Jullius Caesar ....?

Question

What was the purpose of the 5 acts in Jullius Caesar, why did certain senators oppose Caesar, and who was Pompey??

Answer 1

The 5 acts in Shakespeare's play were just a convention - nearly all plays in that period were published in 5 acts. In the original performances, there was probably music or some similar short intermission at the end of each act.

Some Senators were opposed to Caesar because they thought he wanted to become a king. Rome had an old tradition of being a republic ruled by the Senate, when most states of that era were monarchies. The Brutus in the play was named after the Brutus who was credited with killing the last king of Rome and establishing the Republic. This story was quite familiar to Shakespeare's audience and he wrote a long poem about it called "The Rape of Lucrece". The question throughout the play is whether Caesar sought to become a king, the "ambition" which both Brutus and Antony refer to in their funeral speeches.

Pompey was a brilliant General and Senator who was once a political ally of Caesar's and then became his most dangerous adversary. Caesar defeated Pompey in the Civil Wars that took place shortly before the events of the play.

Answer 2

Julius Caesar is a dramatic re-interpretation of the historical events surrounding the coup that led to the death of Julius Caesar, the rise of Marc Antony, the downfall of Brutus and Cassius and the dawning of the pax romana as led by Octavius. It is the story of a man who, through brave deeds and great political skill, won the admiration and devotion of the entire citizenry of Rome. Rome was a republic at this time, complete with a Senate meant to balance out the power of the Caesar, and many of the senators led by Brutus and Cassius, of differing motives ranging from the noble to the base. Brutus is understood as wanting to prevent Caesar from becoming a dictator and destroying the Republic, while Cassius is portrayed as more of a power hungry opportunist. I don't remember who Pompey was, this is all recalled from 5 years ago

Answer 3

Your best step would be to go to Sparknotes online. It will give you outline information and answer your questions. Any high school text should provide those answers as well just in the footnotes.
I recommend Sparknotes for any overview of literature questions. Good luck.