Tradegedy of Julius Caesar

In act 1, Shakespeare establishes the character and their motivation that lead to the death of Caesar. How does Shakespeare do this?

Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ is based on the power struggles and personalities that surrounded the assassination of Julius Caesar. The different characters of Cassius and Brutus lead them eventually to each want the death of Caesar whose arrogance threatens to make him take the opportunity of becoming emperor of Rome. The first Act establishes the nobility and innocence of Brutus who is drawn into a conspiracy by the scheming of Cassius, whose plan is to supplant the ambitious Caesar for personal not political reasons.

Cassius is very jealous of Caesar and wants to have the power that Caesar has. Cassius tries to persuade Brutus to believe that Caesar is selfish and untrustworthy. Cassius knew that Brutus was loyal to Caesar at the time, and feared that Brutus alongside Caesar would be a force. Cassius was very intelligent to persuade Brutus. Cassius says that Caesar: "hears no music," which tells us that he is not evil, but has a lack of inner harmony and could never be satisfied. Cassius is a very envious of Caesars position and fearful of what Rome might become if Caesar becomes the king. “He doth bestride the narrow world / like a Colossus and we petty men / walk under his huge legs and peep about / to find ourselves dishonourable graves"

Cassius had many motives for the killing of Julius Caesar. One of Cassius's motives was his greed for power. Cassius believed that he should have as much power as Julius Caesar. Cassius was also worried that if Julius Caesar had been king he would lose all of his power and become another regular citizen of Rome. Cassius showed his greed for power when he would always talk about how Caesar would get so much power and he was treated like he was nothing. Cassius was also motivated to kill Julius Caesar because of his reputation. Cassius believed that Julius Caesar had a better reputation than he does. Julius was thought of by many Roman citizens to be god-like and Cassius was just another man.

"Alas, it cried, 'Give me some drink, Titnius,'

as a sick girl. Ye gods! It doth amaze me a man of such a feeble

temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear

the palm alone" (I, ii, 127-130)

This is a great example of a quote that showed how Cassius felt about Julius Caesar. That quote showed that Cassius was mad that even when Julius Caesar he still has a better reputation than he did. Another motivation of Cassius's was that he often got jealous of Caesar because Caesar had been getting more respect than him and Caesar has more power than he did. "Did I the tired Caesar- and this man is now become a god, and Cassius is a wretched creature, and must bend his body if