Julius Ceasar

Julius Caesar

(Character Evaluation of Caesar)

Julius Caesar, born in 100 B.C, was a great Roman general and senator. He had a wife named Calpurnia yet no children. Though he was a memorable leader, Caesar was a physically weak man. He suffered from epilepsy and was deaf in one ear. In the beginning of the play, Caesar was returning to Rome in triumph after a successful military campaign against Pompey's sons. Caesar formed the first triumvirate with Crassus and Pompey. After the death of Crassus and Caesar's defeat of Pompey, Caesar gained autocrat power. A group of conspirators led by Brutus assassinated him and Cassius, who worried that Caesar, might aspire to become a dictator over the Roman republic. Julius Caesar was an arrogant and self-centered man who is also a pessimist.

Caesar was an arrogant man who thought of himself as the strongest and the most powerful man in Rome. When his wife Calpurnia tried to stop Caesar from going to the Capitol for fear of his life was in danger, Caesar said that he had no need to be afraid for he was even more formidable than danger itself. “Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he" (2, 2, 44-45). This showed the great confidence he had in himself and his certitude that no one would dare to harm him. Caesar took immense pride in his conquests and believed that it would be shameful for him to lie to the senators about the reason of his absence from the Capitol on the ides of March. “Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far to be a feared to tell greybeards the truth?" (2, 2, 66-67) His confidence that a simple “Caesar will not come" would be sufficient enough, for the senators were another sign of the high esteem he held of himself.

Caesar was also rather egocentric and he is susceptible to having his decisions swayed through praises and smooth talk rained upon Caesar by the people around him. When Decius first arrived at Caesar's house to escort him to the Senate House, Caesar told Decius that he was not going. When Decius asked for an explanation he could give to the senators as to why Caesar was not going, Caesar said, “The cause is my will: I will not come; that is enough to satisfy the senate" (2, 2, 71-72). Caesar's answer was very sure and firm; he viewed himself as being so highly regarded by the people of Rome that his simple will was an explanation sufficient enough to satisfy the senate's queries. However, although he views his will as being the strongest in Rome, his decisions were easily influenced by the smooth talk of the people that attempted to manipulate Caesar to go along with their plans. Decius convinced Caesar to change his mind about not going to Capitol on the ides of March by doing exactly as such.

Decius started by first praising Caesar of his greatness and then giving reasons as to how the decision of not showing up at the Senate House would be an unwise judgment. Caesar could not bear people thinking that he, the mighty Caesar, was too much of a coward to go to Capitol simply because his wife had nightmares about his death. Decius also used Caesar's ambition for the crown and pride in him as a ploy to manipulate Caesar in to going to the Capitol. Caesar quickly accepted