Shakespeare's play mostly revolves around a group of conspirators, their plot against Caesar, and the unforeseen aftereffects of this plot. Although it is up for debate which characters are to be considered "The Main Characters", in my personal opinion the main characters in said play are as follows:
Julius Caesar
Despite the fact the play bears his name, Brutus has over four times as many lines as Caesar. On top of that, the title character dies relatively early in the play. On the other hand, the focus of the other characters often is trained upon Caesar.
Antony
An absolutely loyal friend of Caesar, he remains true to him until the bitter end, and fights for him even after his death.
Octavius
Caesar's adopted son, he returns from abroad halfway through the play to find his father killed. He then joins Antony to avenge Caesar. After the conflict, he succeeds his father.
Brutus
Pity "poor Brutus", torn between his love for Caesar, and his love for Rome. He greatly respects and admires Caesar, but believes his assassination could greatly benefit Rome. Brutus is a rare breed: an honest politician! The others simply envy Caesar, but Brutus actually has other people's best interests at heart. However, the other conspirators exploit Brutus's honesty and easily manipulate him.
Cassius
Shrewd and sly, "Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look." He is jealous of Caesar's power, and will get rid of anything- and anyone- that gets in his way. He uses subtle flattery and forged letters to sway Brutus to his point of view, and eventually succeeds in his attempts to assassinate Caesar.
These characters are often in the spotlight, or "the focus of the play", and for that reason, they have secured their spots as the "Main Characters" in my mind. They tie the play together, giving it direction and feeling. They intrigue us, repulse us, and win our admiration. These are the characters that, despite their every word being scripted, have so much personality and make Shakespeare's play a timeless work of art.
P.S. After finishing my post I look over it, unsatisfied at my work. Nothing I can do will scratch that itch to make it just right. Is this normal? What can I do? Any and all comments would be welcome.
-McKinley :D
I do agree with what you said about the main focus of the play but I think that in it Shakespeare is also trying to make a political point because England is falling into a similar situation as Rome. The Queen of England had not named an heir to the throne and there is concern about England's future. Is that what you meant by 'unforeseen effects'?
ReplyDeletei also agree on your main focus! really good!
ReplyDeleteE;)
I had no idea that there were such simalarities between England and Rome, so no, that's not what I meant at all. I was refering to the war that took place in the latter half of the play. Were these startaling simalarities discussed in class while I was gone?
ReplyDelete-McKinley :D
Wow! Really good. I think that it is good. When I do ANYTHING I am never quite satisfied but others are. Just, try not to worry about it and do the best that you can. I thought it was fantastic! No, need to worry your normal!
ReplyDeleteStephanie Silvers :)
Charity's comments come from something we watched at our house. I can't remember if we talked about them in class or not. I appreciate your attention to detail in answering the question. The question seems short, but I'm looking for more thought...like you have done!!! As to your 'itch,' since these are mere 'journal' posts, we cannot and should not expect them to a thoroughly thought out and written thesis paper. That would be overworking the point. You are doing exactly what I want...sharing ideas, thoughts and details!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mrs. D.! It's quite a relief to read those words!
Delete-McKinley :D