Date sent:        Tue, 30 Apr 1996 18:03:10 -0700

                                                    Your name 
          You class
          Julius Caesar 
          April 11, 1990
    Julius Caesar 


 1)   The key events in this play that give it the 
characteristics of a tragedy are, that Caesar (the main character) 
comes to an unhappy ending.  Caesar is conspired against by his 
"friends" and is betrayed and murdered by his good friend Brutus.
( Act III Scene I Line 77" [They stab Caesar] Et tu, Brute? Then 
fall Caesar [Dies]"  The deaths -- suicides -- of Cassius, 
Brututs and Portia also portray a tragic element. 
The entire play revolves around Caesar's death. Betrayal, 
ambition, cowardice and loyalty are themes in the play, that fuel 
the tragic plot. (Act II Scene II ln. 32-37" Cowards die many times 
before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once . 
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard. It seems to me most 
strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, 
Will come when it will come. ").

 2)  The funeral speeches of Caesar given by Brutus and Antony are 
different.  Each manipulates the populace to their own advantage.
As you see Brutus begins his speech with (act III scene II Ln. 13- "Romans")
 the word "Romans" thus appealing to the patriotism of the populace.  Antony
 starts his speech with the word (act III scene II Ln74('Friends")"Friends",
 so he is personalizing the death of Caesar.  Brutus  says (act III scene II
 ln16-20"Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you 
may the better judge.")  He is saying that the poeple are wise judges, 
and if they were real friends of Caesar they would agree that he was too 
ambitious and a threat to Rome. (act III scene II Ln32-36."Who is here so 
vile that will not love his country?")  In this quote, Brutus is saying 
that  if the populace dosen't believe that Caesar's death was a benefit to 
Rome, then they don't love their country.  (act III scene II ln 15-16"believe 
me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: ")
 Brutus claims he himself is an honorable man and that Caesar was ambitious:
(act III Scene II Ln.28-29 "but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. ")
Antony says three times (act III scene II ln83,87,96 "But Brutus says he was 
ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man.") Here Antony is sarcastic, and 
implying that Brutus is not honorable, and that Caesar wasn't ambitious, 
but that Brutus was ambitious.  In Brutus whole speech, it seems that Brutus 
was like a deer caught in headlights... how he praises Caesar and gets all 
or most of the attention off of him and on to justify his dirty deed.  
Yet Antony seemed to just come to give Caesar an honorable funeral (quote 
act III SceneII Ln75".I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."), and in 
the process let the mob finish the job of  avenging Caesar's betrayal and 
murder. 

 3.)Cassius sees Caesar as a quote (act I scene II ln 135-8 "Why, man,
 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.") 
In this quote Cassius is saying that Caesar is an arrogant, proud ruler with
 a God-complex. In trying to prove to Brutus that Caesar is ambitious, Cassius  paints to be
 proud and ruthless.  Brutus believes that Caesar is ruled more  by reasont than emotion. He
 also feels that if  Caesar gets the crown, he may turn his back on those who helped him get
 to the top. Brutus may think of Caesar as a humble man, yet with too much power, he would
 change into a tyrant. (Act II Scene I ln. 20-27"I have not known when his affections sway'd
 More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof, That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
 Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; 	But when he once attains the upmost round.  He
 then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees By
 which he did ascend. ") Antony admired Caesar, and felt that he was noble, honest, gentle
 anda  great man.. (Act V Scene V ln. 68-75"This was the noblest Roman of them all:All the
 conspirators save only he Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; He only, in a general
 honest thought And common good to all, made one of them.  His life was gentle, and the
 elements So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world 'This was a
 man!'")  I think that the conspiritors were somewhat just because if who knows for sure if
 caesar was going to make Rome fall.  I think that Brutus had good intentions however he
 shouldn't have let Cassius deceive him.  Brutus was acting for all the Roman populace, bu
 Cassisus was selfish.  I think that all the other conspiritors were just lame followers. 
 Also since when is it ok to murder someone because they might be ambitious?  I say wait and
 find out, if it were so then try to kill him, or let the people rebel.

 4.)  The three suicides that occur in this play are by Portia, Brutus and Cassius. 
 Portia's suicide occured when she thought that Brutus had been killed by Octavius and Mark
 Antony. She heard that they had killed many Senators.  Brutus had been away and Portia
 thought he was dead. In the beginning of the play, Portia exhibits emotions and womanly
 feelings.  She feels frustrated because as a woman she was a second class citizen, as well
 as having to put up with a husband who is a Stoic - one who believes in reason over
 emotion. (Act IV Scene III ln. 150-155; 171-3"Impatient of my absence, And grief that young
 Octavius With   Mark Antony Have made themselves so strong:--for with her death That
 tidings came;--with this she fell distract, And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.
 ""MESSALA That by proscription and bills of outlawry, Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus, Have
 put to death an hundred senators.".) Cassius commited suicide by haveing Pindarus, stab him
 with the sword that killed Caesar.  Cassius killed himself because he realized how he was a
 coward and sent his best friend Titinius to go out into the feild.  Then he didn't even
 have the gut's (no pun intended) to kill himself like a man. (act V scene III ln 33-46"
 Come hither, sirrah: In Parthia did I take thee prisoner; And then I swore thee, saving of
 thy life, That whatsoever I did bid thee do, Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine
 oath; Now be a freeman: and with this good sword, That ran through Caesar's bowels, search
 this bosom. Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts; And, when my face is cover'd,
 as 'tis now,  Guide thou the sword. [PINDARUS stabs him] Caesar, thou art revenged, Even
 with the sword that kill'd thee.[Dies]") Brutus commited suicide by throwing himself on to
 his sword.  First off that was a manly death.  It seemd Brutus had a choice one to flee
 with Clitus, wait for Antony to kill him, or kill himself with honor and he chose honor. 
 Brutus was a real man, he was a doer, not a watcher.  Imagine running onto a sword...
 WOW!!! quote(Act V Scene V ln 43-51"I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord: Thou art a
 fellow of a good respect; Thy life hath had some smatch of honour in it: Hold then my
 sword, and turn away thy face, While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?  STRATO Give me
 your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.  BRUTUS Farewell, good Strato. [Runs on his sword]
  Caesar, now be still: I kill'd not thee with half so good a will. [Dies]")

