The Characetristic of Julius Caesar presented with reference to context....

2. • Won victory
• Great warrior
• Superstitious
• Like people praise but don’t like flattery
• Firm and arrogant in decision
• North star and Olympus Mountain
• Like fat people
“Caesar is more dangerous than danger itself”
• Denied all omens
• Shocked when stabbed by Brutus..
Et tue Brute!! Then fall, Caesar…!!!

3.  In opening scene we get impression that Caesar is a great warrior, won
war over sons of Pompey.
 The Tribunes try to belittle Caesar’s achievement
FLAVIUS
It is no matter; let no images
Be hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets:
So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch,
Who else would soar above the view of men
And keep us all in servile fearfulness.
 This also shows that Caesar was great warrior and
posses great military strength.

4. • First he appears to be a superstitious man because
he asks Antony to touch his wife Calpurnia in the
course of his running a race.
CAESAR
Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,
To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say,
The barren, touched in this holy chase,
Shake off their sterile curse.

5.  But the very next moment Caesar shows a complete
disregard of all superstition when in a replay to the
soothsayer’s warning to beware the ides of March, he
says that this man is a dreamer and doesn’t deserve
any attention.
Soothsayer
Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR
He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.

6.  Cassius speaks to Brutus about Caesar in a most
disparaging manner. As Cassius tries to build negative
image of Caesar in Brutus mind so that he may able to
turn Brutus against Caesar.
 Cassius claims that he had on one occasion shown
greater stamina as a swimmer then Caesar and that he
had in fact saved Caesar from drowning.

7. CASSIUS
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'

8.  Cassius also says that once, when Caesar was suffering
from fever, he had cried like a sick girl and asked in a
feeble tone for a little water to drink.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly,
And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Titinius,'
As a sick girl.

9.  And yet Cassius also conveys to us an idea of Caesar greatness
when speaking about him he says
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs
Here Cassius compares Caesar to a huge statue and
refers to himself and to Brutus as “we petty men”.

10.  When, after attending games, Caesar re-appears, he makes
one of the most perspective speeches in the whole play. He
tells Antony that he would like to keep away from men like
Cassius who has lean and hungry look, and who thinks too
much. Describing Cassius’s character, Caesar further says
that this man loves no plays, hears no music, smiles seldom
and, even when he smiles, he smiles in a manner which
shows as if he scorned himself for having smiled at
anything. Such men say Caesar can never at ease as long as
they see somebody greater than themselves. Such men
according to Caesar are dangerous. Caesar would like to
only associate with man who are fat, who keep their hair
well-combed, and who enjoy a sound sleep at nights. Here
Caesar speaks like a specialist in human psychology.

11. CAESAR
Let me have men about me that are fat;
Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o'
nights:
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry
look;
He thinks too much: such men are
dangerous.

12.  The next moment Caesar asks Antony to come
to his right hand because his left ear is deaf.
Come on my right hand,
for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what
thou think'st of him.

13.  Then we learn from Casca’s account to Brutus and Cassius that
Caesar has fainted at the games because of the strain which he
had experienced in refusing the crown which mark Antony had
offered to him three times at which he had inwardly belonging
to accept. Brutus here says that Caesar suffers from “the falling
sickness” and that he must surely have fainted.
CASCA
He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at
mouth, and was speechless.
BRUTUS
'Tis very like: he hath the failing sickness.

14.  Caesar fearlessly says to Calpurnia that if the mighty
gods are bent upon putting an end to somebody's life
then that man cannot escape from his fate.
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
 Replay to Priest:
CAESAR
The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.

15.  Having decided not to gout of the doors Caesar
decided to go out. Thus he appears to be having a
wavering mind.
 Decius interpreting Calpurnia dream as good omen.
 And saying you don’t like flattery.
 He is also partly influenced by Decius’s falsely
telling him that the Senate intend to offer him a
crown at that day’s meeting. And that they might
change their mind in case if he fails to attend the
meeting.

16. A little latter the conspirators led by Brutus arrive at
Caesar’s house and we feel greatly impressed by
Caesar’s graceful and dignified behavior in receiving
them and hospitably offering wine to them. He speaks
in a most cultured manner saying:
Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;
And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

17.  When the meeting of the Senate begins and Metellus
Cimber makes a personal request to Caesar, Caesar
firmly rejects the requests. Here we certainly admires
Caesar firmness but we strongly disapprove of the
arrogant and haughty behavior in which he speaks. He
describes Metellus Cimber as “couchings and these
lowly courtesies, Low-crooked court'sies and base
spaniel-fawning”.
 And then he says to Metellus Cimber “I spurn
 thee like a cur out of my way.”

18. • He compares himself one man amongst countless men
because he never changes his mind and never modifies
his decisions.
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-fix'd and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
He rejects the recommendation of Brutus and Cassius too;
and when Cinna lends his support to Metellus’s
petition, Caesar loftily says
Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

19.  Shakespeare insists, despite history, that he is a tyrant,
weak in body and mind, easily flattered, vain, and
superstitious.
 1. Physically weak.
 2. Susceptible to flattery.
 3. Superstitious.
 4. Vain.
 5. Arrogant.

20. ANY QUESTIONS..????