Character Sketch: Julius Caesar
Uploaded by ChibiUniverse on Mar 18, 2002
Julius Caesar was a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. Julius Caesar was a great Roman general and senator born in 100 B.C. He has a wife named Calphurnia but no children. Though he was an illustrious leader, Caesar was a physically weak man; he suffered from epilepsy and was deaf in one ear. In the beginning of the play, Caesar was returning to Rome in triumph after a successful military campaign against Pompey's sons. Caesar formed the first triumvirate with Crassus and Pompey. After the death of Crassus and Caesar's defeat of Pompey, Caesar gained autocrat power. A group of conspirators led by Brutus assassinated him and Cassius, who worried that Caesar, might aspire to become a dictator over the Roman republic. Julius Caesar was an arrogant and egocentric man who is also a fatalist.
Caesar was an arrogant man who saw himself as being the strongest and the most powerful man in Rome. When his wife Calphurnia tried to stop Caesar from going to the Capitol for fear of his life was in danger, Caesar said that he has no need to be afraid for he was even more formidable than danger itself. ¡§Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he." (2, 2, 44-45) This showed the great confidence he had in himself and his certitude that no one would dare to harm him. Caesar took immense pride in his conquests and believed that it would be shameful for him to lie to the senators about the reason of his absence from the Capitol on the ides of March. ¡§Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far to be afeared to tell greybeards the truth?" (2, 2, 66-67) His confidence that a simple ¡§Caesar will not come" would be sufficient a reason for the senators were another sign of the high esteem he held of himself.
Caesar was also rather egocentric and he is susceptible to having his decisions swayed through praises and flattery rained upon Caesar by the people around him. When Decius first arrived at Caesar's house to escort him to the Senate House, Caesar told Decius that he was not going. When Decius asked for an explanation he could give to the senators as to why Caesar was not going, Caesar said, ¡§The cause is my will: I will not come; that is enough to satisfy the senate." (2, 2, 71-72) Caesar's answer was...