Product Description

This book is edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, research Professor of English, University of Sussex. "Julius Caesar" is among the best of Shakespeare's historical and political plays. Dealing with events surrounding the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., the drama vividly illustrates the ways in which power and corruption are linked. The cry 'Peace, freedom and liberty!' is used to exculpate brutal realities, while personal ambitions taint public actions. Rich in characterization and replete with eloquent rhetoric, "Julius Caesar" remains engrossing and topical: a play for today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74762 in Books
• Published on: 1992-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of Shakespeare's most political plays, Julius Caesar continued Shakespeare's interest in Roman history, first developed in Titus Andronicus. Drawing on Plutarch, the great historian of Rome, Shakespeare dramatises one of the most crucial moments in Roman history--the assassination of Julius Caesar. Loved by the Roman crowd but increasingly feared by the Senators, Caesar increasingly shows signs of his desire to abolish the Republic and crown himself emperor. A conspiracy is hatched, led by Cassius and Brutus, who murder Caesar on the steps of the Capitol. Mourning over his dead friend's body, Mark Antony gives one of the famous rhetorical speeches in literature, asking "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" to lament Caesar's death, privately vowing to "let slip the dogs of war" against those who have shed Caesar's blood. Antony joins forces with Caesar's son Octavius to defeat Cassius and Brutus in battle, and establish an uneasy alliance whose collapse is dramatised in Shakespeare's later play Antony and Cleopatra. Written at the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign, Julius Caesar has been seen by many as a radically pro-Republican play which sailed close to the political wind of the time. --Jerry Brotton

From the Author
It's two, two, two plays in one!
Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" is the only tragedy he wrote where the title character dies in the third act. The real "tragic hero" is Brutus, who is the last to die in the play.It's also interesting to note Marc Antony, a minor character in the first two acts, who comes to the forefront in his funeral oration. But his nobility declines in Act 4, where Shakespeare shows him to be influenced by power.There is no direct confrontation between the protagonists and the antagonists in the play. Both Cassius and Brutus come to their ends by their own hands.

From the Back Cover
Dramatizing the political battles in Rome during the height of the Pax Romanum, Shakespeare pits Caesar against an untold number of conspirators and lets the daggers fly. Antony comes in at the end to clean up the mess and carry on the rule of the Caesars.

The CliffsComplete Julius Caesar is a revised and expanded study edition. It contains Shakespeare′s original play, a glossary, and expert commentary in a unique, 2–column format. To enhance your learning, notes and definitions appear directly opposite the line in which they occur, and a review section follows the play. This edition also introduces you to the life, works, and times of William Shakespeare.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful!
Ok, so you wouldn't exactly pass a history exam if you based your knowledge of Julius Caesar only on Shakespeare's play - he manipulates historical material and sources, so sometimes it seems as if days pass rather than years between the various historical events of the play; however, this is all done to achieve a brilliant dramatic effect, with countless paradoxes, ironies, juxtapositions, and contrasts. Shakespeare is the master of language in this play, from the arrogant, larger-than-life Caesar and the blood-drenched metaphors of murder to the emotional rhetoric of Mark Antony. And if you're worried about the dates, don't fear, the Arden Shakespeare contains a brilliant introduction which includes a discussion of how Shakespeare condensed historical material available to him and what the Renaissance view of Caesar was. The annotations are very helpful and plentiful, even if you're just starting Shakespare this would be the ideal play for an introduction to his language and dramatic techniques.

a stage-friendly edition
What is most recommendable about this New Penguin Shakespeare edition is the introduction's emphasis on the many-sided texture and elaborate plot of this play (especially when "Julius Caesar" is arguably the fastest-paced of Shakespeare's tragedies). It abounds with useful clues on how characters construe the others (and themselves), and therefore is most suited to readers and actors who are in doubt how to "feel" the game of wills inside this play.

Interesting history but poor resolution
Having read much historically about the the Roman emperors, I was very excited to be reading JULIUS CAESAR. It was interesting at first to compare the characters of the play to the same names we read about in history books. I felt that this is one of Shakespeare's most difficult books to interpret in today's language. Even though this edition does have extensive foot (or in this book, side) notes, the reading process was confusing having to look back in forth. If you are just reading this play to read some Shakespeare, try another less difficult Shakespeare work, like A COMEDY OF ERRORS. Thsi is much easier to understand, and for beginners, you will probably enjoy it more. But if you are a beginner looking for a tragedy, try ROMEO and JULIET. While the language can be confusing at time, this classic story should really be read by all.