Julius Caesar

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.8

Word count: 121K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Julius Caesar by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: German, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Feb 1, 2006

Editor's review

This edition of Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's representative Roman tragedies, focusing on the political maneuvering and shifting loyalties surrounding the assassination of Caesar by Brutus and the republican faction. Its most enduring quality is that it does not simply cast the assassins as villains; instead, it lets the logics of "killing for the republic" and "guarding against ambition" entangle with each other, and the forum speech scene makes the power of rhetoric to sway a crowd thrillingly vivid. This version is a Project Gutenberg electronic text labeled as being in German; readers should check whether the actual language of the main text matches their reading ability. It works well as an introductory text for understanding Shakespeare's political tragedies and as close-reading material for discussions of power, loyalty, persuasion, and crowd psychology. When reading, pay particular attention to the contrast between the speeches of Brutus and Antony, and to how the meanings of key words such as "honor" and "ambition" shift in different characters' mouths.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature enthusiasts seeking an initial understanding of Shakespeare's Roman tragedies
Teachers who need to discuss political rhetoric and crowd psychology
General readers interested in themes of power, loyalty, and betrayal

Not a good fit for

Beginners unable to read German texts and without a parallel translation to assist them
Casual readers expecting light comedy or fast-paced plot

Reading tips

First read through the whole play to grasp the two main threads of the assassination and the civil war, then return to the forum speech scene to examine its layers of rhetoric.
Read the speeches of Brutus and Antony in parallel, noting how each defines "honor" and "ambition."
If reading German is difficult, use a reliable translation alongside the text, focusing on the irony in the characters' lines.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What language is the main text of this e-book in?

The metadata lists the language as German, but the author is Shakespeare and the work was originally an English drama. Readers should confirm the actual language of the main text before opening it; if it is a German translation, they will need the corresponding reading ability or should use an English or Chinese translation alongside it.

Can I understand this play without having read Roman history?

Yes. The play itself dramatizes the political conflict surrounding Caesar's assassination, so readers unfamiliar with ancient Roman history can still follow the characters' actions and understand the plot. To grasp the differences between the republican and Caesarian positions more deeply, a brief introduction to the late Roman Republic would help.

Which passages deserve particular attention while reading?

The two speeches by Brutus and Antony in the forum are most worth close reading, as they show how rhetoric can change a crowd's sentiments. Brutus's self-justification about acting "for the public good" and the omens surrounding Caesar's assassination are also key to understanding the play's themes.

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.