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Julius Caesar
In the play of Julius Caesar, we see a brief picture of Roman life
during the time of the First Triumvirate. In this snap shot, we see many
unfortunate things. Shakespeare gives us the idea that many people try to
circumvent what the future holds, such as unfortunate things, by being
superstitious. Superstition seems to play a role in the basic daily life
of most Roman citizens. For instance, the setting of the first scene is
based upon superstition, the Feast of Lupercal. This feast is in honor of
the god Pan, the queen of fertility. During this time, infertile females
are supposed to be able to procreate, and fertile ones are supposed to be
able to bear more. It is also a supposed time of sexual glorification and
happiness. Other scenes depict how throughout Rome, roaming the streets
are mysterious sooth-sayers, who are supposedly given the power to predict
the future. Dictating what is to come through terse tidbits, these people
may also be looked upon as superstitious. In the opening scene, one sooth-
sayer, old in his years, warns Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March," an
admonition of Caesar's impending death. Although sooth-sayers are looked
upon by many as insane out of touch lower classmen, a good deal of them,
obviously including the sayer Caesar encountered, are indeed right on the
mark. Since they lack any formal office or shop, and they predict
forthcomings without fee, one can see quite easily why citizens would
distrust their predictions. Superstition, in general elements such as the
Feast of Lupercal, as well as on a personal level such as with the sooth-
sayers, is an important factor in determining the events and the outcome of
Julius Caesar, a significant force throughout the entire course of the play.
Before the play fully unravels, we see a few of signs of Caesar's
tragic end. Aside from the sooth-sayer's warning, we also see another sign
during Caesar's visit with the Augerers, the latter day "psychics". They
find "No heart in the beast", which they interpret as advice to Caesar that
he should remain at home. Ceasar brushes it off and thinks of it as a
rebuke from the gods, meaning that he is a coward if he does not go out,
and so he dismisses the wise advice as hearsay. However, the next morning,
his wife Calphurnia wakes up frightened due to a horrible nightmare. She
tells Caesar of a battle breaking out in the heart of Rome, "Which drizzled
blood upon the Capitol," with Caesar painfully dying, such that "...The
heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes." Although Caesar
realizes Calphurnia is truly concerned about his well-being, he seeks
another interpretation, coming to the conclusion that the person who
imagines the dream may not be the wisest one to interpret it's meaning.
Later Caesar tells his faithful companion Decius about it, and he
interprets it quite the contrary, "That it was a vision fair and
fortunate," and indeed, today is an ideal day to go out, since this is the
day "To give a crown to mighty Caesar." Perhaps Decius is implying here
that today is a day where much appreciation and appraisal will be given to
Caesar, surely not the endangerment of his well-being as Calphurnia
interprets it. Caesar predictably agrees with him, as most citizens enjoy
believing the more positive of two interpretations.
After Caesar's assasination at the hand of Brutus, Cassius, and the
rest of the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius are chased into the country
side, where we see a few superstitious signs of their forthcoming painful
death in battle. In a dream, Brutus sees Caesar's "ghost", interpreted as
an omen of his defeat. He also looks upon the ensign, and instead of the
usual stock of eagles, ravens and kites replace them, construed as another
sign of their loss at Phillipi. Not surprisingly, Caesar's death is
avenged in the end, with the two of the conspirators' double suicide. As
superstition is inter-twined within the basis of the entire play, we can
reasonably conclude that it is because of this irrational belief of why
certain events occur and how to avoid them, that Caesar is retired and
eventually avenged. In the words of Caesar's devoted follower and
companion Mark Antony, "His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in
him that Nature might stand up and say to the world, 'This was a man!'"
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