Who knows Julius Caesar?

Question

Who is the protagonist in this play? Is it Caesar, who dies well before the end but whose power and name continues to influence others, or is it Brutus, the noble man who falls because of his tragic flaws? Explain.

Answer 1

We're talking about the play by William Shakespeare, right?

"protagonists · Brutus and Cassius"
"antagonists · Antony and Octavius"

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/juliuscaesar/facts.html

"Torn between his loyalty to Caesar and his allegiance to the state, Brutus becomes the tragic hero of the play."

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/juliuscaesar/characters.html

"Brutus emerges as the most complex character in Julius Caesar and is also the play’s tragic hero."

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/juliuscaesar/canalysis.html

Answer 2

Gaius Julius Caesar was born circa 100 B.C. and died in 44 B.C. He didn't really have too many politicial ties, but he did have a fair amount of money. Caesar really came to prominence around 60-59 B.C. when he, Pompey the Great and Marcus Licinius Crassus formed the First Triumvirate to fill the power vacuum left by Lucius Cornelius Sulla in 79 B.C. Caesar wanted glory (as did Crassus and Pompey), so Caesar was given an army in 58 B.C. and conquered Gaul, ultimately pacifying it in 52 B.C. At this time, Caesar and Pompey were the only two left in the Triumvirate (Crassus died in battle in 53). Caesar had gotten ridiculously popular in Rome since he had brought a lot of wealth, territory and slaves to the city; as a result, Pompey feared him. In 49-48 B.C., the tension between Pompey and Caesar came to a head in the civil war between the two. Caesar defeated Pompey in 48 and chased him to Alexandria, Egypt, where Pompey was beheaded. Afterwards, Caesar declared himself dictator in Rome; in 46 B.C., he declared himself dictator for life (emperor, basically); and on March 15th, 44 B.C., Caesar was assasinated on the floor of the Senate. If you want more info., check out Plutarch's life of Caesar. Chock full of info. :)

Answer 3

Julius Ceasar was a bit before my time. I didn't get to know him. Sorry.