For being a relatively short play, Julius Caesar sure does pack in the drama. Our playwright's first foray into ancient Roman subject matter since Titus Andronicus is a (relatively) assiduously-researched and tightly packed political drama from which all political dramas flow. Maybe it's just me, having now acclimated to Shakespeare's verbiage and style after several months, but it's also one of the most economically written. It feels positively Hemingway-esque compared to what's come before. I have to admit: as much as I adore the florabundant vocab old William is famous for, I have re-discovered Caesar as a new favorite.
It should really be titled The Most Tragical Tale of Marcus Brutus And His Bestie Cassius. Because, DUH. These two are the most famous well-meaning murderers in history. One is jealous as hell of Caesar's accolades and popularity and the other allows himself to be convinced that he's unconsciously jealous as hell. What makes it more tragical is that Antony and his triumvirate buds cock it all up later in Antony & Cleopatra. Well, mostly Antony. It's his that does all the cocking.
The reason why we don't ever hate Brutus and Cassius, however, is that you truly get the sense that they are seriously concerned for their country. They're like George W. Bush and Dick Chaney (but more likable, obviously... oh God do you remember when the politicians we hated were actually HUMAN BEINGS and not orange douchecanoes?). In this play, we are initially charmed by Antony, because no matter how much he doth protest about his oratory skills, he's got them in spades, and we can't help but relish how he manipulates the Mob. But Antony is a cynical bastard. It's arguable that he's made cynical by the murder itself, which is totally understandable, and goes a long way to explain why he can't help himself later with the bacchanalia in Egypt. Politics produces guilty souls. Julius Caesar has long been an iconoclastic example of how democratic political systems work/don't work.
This was the play I saw live at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. The players there really pride themselves in giving the audience a close simulacrum of the Elizabethan theatre-goer experience. Julius Caesar offers a more fecund opportunity for such an experience than most, due to the scenes involving the Mob. The players positioned themselves amongst the groundlings and encouraged vociferous reactions from them, and damnit, it totally worked. Engaging and endearing to say the least.
At the start, we are thrust into the past: Romans in the street are celebrating Caesar's return after defeating Pompey in the civil wars. Two buzzkill tribunes, Flavius and Murellus, yell at carpenters and cobblers and everyone else for treating this day like it's a bloody holiday and reminds them that they celebrated just as heartily for Pompey once. The tribunes get the Mob to disperse, and Flavius goes about taking down the party decorations while Murellus protests, as it is an actual feast day BTW DUH. Flavius says it's not worth letting power go to Caesar's head.
Caesar enters the city with his wife Calphurnia and his entourage to watch his buddy Antony run the traditional Lupercal race. Caesar asks Antony to touch Calphurnia during the race, as it is said that will cure her of her barren womb (yeah just toss that out there like it matters). Caesar walks amongst the excited crowd and a Soothsayer cries out "Beware the Ides of March!" and Caesar waves him off as a "dreamer."
Brutus is brooding off in a corner, and Cassius asks him why he's not watching the races. Brutus is just not in the mood, so Cassius, knowing Brutus is worried about Caesar's rising popularity, reminds him that it was Brutus' ancestors who once freed Rome from tyranny in the past. Brutus tells Cassius that though he loves Caesar, he is deeply concerned that Caesar may run away with a crown. Cassius has no qualms about expressing his envy regarding Caesar's fame:
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar'?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Caesar walks by with Antony at his side, and tells him to watch out, as "Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous."
Cassius tells Brutus to grab Casca's sleeve as he passes so they can find out WTF all the commotion was about while they were busy chatting. Casca informs them that Antony thrice offered Caesar a crown and the Mob cheered, but each time, Caesar shoved it away, and then fell down in one of his fits. Cassius asks if Cicero said anything, to which Casca shrugs saying Cicero spoke Greek, and "for mine own part, it was Greek to me." Cassius says they should all meet the next day, and when his friends leave him, he whispers to himself about how he's going to convince everyone into taking Caesar down.
Later, during a storm, the street is full of ill portents. Casca tells Cicero about seeing a lion in the square and an owl screeching during the daytime and a man who held fire in his hand without burning and he's sure it means something bad is about to happen. Cicero is just like "Dude, you're so superstitious, STFU." Casca runs off and Cicero meets Cassius, who says that the storm is an omen against Caesar, who is going to be offered the crown the next day and he convinces Cicero that this is not cool. Cinna joins them and Cassius asks him to toss letters into Brutus' window that will convince him off the fence about Caesar. They all agree to meet the rest of the conspirators and then head to Brutus' place.
Brutus is sleeplessly wandering around his orchard, contemplating how he doesn't really have a great reason to go against Caesar, except his intuition about how power would turn Caesar into a tyrant. Lucius, his servant, brings him yet another letter that was tossed into his window. He reads it, and he decides that Caesar is a problem and he should act.
Cassius and his crew arrive. They discuss who's in charge of this enterprise and who exactly they shall kill (Caesar only; Brutus insists that murdering Antony will be overkill HAHAHA).
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds:
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide 'em. This shall make
Our purpose necessary and not envious:
Which so appearing to the common eyes,
We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.
And for Mark Antony, think not of him;
For he can do no more than Caesar's arm
When Caesar's head is off.
Decius Brutus volunteers to make sure Caesar goes to the Capitol the next day and everyone stalks off for the night. Portia wakes and goes to her husband and asks WTF is going on so late at night. She knows he's been a damn insomniac of late, and that something must be troubling his mind. Brutus calms her and flatters her and promises he'll inform her later. Lucius says a "sick man" wants to see Brutus, and Brutus sends Portia back to bed and agrees to speak with Ligarius, who, with an N95 mask on his face, says he will join the conspirators.
Morning at Caesar's house. He announces that his sleep has been disturbed by the storm and Calphurnia's raging nightmares. She begs that he not go out to the Capitol or anywhere, as her dreams were scary AF and they should just stay on lockdown. Caesar asks what his priests think and they say he shouldn't go out either, as they didn't find a heart in their sacrificial animal's entrails (oh man, I HATE when that happens!). He shrugs and says he'll stay home then. But then Decius Brutus shows up and reinterpret's Calphurnia's dream:
This dream is all amiss interpreted;
It was a vision fair and fortunate:
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bathed,
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.
This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.
Caesar is all too easily persuaded that he was a coward to listen to his wife and decides to go to the Capitol after all (UGH CAESAR).
Out in the street, Artemidorus reads out loud a letter listing the conspirators and why Caesar should not trust them. He decides to wait outside the Capitol until he sees Caesar so he can give him the letter.
Portia speaks with Lucius, asking him to go to the Capitol to report back on WTF is happening there. The Soothsayer passes by and tells Portia that he has something he must tell Caesar. Gee whiz, everyone has the inside track on omens except Caesar.
Caesar sees the Soothsayer in the street on the way to the Capitol and he snidely points out that the Ides have come. The Soothsayer retorts "but not gone." Caesar keeps walking to the Capitol when Artemidorus tries to give him his letter but he waves him away. Caesar stands with conspirators all around, praying that he change his mind about banishing Publius Cimber. Caesar is unmoved:
I could be well moved, if I were as you:
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks,
They are all fire and every one doth shine,
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So in the world; 'tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshaked of motion: and that I am he,
Let me a little show it, even in this;
That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him so.
The conspirators take this a a cue to stab him. Casca goes first, then the rest, and finally Brutus, as Caesar turns to him, utterly terrified, and utters the immortal lines "Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar." Everyone flees except the murderers. Brutus order Publius to tell the Mob outside what has happened and why everything's going to be OK. Brutus asks everyone to wash their hands in Caesar's blood (not exactly what the CDC had in mind). Cassius agrees:
Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over
In states unborn and accents yet unknown!
Trebonius, who had led Antony away until the deed was done, returns and says Antony ran off, "amazed." No shit. Antony's servant comes in and says he'll fetch Antony back to the Capitol. Antony comes in and expresses grief about Caesar's death, but shakes the bloody hands of all the conspirators. Then he looks upon Caesar's body and says he is upset and questions their motives. Brutus swears that were Antony the son of Caesar he would agree with their reasons. Brutus tells Antony that he may make a speech to the Mob after he does. Cassius takes Brutus aside and says he's crazy, for Antony will for sure win hearts and minds with his fancy words. Brutus insists it must be done to prove that they didn't do this murder rashly.
Everyone goes out to meet the Mob except Antony, who stays behind with Caesar's body and apologizes to Caesar's spirit that he was so "gentle" with his murderers, but promises revenge. He sends a message to Octavius (Caesar's adopted son) to not enter Rome yet, then carries Caesar outside.
Brutus explains before the Mob why the conspirators did what they had to do to save Rome, yadda, yadda, yadda. He uses bland, legalistic prose but says he did it "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more." This is good enough for the Mob until Antony ascends and starts talking. He delivers that most famous and rousing of Shakespeare speeches:
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men--
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.
He continues with more double-edged words as the plebeians make comments and he reveals the body and says he read Caesar's last will and testament and that in it, he left everyone a pile of drachmas and all his gardens for public enjoyment. The Mob is incensed that such a wonderful man was murdered and Brutus has egg on his face along with the blood. As the Mob starts rioting, Antony goes to meet with Octavius and Lepidus while Brutus and the conspirators flee.
Somewhere in the streets, the poet Cinna is killed by rioters just because he has the same name as one of the conspirators.
Antony hooks up with Octavius and Lepidus and they sit around drinking wine as they make lists of who is to be executed, like it's no big thing. They even agree to killing off family members just to be fair and even. When Lepidus leaves, Antony drags him, but admits that he's kind of useful for their purposes, in the same way that his horse is useful (oh thanks, buddy). They discuss how to fight the army Cassius and Brutus are mustering.
Brutus meets with Cassius in a field in Sardis. Cassius can hardly look at Brutus before wishing to quarrel, but Brutus, being reserved, shushes him and as soon as they are inside the exclusive privacy of Brutus' tent (sure, whatever) they start bitching at each other about how they're illicitly funding this war of theirs against the triumvirate of Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus. They question each other's manhood and Romanhood and all kinds of shit before Brutus finally admits that Portia has died (by swallowing fire no less!). Cassius stops and shows genuine surprise and concern, even more than Brutus, actually. Brutus doesn't want to talk about it, and when Cassius mentions it in Messala and Titinius' presence, he shushes him again.
Messala asks if Brutus had heard from Portia lately and Brutus says no and Messala sadly says she's dead and Brutus is stoic as hell about it (this may or may not have been an editorial error, where Brutus was going to get the news one way or another and Shakespeare just forgot to omit the other option, but it sure creates a strange opportunity for the actor to choose how to tackle this awkwardness). In other news, Messala reports that the triumvirate has put to death a hundred senators and that they are gathering their forces at Phillipi, so the men debate about whether to meet the army there or hold back. Brutus insists they go, then says goodnight and sends everyone out.
Brutus asks Lucius to play some music for him until the poor boy falls asleep and Brutus notices OH HEY GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST is in my tent saying he is "They evil spirit, Brutus" and WTF does he want from me? "To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi," says the ghost. And that's it. He vanishes and Brutus thinks himself nuts when he asks everyone else nearby if they saw or heard any dead people floating around recently.
In Phillipi, Octavius and Antony get hand-slappy with each other about how to pursue battle plans. They meet with Brutus and Cassius and proceed to trade barbs like Desperate Housewives. Octavius dares Brutus and Cassius to fight them, and he and Antony stalk off. Cassius declares that it is his birthday, but he recently saw two eagles eat out of his soldiers' hands and then they left and crows replaced them, hovering above them like bad news. He takes this as proof that he will die soon. Messala rolls his eyes. Brutus gives Cassius a fond farewell and Cassius does the same as they both go to their battlefronts.
Brutus orders an attack on Octavius' army, sure that that's all he needs to win. But elsewhere, Cassius is just as sure that he has lost the day and is about to be captured. He promises his slave Pindarus that he can be free if he stabs him with the same sword he used to kill Caesar. Pindarus obliges and escapes. Titinius and Messala find him and Titinius stabs himself. Brutus enters and greatly grieves the loss of his two countrymen:
O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!
Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords
In our own proper entrails.
Brutus leads his men back to the fight. Lucilius pretends to be Brutus when he is captured but as soon as Antony sees him, he correctly identifies him and decides not to kill him.
Brutus, with the stragglers of his company, goes to one after another, whispering a request for them to stab him, and each decline. Strato finally agrees to hold the sword and Brutus runs upon it, saying "Caesar, now be still: I kill'd not thee with half so good a will."
Antony and Octavius find Brutus and says he was the noblest Roman who ever lived and carry his body to Octavius' tent to prepare him for a proper, respectful burial. Roll credits.
Julius Caesar presented a provoking trio of film productions for my viewing pleasure. The first, which happened to air on TCM recently (YAY TCM!) was the 1953 version directed by TCM's Ben Mankiewicz' great uncle, Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Starring James Mason as Brutus, John Gielgud as Cassius, and a strapping young juggernaut Marlon Brando as Antony. Deborah Kerr and Greer Garson (as Portia and Calphurnia respectively) provide the fitting female touch this sausagefest needs, and Louis Calhern (Uncle Willie from High Society) brings the proper aristocratic air for the titular role. It's a fucking badass film. Solid in every way, and most remarkable for its BAFTA-winning performances from Gielgud and Brando, although Mason's Brutus is sadly underappreciated, as he anchors everyone else IMHO.
The baffling 1970 production has a decent cast, but is inferior to its predecessor in almost every way. I mean, Charlton Heston Charlton Hestons all over the place, and you know he knows how to deliver an inspirational speech, but he's miscast, really. I don't believe him as a cynic. John Gielgud as Caesar is an obvious prestige choice and he's fine. Jason Robards' Brutus is fine. Richard Chamberlain's blonde hair and bare chest turn out a fine performance, but this damn thing just doesn't make it off the ground for me. Christopher Lee is wasted as Artemidorus in like, one scene. That's it. That's what did it. They sinned big time on that one.
Thank goodness the week was redeemed by the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2012 Julius Caesar. The entire thing was deeply inspired by the story of Nelson Mandela's contribution to the Robben Island "Bible"--a disguised edition of the Complete Works of Shakespeare meant to throw off the guards (who couldn't read English anyway) and was passed around amongst political prisoners there for years. Each highlighted their favorite quotes from the text, and Mandela famously noted a passage from Julius Caesar:
The RSC featured an all-black cast, headed by Paterson Joseph's calculating but warmly emotional Brutus. He is excellent here, proven more so by the fact that until I saw this, he was only known to me as the hilariously overly confident boss figure Johnson from Channel 4's Peep Show. That piteously tiny role he had as York in the BBC's Hollow Crown: Henry V barely registered at the time, but this is a friggen revelation.
This film is set in "Rome" as a modern-day African nation. Italy's ancient struggles with charismatic leaders translates very well to this present-day national stage, where the news has been swamped with the civil justice issues, coups, and rigged elections of the continent for generations. The set design, costumes, and casting really feels natural. Coriolanus would have been even better suited for this environment, but good old Caesar gets a much-needed boost of relevance with this film. Definitely worth checking out on Amazon Prime video.
Next, I get three more films, this time covering different film eras for As You Like It. I really don't remember as much about this play as I should, since it has one of the most compelling female roles of Shakespeare's oeuvre. We shall rectify that soon!
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