The concept of tragedy in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Aristotle defines tragedy as "imitation of an action that is

serious and hawing magnitude, it is complete in itself". Aristotle
adds that tragedy is a form of drama exciting the emotions of
pity and fear. Its action should be single and complete,
presenting a reversal of fortune, involving persons renowned
and of superior attainments, and it should be written in poetry
embellished with every king of artistic expression where the
quotation ends. The writer presents in cidents arousing pity and
fear. Where with to interpret its Catharsis of such emotions".

The basic difference Aristotle draws between tragedy and

other genres, such as comedy and the epic, is the "tragic
pleasure of pity and fear'' that audience feel in watching a
tragedy for the tragic hero to aronsc these feeling in the
audience, he can not be either a good or all evil but must be
someone the audience can identify themselves with; however, if
he is superior in some ways, the tragic pleasure is intensified..
His disastrous end results from a mistaken action, which in turn
arises from a tragic flaw or from a tragic error in judgment.
Often the tragic flaw is hubris, an excessive pride that causes the
hero to ignore a divine warning or to beak a moral law. It has
been suggested that because the tragic hero's suffering is greater
than his offense, the audience feels pity, because the audience
perceive that they could behave similarly, thus they feel pity
towards the hero.

1
 Elizabeth and Shakespearean Tragedy

A distinctly English from of tragedy begins with the

Elizabethans. The translation of Seneca and the reading of
Aristotle's poetics were of major influence and high importance.
Many critics and play wrights, such as Ben Jonson, insisted or
observing the classical unities of action, time and place (the
action should be one whole and take place in one day in one
place).It is note worthy that the type of tragedy that Shakespeare
excelled can be labeled as Romantic tragedy such as Richard II,
Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear. This type of tragedy usually
ignore the unities (as in the use of subplots), mixed tragedy and
comedy, and emphasized action, spectacles, and increasingly
sensation.

Shakespeare violated the unities in these ways and also in

mixing poetry and prose and using the device of a play –within-
a- play, as in Hamlet. The Elizabethans and their Jacobean
Successors acted on stage the violence that the Greek dramatists
reported. The Elizabeth and later the Jacobean playwright had
adverse audience to pleasure, ranging from Queen Elizabeth and
king James I and their courtiers to the lowest classes. Other
tragedy writers of the Elizabethan traged Age e.g Christopher
Marlowe has shown the resources if the English language with
his magnificent blank reuse, as in the Tragedy of Dr. Fanstus
and the powerful effect that could be achieved by focusing in a

2
towering protagonist, as in Tamburlaine. In Elizabethan tragedy,
the individual leads to violence and conflict. A distinctly non-
Aristotelian from of tragedy developed during this period was
the tragic comedy. In a tragic comedy, the action and subject
matter seem to require a tragic ending, but it is avoidable by
arerevrsal witch leads to a happy ending; sometimes the tragic
comedy alternates serious and comic actions throughout the
play, Because it blends tragedy and comedy, the tragic comedy
is sometimes referred to as a "mixed' king of drama drama.

3
 " Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy"
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Shakespeare has written lot of great and beautiful pieces of

literature in the form of tragedy. However, the attempt of putting
Shakespeare work under a category is quite difficult because
every word of art created by Shakespeare is an experiment to
create something different from the previous ones, and he
achieved success in every attempt.

1. Tragic/fatal flaw: A tragic flaw is a personality trait that leads

to the downfall of the protagonist. It can also be a wrong action
or decision performed or taken by the protagonist that results his
own ruin.

2. super natural elements: use of supernatural elements is a

common characteristic of Elizabethan drama, to which
Shakespeare's plays are no exception.

Supernatural powers contribute to the fate of the

protagonist. However, they are not solely responsible for the
downfall of the hero it still lies in the deeds and action of the
hero. Usually, these actions are the outcome of the protagonist
over ambitions nature of the feelings of revenge. Furthermore,
the are not illusions in the mind of the hero because they
contribute to the action of the play with their presence in mpre
than one or two scenes.

4
3. Internal and External conflict:
The external conflict between two people, the tragic hero
and another main character of the story. It can also mean the
conflict between two parties, one of which isled by the tragic
hero.

The result of external conflict is always in far or of the

other party as it is the good play. When we talk about the
internal struggle of the hero, the conflict represents the struggle
of thoughts in mind. The result of the struggle, frequently, is that
the hero is further tormented.

4. Fate/fortune: As the tragic hero is of high estate and is a

public figure, his downfall makes a contrast which affects no
only his personal life, but the fate and welfare of the entire
nation or empire. It reflect the powerlessness of human beings
and the omnipotence of fat.

6. Paradox of life: Shakespeare's tragedy reflect the paradox of

life, in the sense that the calamity and suffering experienced by
the tragic hero are contrasted with happiness and glory. The
paradox of tragedy the puzzle of explaining why we enjoy
tragedies when they provoke negative emotions has generated a
great deal of discussion in aesthetics.

For the reader and lighen up the mood.

(Reeves, H Charles. The American Journal of publishing, 1952)

5
 "Julius Ceasar"

Bennett Allen Cassius was one of Caesar's friends as well

as a nobleman. Cassius was jealous of Caesar's power and tried
to convince people that ceasor was no more than a dictator not
an emperor. He pretended to be concerned about the people
interests, and that convened Brutus; who was Caesor's most
loyal and trusted friends, to be part of the plot to assassinate
Caesar. After succeeding in killing Caesar Brutus tries to stage a
fun rebellion, but the army was too stony rather them surrender
and be taking prisoner he choose to commit suicide by his friend
sword.

"Julius Caesar was betrayed by loyal men"

Brutus wielded the utters betrayal to Cacsar because of his

deep loyalty to Rome Brutus was Julius Ceasar's closest friend
and ally. Brutus was persuaded into joining the conspiracy
against caesar by the other senators though trickery. Bruntus
decided to work against Julius Caesar after he believed Ceasar
wanted to be a king instead of a leader. Brutus after killing
caesar says (Act three, scene two, line 20) Brutus is visited by
the ghost of caesar. "I shall see the at Philippi," (Act IV, scene
three, line 287) the spirit warns him, but Brutus Courage is
unshaken and he goes on.

As the play end antony delivers a enology over Brutus

body Calling him "the noblest Roman of them all". Caesar's

6
murder has been averaged, order has been restored and most
important, the Rome has been preserved. Brutus is prond of his
reputation for honor and nobleness, but he is not alwyas
practical, and is often naïve. He is the only major character in
the play intensely committed to fashioning his behavior to fit a
strict moral and ethical code. [Leonard.F. Dean, October, 1961]

"Then fan, Caesar" Ceasor utters after his famous line "et
tu, Brute?"

(Act III, Scene I) and you, 13 rutns?

Suggesting that ceasar did not want becoming are

responsible for the government of Rome. They have allowed a
man to gain excessive power, therefore, they have the
responsibility to stop him, and with a man of Caesar's well-
Known ambition, that can only mean assassination. "This was
the noblet Roman of them all". (Act V, Scene V, line 68)
[Nicolans of Damascus].

" Ides of March"

On the ides of march of 44 BC – a day used by Romans as

a dead line for scatting debts, the Conspirators staged a game of
gladiatorial sport at the theatre of pompey. The gladiators were
Drovided by Decimu Brutus in case their service were needeal.
They waited in the great hall of the theabre's quad riportico
Caesar, however, was late, having received several wavning in

7
the previous days. Therefore, Decimus Brutus was sent to fetch
him and manged to persuade Caesar toattend so as not
disappoint the senate.

According to Plutarch as caesar arrived out the senate,

Lucius Tillins cimber presented him with a petition to recall his
exiled brother. The other Conspirators crowded rowel to offer
their support. Both phntarach and Suetonius say thenl Caesar
wared him away, but cimber grabb ceasar's Shoulders and pulled
down caesars toga. Ceasar then cried to metellus cimber "why
this is violence?" (Ista anidem vis est!)".

[Life of the Caesar, the defied Julius, [Butler. M.Cary, the

loife of Julius Caesar. University of Chicago, P.595].

8
 "Et tu, Brute"

Et tu, Brute these are the famous latin words of Julius

Cesar after he is murdered by his friend Brutus in Shakespeare's
Julius Cesar. These three words mean "Even you, Brutus?'' and
these words are golbaly used poetically today designate any
form of the utmost betrayal. After caesar staped by his fellow
men Caesar still standing after many staped it did not kill him
the one that killed him the final blow of his most trusted friend
Brutus that he seek him for help but instead Caesar getting
staped by his most lored friend so Caesar's final words were
"Then Caesar shall die". The blade did not kill him rather than
the felling of betrayal did finish him off.

[S.F.Johnson, Alfred Harbage 1960, P.74]

"Julius Caesar's Forgotten Assassin"

[March 15, 2018, By: Barry strauss]

William Shakespeare might given marens Junius Brutus all

the credit, but Caesar's true birthday was a much friend. On
march 15, 44 B.C. a group of Roman senators murdered Julius
Caesar as he salon the podium at a scnate meeting. The dictator
fell bleeding to his death from 23 stap wourds before the
horrified eyes of the rest of the house. The spectators did not
know it yet, but they were witnessing the last hours of the
Roman republic. As readers of William Shakespeare know,

9
adying Caesar turned to one of the assassins and condemned
him with his last breath. It was Caesar' friend, Marrcus Junius
Brutus, Decimus was closer to Caesar than either Brutus or
Cassins alas. In fact, they opposed Caesar daring his bloody rise
to power in a civil war. Only when he started winning the war
did they defeat to his canse. Caesar pardoned Brutus and
Cassins and rewarded them with political office, but he did not
trust them. Decimus was different. He always fought for Caesar,
never against him, and so he held a place in Caesar's inner
circle.

Many Romans feared the power that Caesar amassed,

especially after his victory in Gaul, In theory Rome was a
constitutional republic. In practice, Rome teetered for decades
on the brink of military elictatorship. Now, Caesar was Rome's
first dictator for life asking all but name, He event book a queen
as his mistress, Cleopatra of Egypt. In march 44 13.C she lived
in Caesa'r villa on the out skirts of Rome. He young son was,
she claimed, Caesar's illegitimate child. All of this was too much
for Roman traditionalists. But ambition rather than political
principle turned De eimus against Caesar. De cimus wanted the
distinction of a triumph or formal victory parade in Rome, but
Caesar denied it. Then there was the rise of Caesar's young
grandnephew Gains activism, gifted and cunning politician
Decimus clonal not have liked watching octaves replase him in
Caesars esteem. Arther possible influence on Decimus washis

10
wife, who came from a family that was opposed to Caesar. In
winter 44 B.C. Cassins originated the conspiring to kill Caesar.
Cassing inspired Brutus to move. Brutus was no soldier but he
was a philosopher and orator and much admiral in Rome.
Decimns joined the plot as well, as did more than sixty
prominent Romans.

"Comparing Betragal in Julius Caesar

and Animal farm"

No one ever said life was going to be easy, Throughout

one's life, one is pressurize into making a decision he or she
does not to make. Sometimes the decisions made are based on
how the person feels. One world make their decision by being
loyal to the person. Or one many choose a betrayal decision.
These difficult decision were made, with in the two novels,
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare and Animal farm by
George Orwell. A person's decision, whatever it many be, could
affect anyone or everyone that revolves around the decision
maker.

Conflicts, greed, argument, crime are only some examples

how thing would start to betray each other. When things become
chaos, thing become hard to control. First, one Animal Farm the
pigs slowly were taking over the farm. Little without the
animals knowing, they thought everything was going as plan.
"No question now, what has happened to the faces of the pigs.

11
The creatures outside looked for pig to man, and from man to
pig, and from pig to man again, but already it was impossible to
son which was which".

[Chapter 10, P118.]. In the end, the pigs betray their ten
commandments, their own comrades, and their very own words.

Second, within the story of Julius Caesar, if Brutus did not

kill Caesar, Antony would not had to have put the people of
Rome against Brutus and the conspirators. The pigs are not to
some extent like Brutus. On Animal farm, the pigs were well
respected by the animals on animal farm. As for Brutus, he is
well respected by his friend and the people of Rome. Brutus also
betrays himself. "But Iclo fiend it cowardly and vile, for fear of
what might fall, soto prevent the time of life, arming myself
with patience to stay the providence of some high powers that
govern us below".

28. [Act 5, scene 1, lines 113-11]

Brutus was saying this after Cato kills himself.

Unfortunately at the end, Brutus kills himself in a fear that he
lost everything. [James Taylor, 2017]

12
 "Conclusion"
"Did Shakespeare owe Anything to Seneca?"

The importance of Seneca for Elizabeth drama,

specifically Shakespeare, is one of things that classicist fend to
point to (a long of the Greek rats of western democracy, the
wide spread influence of Roman law, the literary importance of
classical mythology), when, as the poor relation in Arts
faculties, they feel the need to Justify their existence. Hawing
done this myself for some years, I came to realize that I had very
little idea of law Seneca was important, why was important, and
wen wither he was really important at all. One has, inevitably, to
start with the old question of wither Shakespeare would have
known Latin well enough to read Seneca in the original. The
argument about this form a separate debate, on in which, as
Charles Martindale Sales, "All too often one can hear the sound
of the grinding of axes" (Martindale, 1990: 4).

Particular in eighteenth century, some readers felt that the

honors of England demanded that Shakespeare be show to be
steeped in classical learning, whereas other felt that the fact that
he did not have a strong classical education was proof of his
natural greatness.

[M frank, university of Witwatersrand, 1996, P.36.42]

13
 The first well koaln reference to Shakespeare's classical
learning is Ben Jonson's famous comment of 1623 to the effect
that Shakespeare had "small Latin and less Greek" (Jonson
1623: line 31). This comment was intended to exalt
Shakespeare, not to denigrate him. Jonson used the phrase in the
context of expressing his admiration of the fact that, although
Shakespeare had little classical learning, he surpassed (in
Jonson's opinion) not only all previous English poets but also all
classical writers of tragedy and comedy. (Whitaker, VK 1969,
Shakespeare's use of learning).

14