In the final stretch after the Trial examinations, I

Transcription

1 SHAKESPEARE S JULIUS CAESAR: Exploring conflicting perspectives Christine Waters, Port Macquarie High In the final stretch after the Trial examinations, I aimed to look at some conflicting perspectives which we did not have time to explore in class in five or six weeks. Students had already concentrated on the main characters, perhaps exploring conflicting perspectives on a personality, such as Caesar or Brutus. One approach could be to look at public versus private perspectives on them. They may have looked at conflicting perspectives on an event such as the assassination, or on a situation, perhaps the republic or ambition. I find it very interesting in Shakespeare s plays to look at what he does with secondary characters. In addition, I am always interested in what his plays have to say about fate and destiny. I looked at three conflicting perspectives: 1. conflicting perspectives of youth and middle age 2. conflicting perspectives on women and political life 3. conflicting perspectives on fate and destiny. Underlying these perspectives are stereotypes, about men and women, about the young and old. Shakespeare challenges these stereotypes in the play. There are also issues of representation. Shakespeare uses dramatic techniques and language techniques to represent conflicting perspectives on these issues. Some dramatic techniques include: dramatic irony soliloquy role reversals. Some language techniques include: Imagery Irony Rhetorical questions. Conflicting perspectives of youth and middle age Julius Caesar is a political play in which middle-aged men fight over the Roman republic, but the play also includes an independent perspective of youth. There is a younger generation in the play with a very different agenda and outlook to the middle-aged Brutus, Cassius and Mark Antony and the elderly Caesar. This different, youthful perspective emerges through Octavius. Octavius is constantly called young Octavius by Mark Antony, Cassius and Brutus at the start of the play. Head of Gaius Octavius. Source Wikimedia Commons This labelling conveys a negative stereotype of him as immature, inexperienced and of unsound judgement and has a serious consequence given the context of the play, where age is valued and where a boy s opinions can be ignored because only mature men s judgements count. Octavius was under twenty when his adopted father and great uncle Caesar died. He was a teenager but he was a very unusual young man. This is immediately apparent as he enters the play. Before he died, Caesar had summoned Octavius to Rome. He was waiting seven leagues outside the city. In the crisis surrounding Caesar s assassination, Mark Antony sent a hasty message to Octavius to keep out of Rome because it was too dangerous but the message never reached him because Octavius was already in Rome. As soon as he heard of Caesar s death, Octavius entered the city despite the fact that he was in real danger as an obvious next target for assassination. This shows decisiveness and courage in a very young man. He is fearless, going straight into the lion s den. Octavius, like Cinna, could have been killed just because of his name. metaphor Issue 3,

2 Octavius is the youthful but surprisingly independent member of the triumvirate. Two middle-aged men, Mark Antony and Lepidus, are allied with a young man half their age, Octavius. You would expect the older men to dominate this young man. When Mark Antony forms the triumvirate it is clear that he intends to use Lepidus as a cash cow. It is also clear that he is using Octavius for his name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus his link to his adopted father, Caesar. Mark Antony also assumes that he can tell Octavius what to do. He talks down to Octavius, lectures him, tells him he is young and inexperienced, patronises him as an older man will do to a young man. Octavius is not intimidated by Mark Antony despite his youth. Octavius speaks for himself. He insists that Lepidus must include his own brother in the proscription list of those to be killed. Octavius also criticises Mark Antony to his face. He points out that while Mark Antony scorned Lepidus behind his back as an ass, he still listened to Lepidus when they were listing the proscriptions. Mark Antony did not like his hypocrisy being pointed out to him. He said, Octavius I have seen more days than you Octavius, not intimidated by Mark Antony s seniority, expressed his own different perspective on Lepidus: You may do your will: But he s [Lepidus] a tried and valiant soldier. Octavius distinctive character emerges. Unlike Mark Antony, he is generous and shows respect for others. He is not cynical like Mark Antony and sticks to ideals of fairness and justice. But Octavius is also a realist. He is fully aware of their danger. He says: we are at the stake, And bay d about with many enemies; And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear, Millions of mischiefs Two images are at play here: Octavius uses the animal imagery of bear baiting to describe his situation and to show a realistic assessment of the danger they are in (Bear baiting would have been familiar to the Elizabethan audience used to the spectacle of a bear chained to a stake and attacked by a pack of dogs). The second image he uses is that of a mask, realising that people mask their true feelings and wear a smile of friendship while plotting mischief in their hearts. This image also shows a political realism and maturity in a very young man. It is interesting that Octavius says this to Mark Antony s face just after he has seen Mark Antony smiling to Lepidus. These words don t just apply to the triumvirate s enemies. Octavius is ironically commenting on Mark Antony, having read Mark Antony s character and realising that Mark Antony is using him as much as he is using Lepidus. The audience is beginning to realise that Octavius does not fit the negative stereotypes of youth held by Mark Antony and others in the play. The conflict between Mark Antony s and Octavius perspectives widens at the end of the play. It is clear that Mark Antony is still trying to dominate the young man. He tells Octavius to lead the left wing at the battle. Octavius immediately answers that he will lead the right wing. Antony, exasperated, asks, Why do you cross me in this exigent? Octavius reply is typical of youthful defiance. He says, I do not cross you, but I will do so. In short he is crossing Mark Antony and he is going to do whatever he likes. A huge shift has occurred in everybody s perspective on Octavius. He is no longer called young Octavius even though he is still young. Mark Antony now calls him Caesar. Brutus and Cassius also call him Caesar. He is being seen differently as a real contender and as a formidable continuation of the family of Julius Caesar Bust of Mark Antony from the Vatican Museums. Source Wikimedia Commons 36 English Teachers Association of NSW

3 himself he is the new Caesar. And none of these middleaged men really know how to handle him. So how is Octavius different to these older men? What is his different and conflicting perspective? When Brutus, Cassius and Mark Antony bicker and exchange insults before the battle, Octavius has little time or interest in these middle-aged rivalries. Octavius says, Come, come, the cause He reminds them of the deeper issues which are more important than personal rivalries. It is clear his motives are based in principle. I draw a sword against conspirators This military imagery is interesting, and strategic given the value of the military. Octavius does not see himself as a politician. He constantly portrays himself instead with military imagery. He portrays himself as a soldier, not a politician like Cassius or Mark Antony. His motivation is not personal like Mark Antony s or Cassius motivation. Brutus also acted out of principle his love of the republic. Octavius is like Brutus in that he acts out of principle but Octavius is silent on the republic. His guiding principle, abhorrence of conspiracy, puts him in opposition to Brutus. Jeers about Octavius youth now seem ridiculous. Cassius tries, calling him a peevish schoolboy but Octavius is clearly more than this. He has a sense of his own destiny. He continues the military imagery, saying: I was not born to die on Brutus sword. Octavius is now openly giving orders to Mark Antony. He tells him: Come Antony, away And the play even ends with Octavius. He has the last word. It is Octavius who decides what will happen to Brutus body. He shows respect and generosity to an enemy. He says: According to his virtue let us use him With all respect and rites of burial. Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie, Most like a soldier So call the field to rest, and let s away, To part the glories of this happy day. Again, Octavius uses military imagery, the image of the soldier not the politician. As a soldier, he shows honour and respect to his enemy. To sum up, Octavius is young. He is underestimated because of his youth by Antony and Cassius. But he has an independent view of politics. He has a different agenda to the middle-aged senators and their personal rivalries. He has a perspective based on principle not personal rivalry or personal relationships. He is principled when it comes to the proscriptions and in his condemnation of conspiracies. He is principled in his respect for Lepidus and his respect for Brutus after his death. In short, youth sees the issues differently. Youth has its own perspective. He begins with a negative stereotype of Octavius but Shakespeare challenges this throughout the play, leaving the audience with a picture of this young man who represents much more positive associations of youth: idealism, vitality and courage. You could search for texts exploring the generation gap, especially the emergence of the new Gen Y and Gen X. How are they different to the Baby Boomers? How do different generations have conflicting perspectives? Conflicting perspectives on women and political life This play deals with politics from male political perspectives yet the political issues have an impact on the whole of society. This includes the people, and women. The civil war that these aristocratic men precipitate causes suffering for all but women are completely excluded from political life. Portia, Brutus wife, attacks this male perspective. Brutus clearly holds a masculine perspective that politics is men s business. When Portia knew her husband was worried, she begged him to confide in her. His response tells it all. First he responded with angry stares, then stamping of his foot, next refusing to answer and finally, wafting her off with his hand. When she persisted he fobbed her off with excuses that he was not well. Portia attacks this perspective. She argues that she has a right to know. Why? Because she is his wife, because of his love for her, and because of their vows of marriage. She argues that if he will not tell her, then there is no real trust and respect between them. All she really is, is a companion to eat with, sleep with and talk to sometimes not a true wife. If she means so little to him then she is really his prostitute, not his wife. She says: Dwell I but in the suburbs Of your good pleasure? metaphor Issue 3,

4 and Portia is but Brutus harlot, not his wife. The first image of suburbs works as a geographical metaphor locating Portia on the fringes of Brutus attention, implying she is not central to his life. The second reference, to prostitution, is contextually a shocking one. Portia is asking if she is no more that a prostitute, just a sex object to her husband. Contained in this statement there is also a very negative assumption about the place of prostitutes in society. This analogy implies that Brutus really has no respect for her. Portia is trying to shock Brutus with this image, and is trying to force him to respond to her and listen to her. Portia argues that men underestimate women but implies that they are great by association when she points out that she is the great Cato s daughter, and the great Brutus wife. Think you that I am no stronger than my sex Being so father d and so husbanded? Portia s series of rhetorical questions challenge Brutus to reconsider his perspective on women. She aligns herself with men through the comparison of intelligence combined with feminine emotions. She says: I have a man s mind, but a woman s might and How weak a thing The heart of woman is! Portia s argument that women are as intelligent as men, but that they feel things more emotionally, and take things to heart more, is very much in keeping with Elizabethan assumptions about women, that emotional intensity can weaken women and undermine them in a conflict. Brutus responses acknowledge her greatness, when he calls her noble wife but he does not answer her arguments on women s exclusion from public life and politics, fobbing her off by saying he will tell her later. The fact that he does not tell her then, shows that he remains locked in his masculine perspective that politics is men s business. To sum up, Portia challenges the masculine perspective that politics is for men only. She argues that women have intelligence like men, and that if men really trusted and respected their wives, they would confide in them. She argues that men underestimate women. The play supports Portia s arguments by setting up a parallel relationship of husband and wife, Caesar and Calpurnia. In this conflict it is the man, Caesar, who shows weakness and inconstancy, and he ignores his wife to his cost. Calpurnia kneels before Caesar and begs him not to go to the senate. But after initially wavering, he listens more to others than to his wife. The dramatic irony in this scene is that it is the man who is weak and emotional and it is the wife who is strong, intelligent and showing sound judgement. Shakespeare uses role reversals to challenge social stereotypes. Calpurnia is intelligent and bases her fears on more than her horrific dream, pointing to the awful prodigies and omens in the streets, and the warnings of the priests (the augurs) that Caesar should stay home. She points out that: When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes. She is clever enough to use flattering imagery to Caesar, comparing him to a prince, pointing out that the gods see him as so important that they send dramatic natural events to signal his death. Calpurnia rightly sees why Caesar is changing his mind. Your wisdom is consumed in confidence! Caesar changes his mind because Decius says people will say he is afraid and influenced by his wife s dreams. Calpurnia sees that he has confidence in the wrong people. He always wants to seem confident to others. Caesar even berates Calpurnia, saying: How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia! I am ashamed that I did yield to them. Of course, the audience see the dramatic irony in these words. They know Caesar is about to be killed and it is he who is foolish, not Calpurnia. Behind these words are perspectives, assumptions that women should not be listened to, that women are foolish and weak, that women are not intelligent, and that another man s opinion is more important than that of a loving wife. A woman has no place in politics and a man would be ridiculed as weak if he listened to a woman. Men are strong and women are weak. But Shakespeare laces this scene with irony. In this scene between husband and wife, it is the man, Caesar, who emerges as weak, full of fear, fickle and changeable, easily manipulated by others and definitely not as constant as the northern star. Shakespeare has ironically reversed gender stereotypes in order to challenge them. You could search for texts which explore men s and women s conflicting perspectives. 38 English Teachers Association of NSW

5 Conflicting perspectives on fate and destiny There is a lot about fate, destiny and individual responsibility in this play. As a history play, it has strong foundations in known events. The audience know that Brutus failed to save the republic but they also know that Octavius is the future Emperor Augustus and that he becomes king (but under another name) of Rome. For the next four centuries Rome is ruled by emperors until it collapses under barbarian invasions. So this play is about a turning point in history. It explores a fundamental irony: that as hard as Brutus strove to save the republic and to prevent one Caesar from becoming king, his actions seemed to lead inexorably to another, younger Caesar becoming emperor. The republic seemed doomed and kingship inevitable. But Shakespeare knows it is not as simple as that. It is much more complex. First, the play is full of factors which imply that Caesar s death was inevitable and destined by fate. The soothsayer was so right in predicting his death on the Ides of March. His wife dreamed of his death, with his statue gushing blood. The priests (augurs) warned him of danger. Amazing prodigies and omens predicted a momentous event. Even coincidence is at play. Artemidorus had listed in a letter those conspiring against Caesar. Caesar even held the letter in his hand but he did not read it. How different things would have been if he had. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony powerfully. When Caesar says that he is as constant as the northern star, the audience sees the irony that he is not constant, he is about to die, and ironically the stars themselves seem to have decided his death. All these factors seem to be saying that Caesar was fated or destined to die and that fate was on the conspirators side. However, there are two problems with this simplistic view. Cicero has a conflicting and sceptical perspective. As Cicero pointed out, omens can be interpreted in different ways. All the omens could show that the gods are angry at Caesar planning to become king. On the other hand, the omens could show that the gods are angry with the plots and conspiracies swirling in Rome. The second conflicting perspective comes from another sceptic, Cassius. He argues that it is not the stars that decide our destinies. Men decide their destinies themselves. This leads us to look more closely at Caesar. Was it Caesar who contributed to his own death? Caesar s concern with image, his desire to always appear strong in public, led him to ignore warning after warning. He was clearly fearful when the soothsayer first spoke, but conscious of the eyes around him, and conscious of his image, he dismissed the soothsayer. Pride and image are Caesar s flaws and his greatest fear is to appear weak, hence he dismisses Calpurnia s fears. He dismisses all the omens and the warnings of the priests. His fears about his image are easily manipulated by Decius so he goes to the senate and dies. It is also clear from Artemidorus letter that the secrecy of the conspiracy is about to unravel and an extra day could have given Caesar the time to discover the plot. Surprisingly, Caesar s death does fit Cassius argument that men do decide their own destinies. But there is another complexity in the play s treatment of fate and destiny. Fate seems incredibly powerful. The first Caesar, about to end the republic, is an aging man, physically weak, with encroaching deafness and epilepsy. He is weakened by his own fears. He lacks courage. He lacks constancy. But the irony of the play is that all the actions of the conspirators are doomed. Their actions are all leading to the replacing of an old Caesar with a new Caesar, who possesses the strength of youth. His character is remarkable for courage, fearlessness and constancy. This is a new Caesar who is infinitely more dangerous to the republic than the old Caesar. In short, was the assassination of the old Caesar part of a larger fate leading inevitably to kingship under a new, younger Caesar? And was everything that Cassius and Brutus did, futile and thwarted by fate? Two things in the play support this. Brutus, on the night before the Battle of Philippi, is full of a sense of futility, reinforced by the horror of Caesar s ghost. The second support is Octavius own view of himself. He says: I was not born to die on Brutus sword. He has a special sense of his own destiny. But look at what happens if you put the emphasis on I in that statement. The person who did die on Brutus sword was Caesar. Octavius is asserting that his destiny is different to Caesar s. Shakespeare s treatment of fate is laced with irony but it is also ambiguous. Fate does seem to dominate Caesar s death. On the other hand, Cassius is right. Men do decide their own destinies. Students could search for texts which explore the themes of fate and destiny. Look at texts which explore fate and destiny in modern society. They are there. After all, Slum Dog Millionaire is a film about destiny. Does fate play a role in our lives or is life the result solely of our own decisions and actions? One thinker has argued that while we may have no control of destiny, we are still the sum total of all of our own actions metaphor Issue 3,