The era of Julius Caesar was a time when many people’s feelings toward the government began to change. This was one of the first times in Roman history when people began to question the power of their ruler. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, we see a brief picture of this Roman life during the time of the First Triumvirate. In this snap shot, many unfortunate things occur as a result of these strong feelings towards the government of that time. Shakespeare gives us the idea that many people try to circumvent what the future holds, such as unfortunate things, by being superstitious. Superstition seems to play a role in the basic daily life of most Roman citizens, and exists as an important, deciding factor in the events and outcome of the play itself. The setting of the first scene of the play is based upon superstition. The Feast of Lupercal is in honor of the god Pan, the queen of fertility. During this time, infertile females are supposed to be able to procreate, and fertile ones are supposed to be able to bear more. It is also a supposed time of sexual glorification and happiness. Other scenes depict how mysterious sooth-sayers, who are supposedly given the power to predict the future, roam the streets of Rome. Dictating what is to come through terse tidbits, these people may also be looked upon as superstitious. In the opening scene, one sooth-sayer, old in his years, warns Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March," an admonition of Caesar's impending death. Although sooth-sayers are looked upon by many as insane, out of touch lower classmen, a good deal of them, obviously including the sayer Caesar encountered, are indeed right on the mark. Since they lack any formal office or shop, and they predict forthcomings without fee, one can see quite easily why citizens would distrust their predictions. Superstition, in general elements such as the Feast of Lupercal, as we...
