ter Casca’s blow had drawn a groan from him; though some say that when he saw Marcus Brutus about to deliver the second blow, he reproached him in Greek with: “You too, my child?’” (Suet. Pg. 51)Shakespeare’s rendition of this begins with a citizen, Artemidorus, reading aloud a note warning Caesar of the conspirators. Here he tries to deliver it. “Art. Hail, Caesar! Read this schedule. Dec. Trebonius doth desire you to o’re-read, At your best leisure, this his humble suit. Art. O Caesar! Read mine first; for mine’s a suit That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar. Caes. What touches us ourself shall be last served.” (III: i)The way Shakespeare kills Caesar is also somewhat different from thehistorical texts. First, Cinna begins to ask a question of Caesar. Then theSenators rush in, and stab him. Caesar utters the famed words: “Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar!’” (III: i)In every version of this tale, the facts remain constant. As Shakespeare based much of his play of the histories of Plutarch, he is able to both entertain and stay historically accurate. Of course the author is expected to take some poetic license, and the man did, as it says in the introduction to our play, “Shakespeare adds Lucius, and entirely remodels Casca.” (Pg. 1146) Though the Bard downplays many (in fact, all) of Julius Caesar’s achievements, the English audience who so hated their Roman conquers, even from so long ago, would have enjoyed the play very much. In conclusion, I must state that Shakespeare’s Caesar is reasonably historically correct. He is made out to be a villain, one who wishes to destroy the great republic of Rome, though the truth is that this is what he was. He wanted to be king, there is no doubt in my mind of this, yet he was prevented by men who cared more for the State than for their own lives....
