Julius Caesar | Roman Politics

In the first excerpt, Alice Shalvi delves into the question of whether Shakespeare condemns or condones Caesar's assassination. Brents Stirling, in the second excerpt, examines the extent to which Shakespeare relied upon his source material in his presentation of the Roman populace. In the third excerpt, Whitaker discusses the political and moral implications of Shakespeare's characterization of Brutus and Caesar. Finally, in the last excerpt, John Dover Wilson maintains that the sole theme of Julius Caesar is the conflict between liberty and tyranny.

Alice Shalvi
[Shalvi seeks to determine whether Shakespeare condemns or condones Caesar's assassination. The critic argues that while Shakespeare makes it evident that Brutus's fears of Caesar's tyranny are justified, he nonetheless presents the murder as an immoral act that must be avenged. In Shalvi's opinion, Brutus's sole motive for participating in the plot against Caesar is to safeguard the liberty of the Roman citizens; ironically, however, it is this noble purpose that causes his political ineptitude and contributes to the failure of the conspiracy. Despite the play's...