Bookshelf Recommendation, William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF | William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (Focus, 2018)

We know that Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a superb storyteller. What might surprise you, however, is that he was a keen student of history and an astute political thinker. Indeed, of Shakespeare’s thirty-eight plays, fifteen were historically situated in either Greece, Rome or England. Further, the main protagonists of those plays were historical figures and primarily leaders of their respective realms, such as Pericles or Richard II. But perhaps no play better demonstrates Shakespeare’s careful study of history and politics than The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar was first performed in 1599. It is one of Shakespeare’s four Roman plays that depict Rome and its leadership. Along with Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra, these three plays encapsulate the transition from Roman Republic to Roman Empire. Julius Caesar depicts the final phase of the Roman Republic.

Through the character of Brutus, Shakespeare draws us, the reader, into the dilemma as to whether we should join the conspirators led by Cassius to kill Caesar to prevent the fall of Rome. Despite the conspirators’ best intentions, the death of Caesar plunges Rome into civil war and leads to the end of the Roman Republic.

Julius Caesar is not a “Who done it?” mystery. We know who killed Caesar. Rather, Julius Caesar deserves our careful, repeated study because of the permanent themes and questions raised by its characters and their actions. Who should rule? How does what the ruler admires influence the political state? What should a ruler admire? What is a republic? What is necessary for a republic to preserve and perpetuate itself? What is honorable action? What is a patriot? Is ambition good? What is most important – order or liberty? What is friendship? Can you maintain private friendships and be a public servant? Julius Caesar skillfully investigates the historical moment of Caesar’s assassination to raise a host of perennial political questions that remain vital and pressing even today.

For those interested in further study of Julius Caesar, I highly recommend Dr. Jan H. Blits’ edition where he deftly identifies the historical and political elements critical to understanding the play.

In addition, I also recommend University of Virginia Professor of English Dr. Paul Cantor’s lectures on Julius Caesar which can be found on YouTube. Enjoy!

Recommended by Tim Simpson, PhD, professor of education and Chair of the Department of Foundational and Graduate Studies in Education at Morehead State University. 

Dr. Simpson has led seminars for the McConnell Center's Strategic Broadening Seminar for the U.S. Army as well as its Civic Education Program. 

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Views expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of the McConnell Center. This recommendation is part of the McConnell Center's Meditations publication series for soldiers and students in our Strategic Broadening Seminar. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter.