Julius Caesar Written in 1599 (the same year as Henry V ) or 1600, probably for the opening of the Globe Theatre on the south bank of the Thames, Julius Caesar illustrates similarly the transition in Shakespeare’s writing toward darker themes and tragedy . It, too, is a history play in a sense, dealing with a non-Christian civilization existing 16 centuries before Shakespeare wrote his plays. Roman history opened up for Shakespeare a world in which divine purpose could not be easily ascertained . The characters of Julius Caesar variously interpret the great event of the assassination of Caesar as one in which the gods are angry or disinterested or capricious or simply not there. The wise Cicero observes, “Men may construe things after their fashion, / Clean from the purpose of the things themselves” (Act I, scene 3, lines 34–35).
“Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry” Cassandra Clare, clockwork Angel. This quote remarks the significance of reading literature and how literature can bridge the gaps between cultures in addition to influencing people. While talking about literature, the first name that comes to minds is William Shakespeare. He was a brilliant poet, actor and playwright who was also known as the “Bard of Avon” and often called England’s national poet. As a playwright, Shakespeare believed that literature and history are entwined with each other. Hence, he tried to write his plays as much as possible relevant to audience’s lives to learn from their past. He thought that without literature people wouldn’t know about their past, so he decided to make history a main theme in most of his 37 plays. It is important to read these plays to understand the sophisticated human nature. One of the most historical magnificent plays written by him, is Julius Cae...
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