-democratic view. Aladeen believes that keeping his country as a dictatorship will be better (mainly for himself) but also for the people of his country. Nadal wants Wadiya to remain a dictatorship as it will build his own power. Whilst Nadal’s views are egotistical and power hungry, Aladeen believes that his views are patriotic and truly for the love of his country.
Julius Caesar (Act 1 Scene 1 – and other aspects of the text)
Conflicting Perspectives. What are they? I’m here to explain to you the conflicting perspectives of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ and Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘The Dictator’. Both texts explore conflicting perspectives which are conveyed through their leading characters. Within these two textual forms, Shakespeare and Cohen use linguistic features such as emotive language, simile and prose to delve into the motives of each character and what has caused them to contradict each other.
The opening scene of ‘Julius Caesar’ introduces Flavius and Murellus (tribunes) who are angry at the commoners on the street for celebrating the return of Caesar after …show more content…
his defeat of Pompey. The different attitudes towards the Plebeians between Flavius and Murellus show the audience the first set of conflicting perspectives within the play. Whilst Murellus chastises the commoners for not paying respect to Pompey and being “cruel men of Rome”, Flavius is more concerned with his personal malevolent feelings towards Caesar. This is shown when he says “Disrobe the images if you do find them deck’d with ceremonies”. Flavius refers to Caesar as being like a bird “These growing feathers pluck’d from Caesar’s wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch”. This use of metaphor reveals Flavius’ jealousy of Caesar and the power he holds. These introductory perspectives foreshadow Brutus and Cassius’ later conflict regarding the reasoning for Caesars murder.
Alike Murellus, Brutus’ feelings and actions are from a noble and honourable perspective.
This is highlighted in his funeral speech in Act 3. Brutus speaks in prose to the Plebeians and tries to present a reasonable argument for killing Caesar. He believes that by killing Caesar he is doing his country a great deed and that it is not for any personal hatred for Caesar but for his love of Rome. “Not that I love Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”. His motives are patriotic and for that he is presented as ‘an honourable man’ and given leeway for his murderous actions. Contrary to Brutus’ honourable motives, Cassius conspires to murder Caesar to satisfy his envy for him. He’s jealous! This is conveyed during Act 1 Scene 2 when Cassius almost loses his temper, describing Caesar as a ‘sick girl’. Cassius is shocked that someone who can become sick and ask for help can also be viewed as a God. “It doth amaze me; a man of such feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear the palm alone”. Cassius’ jealousy of Caesar is outlined when he refers to Caesar as a Colossus “Like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs”. Shakespeare’s use of simile to describe Caesar ‘like a Colossus’ reveals Cassius’ negative attitude and jealousy towards Caesar. Through the use of linguistic features such as dramatic/emotive language, prose and simile, Shakespeare is able to differentiate between the conflicting perspectives of Brutus and Cassius in his play
‘Julius Caesar’.
A similar theme of conflicting perspectives is explored in Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘The Dictator’. ‘The Dictator’ is a humorous ‘mockumentary’ about Admiral General Aladeen, a childish, misogynistic dictator who risks his life to avoid the acceptance of democracy in his beloved fictional country Wadiya. Conflicting perspectives are explored through the leading characters General Aladeen and Nadal, the former nuclear weapons manager in Wadiya. Throughout the majority of the movie, Aladeen shares the same perspective as Nadal. That is an anti-democratic view. Aladeen believes that keeping his country as a dictatorship will be better (mainly for himself) but also for the people of his country. Nadal wants Wadiya to remain a dictatorship as it will build his own power. Whilst Nadal’s views are egotistical and power hungry, Aladeen believes that his views are patriotic and truly for the love of his country.