Writing from 10th grade

1. Mikayla Cummings
Mrs. Bolton
Honors English 10
4 February 2017
William Shakespeare, the playwright of Julius Caesar and a myriad of other theater
works, spoke volumes with his descriptive words. During the Shakespearean Era descriptive
words and the literary tool of imagery was crucial to putting on an enjoyable play. Shakespeare
did not have all the costuming and props that are included in theater production nowadays; he
relied on imagery to create vivid “mental pictures” of scenes in the minds of his audience. One
of Shakespeare’s most well known plays, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, includes several
examples of imagery.
In 2.2 of Julius Caesar, Caesar says to Decius:
Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home.
She dreamt tonight she saw my statue,
Which, like a fountain with a hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood, and many lusty Romans
Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it. (2.2.75-79)
Imagery is used as Calpurnia’s dream is being discussed as seen in the quote above. Calpurnia,
who is the wife of Caesar, begs of her husband to stay home instead of visiting the Senate House
as she believes her dream a warning, and a warning it was. The imagery used in the dream
creates a vivid scene of a statue of Julius Caesar with hundreds of stab wounds spouting blood as
happy Romans are washing their hands in it. This descriptive passage appeases to the audience’s
sense of sight and touch. As Calpurnia and the audience see the dream as a warning, Caesar is

2. swayed otherwise by the flattery of Decius and decides to visit the Capitol. Calpurnia’s dream in
fact was a warning and foreshadowed the murder of Julius Caesar by a group of conspirators at
the Senate House. The scene of Caesar’s murder is abound with imagery of its own.
In 3.1, the scene of Caesar’s assassination, imagery is used to create a visual of high and
low between Caesar and the people of Rome. Julius Caesar decides to go to the Capitol despite
the warning of his wife, Calpurnia. When Caesar arrives at the Senate House he is led inside by
Brutus, Cassius, and other men he thought were trustworthy friends. Once inside Caesar goes to
stand amongst a pedestal and the men kneel before him, begging for the freedom of Publius
Cimber. This is the first visual representation of high and low. In reply to the kneeling and
begging of the men, Caesar says:
I could be well moved, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;
But I am constant as the Northern Star,
Of whose true-fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with the unnumb’red sparks,
They are all fire and every one doth shine;
But there’s but one in all doth hold his place.
So in the world; ‘tis furnished well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet in number I do know but one
That unassailable holds his rank,
Unshaken of motion; and that I am he,

3. Let me a little show it, even in this---
That I was constant. Cimber should be banished,
And constant do remain to keep him so. (3.1.58-73)
The second image of high and low is found in Caesar’s line above as he describes himself as the
Northern Star. Julius Caesar thinks much about himself throughout the play up until the scene of
his death. In his quote above, Caesar compares himself to the Northern Star, saying he has a
fixed position and will not be moved. After Shakespeare uses such imagery to describe Caesar as
such a strong and powerful individual, the men around him take action and carry out what that
they planned to do. Each man that surrounded Caesar, stabs him, leaving him with spouting
blood just like Calpurnia predicted from her dream. Although, Julius Caesar is not the only one
to die during the play.
In 5.3, the scene of battle, imagery is used by Titinius to describe Cassius as the setting
sun. After the murder of Julius Caesar, the people of Rome take the side of either Cassius and
Brutus or Antony and Octavius. With Rome split in two and much blood boiling, the two sides
decide to go to battle with each other. After months of planning and marching, the day of battle
arrives. Brutus decides he will fight Octavius and Cassius, Antony. As the war horn sounds,
hundreds of men start charging into battle. Brutus almost has Octavius beat as Cassius is falling a
little to Antony. In whirlwind of miscommunication, Cassius commits suicide in thought that
Brutus lost his battle; in reality Brutus won. When Messala and Titinius, good soldiers of
Cassius, find the body, Titinius says:
But Cassius is no more. O setting sun,
As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night,
So in his red blood Cassius’ day is set.

4. The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone;
Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done!
Mistrust of my success hath done this deed. (5.3.60-65)
This vibrant image portrays the merging of the red sunset happening in the sky with the blood
flowing out of Cassius’ body. Both the blood and sunset imply that something is ending; Titinius
fears that the failure of the conspirators' plan foretells the end of the old Roman ways and the
beginning of a new regime.
Unlike current theater performances, during the Shakespearean Era plays were not
enhanced with props and extravagant backdrops. William Shakespeare had to use his skillful
words and phrases to paint pictures for his readers. Imagery is an eloquent language that appeals
to the reader’s senses. Thanks to Shakespeare and other authors that use imagery in their works
the ability to “get lost in a book” is appreciated by readers everywhere.