Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Shakespeare: Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar is really good. It's left a bunch of quotes in our culture, and it has a bunch of quotes that would have been well known had they not been overshadowed by the more famous lines.

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves

Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

Casca: Ay, he spoke Greek.
Cassius: To what effect?
Casca: Nay, an I tell you that I'll ne'er look you i' the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another, and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me.

Cowards die many times before their deaths

Et tu, Bruté? — Then fall, Caesar!

Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

And here's a cool speech: People are begging Julius Caesar to stay home, for fear he will die if he goes out. They have seen visions sent to them by the gods:

Julius Caesar
The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home today for fear.
No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well
That Caesar is more dangerous than he:
We are two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible:-
And Caesar shall go forth.

Talk about cool

Anyway, the play isn't actually about Caesar, it's about his assassination. Brutus is the protagonist.

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