Theme in Shakepeare’s Julius Caesar
By Jordan
Thesis
In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Julius Caesar, Shakespeare conveys to the readers that overconfidence and pride will lead to your downfall through the use of dramatic irony and foreshadowing.
Quote #1
Much of the action of Shakespeare's historical play, Julius Caesar, has some dramatic irony, since the audience is familiar with much of the historical content in advance, while the characters remain unaware.
"The gods do this in shame of cowardice. Caesar should be a beast without a heart. If he should stay at home today for fear. No, Caesar shall not." (2.2.41-44)
In Act II, Scene 2, Calpurnia rushes in to Caesar, begging him not to go the Senate. While the audience knows that Brutus has made up his mind to join the conspirators and the assassination is in the making, Caesar feels confident that nothing will happen to him, despite what his wife has seen in her dream, and not knowing what the audience knows.
Quote #2
Foreshadowing is when a writer gives hints about what will happen later in the story. Foreshadowing makes writing more interesting and helps avoid disappointment by suggesting that certain events are coming. Throughout Julius Caesar there are many examples of foreshadowing.
One of the first examples of foreshadowing in Julius Caesar is in act 1 scene 1 when two Roman tribunes (a type of official) named Flavius and Marrulus decide to pull decorations off of Caesar's statues. Pulling the scarfs off the statues. The tribunes are angry that the commoners are celebrating Caesar and believe that the celebrations will go to Caesar's head.
Flavius says 'These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing. Will make him fly an ordinary pitch. Who else would soar above the view of men.' The idea of taking Caesar down and stopping him from flying foreshadows the conspiracy to kill him.