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Essay about Julius Caesar: The Spirit of Caesar

Decent Essays

Imagine being your countries hero, imagine all the people loving you and adoring you, imagine being the best at everything – now imagine Julius Caesar. It seems as though the last one doesn’t fit, does it? However, wasn’t Caesar one of the most influential people during the time of the Roman Empire AND didn’t he influence our world today? As well as in reality, in the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, this man has a very interesting role. Despite the fact that he is immensely influential during his life, after his assassination it seems as though Caesar is still influential – or, more specifically, his spirit is.
There are three general aspects which the spirit of Caesar influenced (being still alive Caesar influenced some of …show more content…

We’ll revenge his death!” (225); some of the conspirators commit suicide: “Cassius: O, coward that I am, to live so long/To see my best friend ta’en before my face!” (238); and the main conspirator – Brutus – is visited by Caesars ghost (which could have been just a hallucination) (a.4, s.3).
The second aspect was the mind. The modern world today affects its people’s minds more than at any other time in history – though these effects are usually negative. Caesar had the same problem; his death arose many arguments and much distrust. Many people started questioning their friendships: “Brutus: The name of Cassius honors this corruption/And chastisement doth therefore hide his head” (229); and many people questioned the words of others: “Antony: He was my friend, faithful and just to me/But Brutus says he was ambitious/And Brutus is an honorable man” (223).
The third aspect which the spirit of Caesar influenced was the body. It is obvious that when Caesar was alive he affected the aspect of the body as well. However, despite the fact that he was a military and political leader, his power was clearly limited. Caesars people could consciously chose to follow him (or not to follow); but after Caesar died people were subconsciously, yet radically affected by the spirit of Caesar. Commoners started rebellions: “Plebeians: Never, never! Come, away, away!…with the brands fire the traitors’/houses…Go fetch fire…Pluck down

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