Julius Caesar - Who are the main characters for Julius Caeser?

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   sullymonster Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   Julius Caesar is, ironically, not one of the main characters for this play.  Although the conflict revolves around him, it is more about the struggle of the conspirators and - in particularly - Brutus that serves to highlight Shakespeare's themes.

   Brutus is the protagonist, struggling with the moral decision to protect his country at the risk of committing murder.  He is naive and is led into the conspiracy more readily than his own conscious should allow.

   Cassius is the instigator of the conspiracy, the one that gets Brutus all revved up.  Unlike Brutus, however, Cassius' goals relate more to personal envy and less to patriotic duty.

   Antony is in many ways the foil to Caesar.  While Caesar actively sought power, Antony spends his young life playing, not working.  However, he quickly steps into the role of power when opportunity presents himself, and his characters hints to readers that there may be worse things than a sovereign ruler - a ruler without clear cut moral attributes.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/jc/antony-character-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/jc/brutus-character-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/jc/cassius-character-analysis

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   Posted by sullymonster on Wednesday May 7, 2008 at 9:21 AM