The Facts of Shakespeare and Caesar William Shakespeare and Julius Caesar are two men who are well known throughout the world. William Shakespeare was a man of fine talent. He was a famous poet and playwright who is famous still to this day. He wrote many pieces. One of which is still talked about and read today: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was a man that lived in Rome, and was famous for many things. These two men are both an important part of our world's history, and should be talked about as much as possible.
William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 in a small country town called Stratford-upon-Avon. He was baptized at the Holy Trinity church in Stratford. At the age of eighteen, he married a local girl named Anne Hathaway, who was eight years older than him. Their first child Susannah was born within six months.
Bust of Julius Caesar from the British Museum
Photo of the first page of Julius Caesar from a fa...
Brutus and the Ghost of Caesar. Copperplate engrav...Twins Judith and Hamnet were later born in 1585. Hamnet, his only son died in 1896, at age eleven (Internet Site 1) .
Shakespeare was famous for his many poems and plays. Some of the thirty seven plays he wrote consisted of Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer nights dream, Julius Caesar, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and many more (Internet Site 1). He not only was an awesome playwright, but poet as well. Some of the poems he wrote were Venus and Adonis (1593), The Rape of Lucrece (1594) as well as many more. He also wrote more than 150 sonnets (Internet Site 1).
Shakespeare's professional life in London was marked by a number of financially advantageous arrangements that permitted him to share in the profits of his acting company (Encyclopedia Site). The company Chamberlains' Men, was later called the Kings Men, and its two theaters, the "Globe Theatre"ÃÂ and the "Blackfriars"ÃÂ. His plays were given special presentation at the courts of "Queen Elizabeth"ÃÂ and "King James I"ÃÂ. It is known that he risked losing royal favor only once, in 1599, when his company performed "the play of the deposing and killing of King Richard II, at the request of conspirators against Elizabeth (Encyclopedia Site). Because of this, Shakespeare's company was absolved of complicity in the conspiracy. (Encyclopedia Site). After about 1608, Shakespeare's dramatic production lessened and it seems that he spent more time in Stratford, where he had established his family in an imposing house called New Place and had become a leading local citizen. Shakespeare then died on his birthday, April 23, 1616.
Julius Caesar was born in Rome on July twelfth, or thirteenth 100 B.C. He belonged to the prestigious Julian clan: yet from childhood he knew controversy (Encyclopedia Site). His uncle by marriage was Gaius Marius, leader of the populares. Before his uncle's death in 86 B.C, Caesar was appointed Flamen Dialis. His position held no power. It ended up identifying Caesar with extreme politics (Book Site). He committed himself to the Radicals when he married a woman named Cornelia, daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna in 84 B.C. He was made Governor of Spain in 61 B.C.
In 82 B.C. Caesar was ordered to divorce his wife Cornelia, by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, an enemy of the Radicals. He refused to divorce, and left Rome for Military Service in Asia. He then returned in 78 B.C. when Sulla died, and Caesar began his political career as a prosecuting advocate. He then traveled to Rhodes to study rhetoric and didn't return until 73 B.C. During his journey, pirates captured him. While in captivity, Caesar convinced his captors to raise his ransom, which increased his prestige. He then raised a naval force, overcame his captors, and had them crucified (Internet Site 2). Julius Caesar then died in the Ides of March, which is March fifteenth 44 B.C.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. William lived almost sixteen hundred years after Caesar. Writing this play brought these two men together. Caesar's life and death are portrayed throughout the play. A group of men, called the Conspirators, planned the assassination of Caesar. They led Caesars' best friend Brutus, to join in the murder. All of the men stabbed and killed Caesar. Another one of Caesars' friends, Marc Antony wanted revenge against Brutus and the Conspirators. Antony convinced the Plebeians to turn against Brutus. This play is just as popular to audiences today as it was when it was first written.
William Shakespeare and Julius Caesar both lived wonderful lives. They have educated millions of people throughout the world, and will continue to do so for many years to come. Shakespeare and Caesar are very two opposite men, who seemed to live a similar life, yet their lives were so far apart. The two men have been remembered through the years, and won't be forgotten for many more.
Works Cited 1. " Caesar Gauis Julius."ÃÂ Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia Microsoft Corporation Copyright 1993-1997 2. Durant, Will. Caesar and Christ Simon and Schuster Copyright 1944 3. Julius Caesar http://welcome .to/Julius-Caesar 1/22/01 4. William Shakespeare Allshakespeare.com 1/23/01
List of titles of works based on Shakespearean phr...
So-called “Sulla”, free copy (probably from th...
English: Cornelia Cinna Minor daughter of Lucius C...