Book Bearings
Julius Caesar
- 136 pages · about 2 hours
- First published 1656
- 1,531 editions
- Free to read
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1 About this book
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, often shortened to Julius Caesar, is a historical tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written and first performed in 1599. The play portrays the political conspiracy that led to the assassination of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar and Rome's subsequent civil war. Drawing primarily (with deviations in various aspects) from Sir Thomas North's 1579 translation of Parallel Lives by Plutarch, Shakespeare presents a dramatised account of Caesar's growing power, his murder by a group of senators led by Cassius and Brutus, and the defeat of the conspirators by the forces of Mark Antony and Octavius at the Battle of Philippi.
Although named after Caesar, the play focuses largely on Brutus, whose moral and political dilemmas have often led critics to regard him as its tragic hero.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Biography
- Classics
- History
- Historical
- Assassination
- Assassins
- Conspiracies
- Drama
2 What to expect
Shakespeare's tragedy of the conspiracy to assassinate Rome's most powerful man, and of the political upheaval that follows. Though named for Caesar, it centers on Brutus, who is torn between friendship and duty to the republic, and on how a persuasive speech can turn a crowd. It is one of Shakespeare's shorter plays, written mostly in verse, with several famous speeches.
Good for readers who want: Shakespeare, Roman history, and political drama.
3 Read it free, right here
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Read it on the Internet Archive4 About William Shakespeare
Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
5 More by William Shakespeare
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