The Assassination Of Julius Caesar Outline Essay
George Urakhchin
English per. 2
5/7/2006
Full Sentence Outline: Julius Caesar
I. Introduction
A. The background of the assassination of Julius Caesar is given here.
1. According to Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was assassinated by the crime of Tyrannicide.
a. Tyrannicide is the act of becoming a tyrant.
b. At that time, Rome was a democracy ran by the Senate.
c. The assassinators, according to Shakespeare, did their crime to preserve the nation's democratic rule.
B. The quick outline of Shakespeare's play itself is given here.
1. Everybody "[bows] to Caesar", and they love Caesar, and even offer him the crown (Parenti 5).
2. Brutus is threatened by Caesar's rising power and the potential of a monarchy.
3. Brutus and others plan the assassination of Caesar.
4. …show more content…
After Caesar's death, the people "[hail] Brutus for saving them from tyranny" (Parenti 5).
5. And, "only in the next breath [the people are] swayed by Antony" (Parenti 5).
6. Shakespeare depicts the people of Rome "as a mindless aggregation easily led by hither and thither" (Parenti 5). This is just a minor example of Shakespeare's inaccurate exaggeration of Rome.
C. The thesis goes here.
D. Why did Shakespeare inaccurately depict certain aspects of Rome?
1. "Fictional representations of history do not usually strive for accuracy, their primary goal being to entertain rather than educate" (Parenti 4).
2. Shakespeare wrote this play during the 40-year reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
a. The story is about a yet-to-be dictator/monarch, Julius Caesar. He wants to write a story that would connect to his present time - the monarchy of the Queen.
1) The queen's age of sixty-six meant her reign has been nearing to the end, "yet she lacked any heirs, (as did Julius Caesar)," and "many feared that her death would plunge England" (Sparknotes, Julius Caesar: Context).
2) Thus, Shakespeare "[used] the story of Caesar's to comment on the political situation of his day" (Sparknotes, Julius Caesar: Context).
II. Shakespeare's accurate depiction of Rome and Julius Caesar.
A. The morning of Julius Caesar's death is accurately depicted.
1. The omens and superstitions mentioned in Shakespeare's play all coincide with historical accounts.
a. Caesar, on the day before his death, discussed "the best sort of death" "a sudden unexpected end" (Julius Caesar Act II, Parenti 172).
b. Calpurnia's dream of "seeing [Caesar] lying in her lap with many wounds and streaming with blood" is accurately depicted in Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene 3 (Parenti 172).
1) However, in Julius Caesar, Cassius goes to dissuade Caesar and assumes a new interpretation of the dream. According to historical accounts, it wad Decimus Brutus, not Cassius, that came. (Parenti 173).
c. Shakespeare accurately mentions the omen of the "animal sacrificed by Caesar" that "was found to contain no heart" (Parenti 172).
d. Shakespeare doesn't mention other known superstitions mentioned below.
1) "Fire issued from the hand of a soldier's servant yet left him unburned" (Parenti 172).
2) "All the doors and windows of Caesar's house suddenly flew open of their own accord as he slept" (Parenti 172).
3) "A herd of Caesar's horses [displayed] a sudden repugnance for the pasture and shed buckets of tears" (Parenti 172).
4) "A little kingbird flies into Pompey's Hall only to be torn to pieces by a swarm of other birds" (Parenti 172).
e. Shakespeare accurately depicted the theme of omens, "unmistakable signs forewarning Caesar of his assassination," that he failed to take notice of (Parenti 172).
2. In Act III, scene 1, Shakespeare introduces Artemidorus, who "approaches with his letter" revealing the assassination's plot, but Caesar, arrogantly replies "What touches us ourself shall be last served", and his "personal concerns are his last priority" (Sparknotes, Julius Caesar, Act III, scene 1).
a. However, the truth, according to historical evidence, does not portray Julius Caesar's arrogant refusal of the letter, and the story is unknown, but is explained in three theories.
1) "Some have Artemidorus running to Caesar's house after his departure, then failing to catch up to the [assassinators]" (Parenti 182).
2) Other say it was "perhaps a servant, who gave Caesar the note", not Artemidorus (Parenti 182).
3) Others "have him reaching Caesar and urgently handing him a note outlining the plot, but given the press of petitioners Caesar had no chance to read it" (Parenti 182).
3. The actual physical death of Caesar is accurately depicted.
a. The senators circle him and stab him one by one, inflicting 26 wounds.
4. Shakespeare accurately describes Caesar's suspicion of Cassius, when he says, "Antonius! Let me have men about me that are fat; Young Cassius has a lean and hungry look" (Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene 1).
a. Parenti quotes actual Julius Caesar's word (translated), "What do you think Cassius is aiming at? I don't like him, he looks so gaunt" (Parenti 173).
5. Shakespeare is accurate when he talks about the assassinators not wanting to invite "a paramount figure, Cicero to participate, even though Cassius and Brutus knew he would be well disposed to the deed", but the risk of Cicero's "inborn timidity plus the caution that advance age" cause them to dispose the idea (Parenti 169, Julius Caesar).
6. Shakespeare also explains to use why the assassinators only planned on killing Julius, and not his supporters like Antony.
a. Parenti and Shakespeare say, "if they concentrated on Caesar alone, they would win glory for having done away with a king and tyrant" (Parenti 171).
1) This was a key assumption in Shakespeare's play in order to depict Brutus as an "honorable man".
B. Shakespeare bases his play of the assassinator's supposed reasons for murder.
1. Shakespeare made it quite obvious that the senators were committing treason ("Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us" (Julius Caesar Act III, scene 2).), but he made it seem like they were doing it to protect Rome's Republic.
a.
Brutus's supposed reasons for this murder are accurate, but other possible reasons are explained in the paragraphs below.
b. The enemies of Caesar loathed "Caesar's self-aggrandizement, contempt for the Republic, and betrayal of his class" (Ochoa 144).
c. Yes indeed, Caesar even admitted in history that he wanted to "reclaim for [himself] and for the Roman people, the independence from the domination of a small clique" (138).
1) This quote invites the thought of tyranny and the swift reaction by the assassinators to remove Caesar; but was it really to protect the Republic? Or was it because "under Caesar's autocracy, their opportunities for financial gain and political power would vanish, and the prestige of the Senate would be obliterated by further dilutions" (Fuller 233).
2. Shakespeare accurately portrayed why the Senators committed treason for a better good, but he failed to incorporate other possible reasons, which are frankly supported by historical evidence.
a. This sentence will serve as a transition to the next paragraph (contrasting body paragraph).
III. Shakespeare did not look father at the big picture for the motives behind the senators' desire to remove Julius
Caesar.
A. The prevailing attitude of Shakespeare is that the "senatorial assassins were intent upon restoring republican liberties by doing away with a despotic usurper", Julius Caesar (Parenti 2).
1. According to historical accounts, this is not a valid statement.
a. Julius Caesar "himself claimed his intent to be the people's champion rather than their master" (Parenti 138).
1) And indeed, the citizens of Rome loved him.
a) Even in Shakespeare's play, they have statues of him to symbolize the love for him (only in the end to be destroyed).
b) He "deposited the wealth of vanquished foes in the state treasury to be distributed as gifts and benefits among the Roman citizenry" (Parenti 151).
c) Even those that opposed a "kingship" for him, they still "supported much else he had done or was trying to do, including the very policies that moved the assassins toward their deed" (Parenti 179).
i. Land distribution policy passed. ii. Murder crimes by elites changed.
B. The reason, not mentioned in Shakespeare's work, for killing Julius Caesar lies in the fact that he was "branded a traitor to his class by members of that class" and had committed the sin of "trying to redistribute some of the wealth that the very rich tirelessly siphon from the labor of the many" (Parenti 191).
1. The Senate aristocrats "killed Caesar because they perceived him to be a popular leader who threatened their privileged interests" (Parenti 2).
a. The aristocratic elite lived well and grew "richer at the expense of everyone else" (Parenti 194).
1) While Caesar wanted to help "the laboring masses, not the dissolute few", the Senators acted by their "Republic" "only as long as it served their way of life" (Parenti 3).
a) They "swindled public lands from small farmers, plundered the provinces like pirates, taxed colonized peoples into penury, imposed backbreaking rents on rural and urban tenants, lacerated debtors with usurious interest rates, expanded the use of slave labor at the expense of free labor, manipulated auspices to stymie popular decisions, resisted even the most modest reforms, bought elections, undermined courts and officeholders with endless bribery, and repeatedly suspended the constitution in order to engage in criminal act of mass murder against democratic commoners and their leaders" (Parenti 193-194)
b. Caesar's "power greatly alarmed [the Senators] because he used it to work against, rather than for, their interests" (Parenti 191).
1) The senators' aristocracy was in potential risk if Caesar was to reigned king because Caesar would immediately go towards the cause of the lower ranks of society, and would redistribute some of the land and gold of the elites.
C. Shakespeare was incorrect to assume that Brutus and his men were all "honorable men" and that they pursued republican ideals.
1. The Shakespeare's depiction of the assassinators' apparent causes is skewed.
a. Because Shakespeare wrote the play to better suit his time of the Elizabethan age.
b. Shakespeare's plays are meant to entertain the audience, and not necessarily educate.
2. This will be the transition of discussing why Shakespeare is incorrect in calling Brutus an "honorable man", and making him the tragic figure who was only trying to save Rome, but failed.
IV. Shakespeare portrayed Brutus as an "honorable man", but this isn't necessarily true.
A. Brutus was more concerned with living rich and engaged in unsavory and greedy practices.
1. Shakespeare incorrectly depicted Brutus as virtuous, and in Julius Caesar, Brutus even says, "I can raise no money by vile means/ By heaven I had rather coin my heart/ And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring/ from the hands of peasants their vile trash" (Julius Caesar Act IV Scene 3).
a. Brutus was the opposite of what Shakespeare depicted above, having "lent money at 48 percent interest (instead of the usual 12 percent, which was usurious enough)" (Parenti 145).
2. Also, the way Brutus dealt with the Cypriot town of Salamis in 50 BC shows his inconsiderate avarice.
a. Brutus was collecting debt from Cypriot with the help of the Roman military. At Brutus's insistence, the "town council was besieged until five of the elders starved to death" and even "Cicero was horrified by the terms of a loan [that] brought ruination to the Cypriot community" (Parenti 145).
b. Even Cicero described Brutus in having an "arrogant and uncivil tone" when dealing with money-related issues (Parenti 145).
3. Still, even Shakespeare supposedly respected Brutus, "preferring to treat this money-grubbing assassin as a principled and unblemished defender of the Republic" (Parenti 146).
B. Shakespeare emphasizes the friendship that Brutus and Caesar had with each other, but this is disproved by historical accounts.
1. According to Michael Parenti, the long-standing legend that "Caesar harbored a special fondness for Marcus Brutus" is not true (170).
a. One example that explains the false legend is the historical evidence that showed Caesar's concern for Brutus's safety at Pharsalus.
1) Caesar defended Brutus for the "sake of Brutus's mother, who was said to be one of the few real loves of his life" (Parenti 168).
b. Even if Brutus was so close to Caesar as Shakespeare emphasized, the extent to the act of murder is unlikely, especially on someone so powerful.
V. Shakespeare never mentions Julius Caesar's faults, and only implies his minor faults; although, Julius Caesar loved his people and did all he could to help them, he was not perfect, and his major faults should not be omitted as they were in Julius Caesar
A. Shakespeare doesn't mention Caesar's faults but from his failure to escape assassination, he does imply some faults.
1. Shakespeare implies that Caesar's "faith in his own permanence in the sense of both his loyalty to principles and his fixtures as a public institution - eventually proves his undoing" (Sparknotes: In-Depth Analysis).
a. Shakespeare's arrogance led to his downfall
b. Caesar ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing he is as "constant as the Northern Star" (Julius Caesar Act III Scene 1).
2. Shakespeare's theme of Omens show that Shakespeare failed to listen to the omens and warning signs such as Calpurnia's dream.
a. He should've listened to Calpurnia.
3. Shakespeare implies that Caesar is unable to separate his "public life from his private life, seduced by the populace's increasing idealization and idolization of his image" (Sparknotes).
B. Shakespeare only implies Caesar's minor faults, leaving out the most outrageous ones that are supported by historical evidence.
1. Although Caesar disdained luxury, avarice, and excessive self-indulgence, he was not particularly "honest in his auriferous pursuits" (Parenti 132).
a. He pillaged shrines and temples.
b. Sacked towns.
c. Stole 3000 pounds of gold from the Capitol and replaced them with gilded bronze (Parenti 132).
d. And he "extorted nearly 1.5 million gold pieces from King Ptolemy of Egypt" (Parenti 132).
2. Julius Caesar, loved by the people for his courage, was found to have slaughtered over 40,000 inhabitants including women and children.
a. Shakespeare doesn't mention any of Julius Caesar's wrongdoings and act of terror on the innocent.
3. Julius Caesar was a slaveholder.
a. He also "used slaves and women for his personal pleasure" (Parenti 134).
4. Julius Caesar was involved in many sexual crimes, which are never mentioned in Shakespeare's work.
a. He was involved in "homosexual encounters" (Parenti 135).
b. He had a reputation for both "adultery and sodomy" (Parenti 136).
5. Julius Caesar was depicted in Shakespeare's work to love his country of Rome and stand by it forever, but was a hypocrite to leaders of other nations who shared the same viewpoint on their own country.
a. Caesar's execution of Vercingetorix is one example.
1) Vercingetorix was a Gallic leader who was fatally penalized by Caesar whose "major crime was to preserve the independence of his people" - by using military measures, which is what Caesar was best known for (a military leader, as mentioned in Shakespeare's work after his "return from a major military expedition") (Parenti 133).
C. Why did Shakespeare choose to leave out all the wrongdoings of Caesar?
1. His job is to entertain the audience, and not to educate about the Roman history.
2. The inclusion of Caesar's faults would only stir away the audience from the main theme - a forced removal of a renowned leader and the effects on his people.
a. He connected this theme to Queen Elizabeth I, who was nearing the end of her 40-year rein.
VI. Conclusion
A. Restate Shakespeare's accuracies/inaccuracies.
B. Emphasize the reasoning of inaccuracies.
1. Sticking to the main theme was important.
2. Entertainment is more important than knowledge to a playwright.
C. Provide an example how Roman history is skewed by the media and the writings of playwrights such as in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and in George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra.
D. Explain the importance of looking at the big picture when reading works of historical figures and places.
English per. 2
5/7/2006
Full Sentence Outline: Julius Caesar
I. Introduction
A. The background of the assassination of Julius Caesar is given here.
1. According to Shakespeare, Julius Caesar was assassinated by the crime of Tyrannicide.
a. Tyrannicide is the act of becoming a tyrant.
b. At that time, Rome was a democracy ran by the Senate.
c. The assassinators, according to Shakespeare, did their crime to preserve the nation's democratic rule.
B. The quick outline of Shakespeare's play itself is given here.
1. Everybody "[bows] to Caesar", and they love Caesar, and even offer him the crown (Parenti 5).
2. Brutus is threatened by Caesar's rising power and the potential of a monarchy.
3. Brutus and others plan the assassination of Caesar.
4. …show more content…
After Caesar's death, the people "[hail] Brutus for saving them from tyranny" (Parenti 5).
5. And, "only in the next breath [the people are] swayed by Antony" (Parenti 5).
6. Shakespeare depicts the people of Rome "as a mindless aggregation easily led by hither and thither" (Parenti 5). This is just a minor example of Shakespeare's inaccurate exaggeration of Rome.
C. The thesis goes here.
D. Why did Shakespeare inaccurately depict certain aspects of Rome?
1. "Fictional representations of history do not usually strive for accuracy, their primary goal being to entertain rather than educate" (Parenti 4).
2. Shakespeare wrote this play during the 40-year reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
a. The story is about a yet-to-be dictator/monarch, Julius Caesar. He wants to write a story that would connect to his present time - the monarchy of the Queen.
1) The queen's age of sixty-six meant her reign has been nearing to the end, "yet she lacked any heirs, (as did Julius Caesar)," and "many feared that her death would plunge England" (Sparknotes, Julius Caesar: Context).
2) Thus, Shakespeare "[used] the story of Caesar's to comment on the political situation of his day" (Sparknotes, Julius Caesar: Context).
II. Shakespeare's accurate depiction of Rome and Julius Caesar.
A. The morning of Julius Caesar's death is accurately depicted.
1. The omens and superstitions mentioned in Shakespeare's play all coincide with historical accounts.
a. Caesar, on the day before his death, discussed "the best sort of death" "a sudden unexpected end" (Julius Caesar Act II, Parenti 172).
b. Calpurnia's dream of "seeing [Caesar] lying in her lap with many wounds and streaming with blood" is accurately depicted in Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene 3 (Parenti 172).
1) However, in Julius Caesar, Cassius goes to dissuade Caesar and assumes a new interpretation of the dream. According to historical accounts, it wad Decimus Brutus, not Cassius, that came. (Parenti 173).
c. Shakespeare accurately mentions the omen of the "animal sacrificed by Caesar" that "was found to contain no heart" (Parenti 172).
d. Shakespeare doesn't mention other known superstitions mentioned below.
1) "Fire issued from the hand of a soldier's servant yet left him unburned" (Parenti 172).
2) "All the doors and windows of Caesar's house suddenly flew open of their own accord as he slept" (Parenti 172).
3) "A herd of Caesar's horses [displayed] a sudden repugnance for the pasture and shed buckets of tears" (Parenti 172).
4) "A little kingbird flies into Pompey's Hall only to be torn to pieces by a swarm of other birds" (Parenti 172).
e. Shakespeare accurately depicted the theme of omens, "unmistakable signs forewarning Caesar of his assassination," that he failed to take notice of (Parenti 172).
2. In Act III, scene 1, Shakespeare introduces Artemidorus, who "approaches with his letter" revealing the assassination's plot, but Caesar, arrogantly replies "What touches us ourself shall be last served", and his "personal concerns are his last priority" (Sparknotes, Julius Caesar, Act III, scene 1).
a. However, the truth, according to historical evidence, does not portray Julius Caesar's arrogant refusal of the letter, and the story is unknown, but is explained in three theories.
1) "Some have Artemidorus running to Caesar's house after his departure, then failing to catch up to the [assassinators]" (Parenti 182).
2) Other say it was "perhaps a servant, who gave Caesar the note", not Artemidorus (Parenti 182).
3) Others "have him reaching Caesar and urgently handing him a note outlining the plot, but given the press of petitioners Caesar had no chance to read it" (Parenti 182).
3. The actual physical death of Caesar is accurately depicted.
a. The senators circle him and stab him one by one, inflicting 26 wounds.
4. Shakespeare accurately describes Caesar's suspicion of Cassius, when he says, "Antonius! Let me have men about me that are fat; Young Cassius has a lean and hungry look" (Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene 1).
a. Parenti quotes actual Julius Caesar's word (translated), "What do you think Cassius is aiming at? I don't like him, he looks so gaunt" (Parenti 173).
5. Shakespeare is accurate when he talks about the assassinators not wanting to invite "a paramount figure, Cicero to participate, even though Cassius and Brutus knew he would be well disposed to the deed", but the risk of Cicero's "inborn timidity plus the caution that advance age" cause them to dispose the idea (Parenti 169, Julius Caesar).
6. Shakespeare also explains to use why the assassinators only planned on killing Julius, and not his supporters like Antony.
a. Parenti and Shakespeare say, "if they concentrated on Caesar alone, they would win glory for having done away with a king and tyrant" (Parenti 171).
1) This was a key assumption in Shakespeare's play in order to depict Brutus as an "honorable man".
B. Shakespeare bases his play of the assassinator's supposed reasons for murder.
1. Shakespeare made it quite obvious that the senators were committing treason ("Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us" (Julius Caesar Act III, scene 2).), but he made it seem like they were doing it to protect Rome's Republic.
a.
Brutus's supposed reasons for this murder are accurate, but other possible reasons are explained in the paragraphs below.
b. The enemies of Caesar loathed "Caesar's self-aggrandizement, contempt for the Republic, and betrayal of his class" (Ochoa 144).
c. Yes indeed, Caesar even admitted in history that he wanted to "reclaim for [himself] and for the Roman people, the independence from the domination of a small clique" (138).
1) This quote invites the thought of tyranny and the swift reaction by the assassinators to remove Caesar; but was it really to protect the Republic? Or was it because "under Caesar's autocracy, their opportunities for financial gain and political power would vanish, and the prestige of the Senate would be obliterated by further dilutions" (Fuller 233).
2. Shakespeare accurately portrayed why the Senators committed treason for a better good, but he failed to incorporate other possible reasons, which are frankly supported by historical evidence.
a. This sentence will serve as a transition to the next paragraph (contrasting body paragraph).
III. Shakespeare did not look father at the big picture for the motives behind the senators' desire to remove Julius
Caesar.
A. The prevailing attitude of Shakespeare is that the "senatorial assassins were intent upon restoring republican liberties by doing away with a despotic usurper", Julius Caesar (Parenti 2).
1. According to historical accounts, this is not a valid statement.
a. Julius Caesar "himself claimed his intent to be the people's champion rather than their master" (Parenti 138).
1) And indeed, the citizens of Rome loved him.
a) Even in Shakespeare's play, they have statues of him to symbolize the love for him (only in the end to be destroyed).
b) He "deposited the wealth of vanquished foes in the state treasury to be distributed as gifts and benefits among the Roman citizenry" (Parenti 151).
c) Even those that opposed a "kingship" for him, they still "supported much else he had done or was trying to do, including the very policies that moved the assassins toward their deed" (Parenti 179).
i. Land distribution policy passed. ii. Murder crimes by elites changed.
B. The reason, not mentioned in Shakespeare's work, for killing Julius Caesar lies in the fact that he was "branded a traitor to his class by members of that class" and had committed the sin of "trying to redistribute some of the wealth that the very rich tirelessly siphon from the labor of the many" (Parenti 191).
1. The Senate aristocrats "killed Caesar because they perceived him to be a popular leader who threatened their privileged interests" (Parenti 2).
a. The aristocratic elite lived well and grew "richer at the expense of everyone else" (Parenti 194).
1) While Caesar wanted to help "the laboring masses, not the dissolute few", the Senators acted by their "Republic" "only as long as it served their way of life" (Parenti 3).
a) They "swindled public lands from small farmers, plundered the provinces like pirates, taxed colonized peoples into penury, imposed backbreaking rents on rural and urban tenants, lacerated debtors with usurious interest rates, expanded the use of slave labor at the expense of free labor, manipulated auspices to stymie popular decisions, resisted even the most modest reforms, bought elections, undermined courts and officeholders with endless bribery, and repeatedly suspended the constitution in order to engage in criminal act of mass murder against democratic commoners and their leaders" (Parenti 193-194)
b. Caesar's "power greatly alarmed [the Senators] because he used it to work against, rather than for, their interests" (Parenti 191).
1) The senators' aristocracy was in potential risk if Caesar was to reigned king because Caesar would immediately go towards the cause of the lower ranks of society, and would redistribute some of the land and gold of the elites.
C. Shakespeare was incorrect to assume that Brutus and his men were all "honorable men" and that they pursued republican ideals.
1. The Shakespeare's depiction of the assassinators' apparent causes is skewed.
a. Because Shakespeare wrote the play to better suit his time of the Elizabethan age.
b. Shakespeare's plays are meant to entertain the audience, and not necessarily educate.
2. This will be the transition of discussing why Shakespeare is incorrect in calling Brutus an "honorable man", and making him the tragic figure who was only trying to save Rome, but failed.
IV. Shakespeare portrayed Brutus as an "honorable man", but this isn't necessarily true.
A. Brutus was more concerned with living rich and engaged in unsavory and greedy practices.
1. Shakespeare incorrectly depicted Brutus as virtuous, and in Julius Caesar, Brutus even says, "I can raise no money by vile means/ By heaven I had rather coin my heart/ And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring/ from the hands of peasants their vile trash" (Julius Caesar Act IV Scene 3).
a. Brutus was the opposite of what Shakespeare depicted above, having "lent money at 48 percent interest (instead of the usual 12 percent, which was usurious enough)" (Parenti 145).
2. Also, the way Brutus dealt with the Cypriot town of Salamis in 50 BC shows his inconsiderate avarice.
a. Brutus was collecting debt from Cypriot with the help of the Roman military. At Brutus's insistence, the "town council was besieged until five of the elders starved to death" and even "Cicero was horrified by the terms of a loan [that] brought ruination to the Cypriot community" (Parenti 145).
b. Even Cicero described Brutus in having an "arrogant and uncivil tone" when dealing with money-related issues (Parenti 145).
3. Still, even Shakespeare supposedly respected Brutus, "preferring to treat this money-grubbing assassin as a principled and unblemished defender of the Republic" (Parenti 146).
B. Shakespeare emphasizes the friendship that Brutus and Caesar had with each other, but this is disproved by historical accounts.
1. According to Michael Parenti, the long-standing legend that "Caesar harbored a special fondness for Marcus Brutus" is not true (170).
a. One example that explains the false legend is the historical evidence that showed Caesar's concern for Brutus's safety at Pharsalus.
1) Caesar defended Brutus for the "sake of Brutus's mother, who was said to be one of the few real loves of his life" (Parenti 168).
b. Even if Brutus was so close to Caesar as Shakespeare emphasized, the extent to the act of murder is unlikely, especially on someone so powerful.
V. Shakespeare never mentions Julius Caesar's faults, and only implies his minor faults; although, Julius Caesar loved his people and did all he could to help them, he was not perfect, and his major faults should not be omitted as they were in Julius Caesar
A. Shakespeare doesn't mention Caesar's faults but from his failure to escape assassination, he does imply some faults.
1. Shakespeare implies that Caesar's "faith in his own permanence in the sense of both his loyalty to principles and his fixtures as a public institution - eventually proves his undoing" (Sparknotes: In-Depth Analysis).
a. Shakespeare's arrogance led to his downfall
b. Caesar ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing he is as "constant as the Northern Star" (Julius Caesar Act III Scene 1).
2. Shakespeare's theme of Omens show that Shakespeare failed to listen to the omens and warning signs such as Calpurnia's dream.
a. He should've listened to Calpurnia.
3. Shakespeare implies that Caesar is unable to separate his "public life from his private life, seduced by the populace's increasing idealization and idolization of his image" (Sparknotes).
B. Shakespeare only implies Caesar's minor faults, leaving out the most outrageous ones that are supported by historical evidence.
1. Although Caesar disdained luxury, avarice, and excessive self-indulgence, he was not particularly "honest in his auriferous pursuits" (Parenti 132).
a. He pillaged shrines and temples.
b. Sacked towns.
c. Stole 3000 pounds of gold from the Capitol and replaced them with gilded bronze (Parenti 132).
d. And he "extorted nearly 1.5 million gold pieces from King Ptolemy of Egypt" (Parenti 132).
2. Julius Caesar, loved by the people for his courage, was found to have slaughtered over 40,000 inhabitants including women and children.
a. Shakespeare doesn't mention any of Julius Caesar's wrongdoings and act of terror on the innocent.
3. Julius Caesar was a slaveholder.
a. He also "used slaves and women for his personal pleasure" (Parenti 134).
4. Julius Caesar was involved in many sexual crimes, which are never mentioned in Shakespeare's work.
a. He was involved in "homosexual encounters" (Parenti 135).
b. He had a reputation for both "adultery and sodomy" (Parenti 136).
5. Julius Caesar was depicted in Shakespeare's work to love his country of Rome and stand by it forever, but was a hypocrite to leaders of other nations who shared the same viewpoint on their own country.
a. Caesar's execution of Vercingetorix is one example.
1) Vercingetorix was a Gallic leader who was fatally penalized by Caesar whose "major crime was to preserve the independence of his people" - by using military measures, which is what Caesar was best known for (a military leader, as mentioned in Shakespeare's work after his "return from a major military expedition") (Parenti 133).
C. Why did Shakespeare choose to leave out all the wrongdoings of Caesar?
1. His job is to entertain the audience, and not to educate about the Roman history.
2. The inclusion of Caesar's faults would only stir away the audience from the main theme - a forced removal of a renowned leader and the effects on his people.
a. He connected this theme to Queen Elizabeth I, who was nearing the end of her 40-year rein.
VI. Conclusion
A. Restate Shakespeare's accuracies/inaccuracies.
B. Emphasize the reasoning of inaccuracies.
1. Sticking to the main theme was important.
2. Entertainment is more important than knowledge to a playwright.
C. Provide an example how Roman history is skewed by the media and the writings of playwrights such as in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and in George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra.
D. Explain the importance of looking at the big picture when reading works of historical figures and places.