Shakespeare “Julius Caesar” Ides of March Marc Antony Cassius Brutus Octavius

Description

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Shakeaspeare’s Text on the Left; Modern Rendering on the Right.
DESCRIPTION:
Softcover: 213 pages. Publisher: Prestwick House, Inc. (2004).
Size: 9 x 6 inches; ¾ pound. “Julius Caesar” is a tragedy set in five acts by Williams Shakespeare. It was produced in 1599-1600, and published in the First Folio of 1623 from the transcript of a promptbook. The drama takes places in 44 B.C., after Caesar has returned to Rome. Fearing Caesar’s ambition, Cassius forms a conspiracy amongst Roman Republicans. He convinces the reluctant Brutus to join them. Caesar is slain in the Senate on March 15, “the Ides of March”. His friend, Marc Antony gives a stirring funeral speech that inspires mob to turn against the conspirators. Octavius, Caesar’s nephew, is restored to power. Brutus and Cassius are eventually defeated at the Battle of Philippi, where they kill themselves to avoid further dishonor.
CONDITION: NEW. New oversized softcover. Prestwick House, Inc. (2004) 237 pages. Unblemished, unmarked, pristine in every respect. Pages are pristine; clean, crisp, unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, unambiguously unread. Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING! #3267.
PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.
PUBLISHER REVIEW
:
REVIEW: Prestwick House’s “Julius Caesar ‘side-by-side’” visually engages readers by placing the original dialogue on the left-hand side of the page, and a modern prose interpretations on the right. As a result, it is easy for readers to cross reference as they move through the play and finally "get" Shakespeare.
REVIEW: In this striking tragedy of political conflict, Shakespeare turns to the ancient Roman world and to the famous assassination of Julius Caesar by his republican opponents. The play is one of tumultuous rivalry, of prophetic warnings--"Beware the ides of March"--and of moving public oratory "Friends, Romans, countrymen!" Ironies abound and most of all for Brutus, whose fate it is to learn that his idealistic motives for joining the conspiracy against a would-be dictator are not enough to sustain the movement once Caesar is dead.
REVIEW: Dramatizing the political battles in Rome during the height of the Pax Romanum, Shakespeare pits Caesar against an untold number of conspirators and lets the daggers fly. Antony comes in at the end to clean up the mess and carry on the rule of the Caesars.
REVIEW: Julius Caesar is the most powerful man in Rome, but his power threatens the republic’s very existence. A conspiracy is hatched, one that will have fatal consequences not only for Caesar and the conspirators, but also for the future history of the Ancient World. At its heart is the noble Brutus, caught in the tragic conflict between private affection and public duty.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS
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REVIEW: The first tragedy to be played in the new Globe Theatre, Julius Caesar is set at a crucial turning point in Roman history, as the Republican gives way to the imperial. Safely removed in time and place from Shakespeare’s Elizabethan England, Rome makes the perfect laboratory for the playwright’s free-ranging political analysis.
REVIEW: William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language, as well as one of the greatest in Western literature, and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Starting in the late 1580s and for several decades that followed, Shakespeare's plays were popular entertainment for London's theatergoers. His Globe Theatre was the equivalent of a Broadway theater in today's New York. The plays have endured over the course of 400+ years. In Shakespeare’s enduring tale of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar is at the height of his powers—but there are men plotting his destruction. Is Caesar a tyrant or a dynamic leader? Are his enemies greedy or noble?
REVIEW: Presenting the Bard's inimitable take on real events in Roman history, Julius Caesar routinely sells more than 25,000 copies every year. This adaptation offers an accessible, contemporary way to enjoy this classic tale of power, manipulation, betrayal, and violence. Soothsayers and premonitions. Power-hungry politicians. Conspiracy, betrayal, and assassination. The battle for control of the Roman Empire. Enjoy the nonstop intrigue of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
REVIEW: “Julius Caesar” lays bare the springs of political ambition in a suspenseful drama of conflicting motives. No mere costume drama, “Julius Caesar” is a parable of our times. This play probes the intent behind political rhetoric, shows how individuals and groups are manipulated, and how the actions of well-intentioned people can lead to disaster. Discover in “Julius Caesar” what really drives those who would rule the state.
READER REVIEWS
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REVIEW: William Shakespeare is hailed as the greatest writer ever, yet (based on people I've met) very few people have read even a single one of his works. I expected it to be required reading in high school or, at the very least, college. Alas, it is not. This is a disappointment, as I truly enjoyed reading this play, my first encounter with Shakespeare. Julius Caesar is a tale of honor and betrayal. Pompey, a beloved Roman leader, is defeated in civil war with Caesar. A small brotherhood, let by Marcus Brutus, is still devoted to Pompey after his death, and wants nothing less than the assassination of their new leader. I had expected Caesar's death ("Et tu, Bruté? Then fall Caesar") to be near the end of the book. However, it turned out to be within the third of five acts.
The rest of the book is devoted to the attempts by Brutus's followers and Marc Antony (a dear friend of Caesar, and Brutus's enemy) to get the populace to believe in and follow that person's views, and turn them against the other people's ideals. Marc Antony, an orator with the ability to, in essence, brainwash an entire city with a short speech ("Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!"), convinces Rome to turn on Brutus's brotherhood. How their conflict is settled is, by far, the most captivating and entrancing parts of the play.
Once you put the book down, you transform from reader to philosopher. You will instinctively begin to ponder the issues in whatever part of the book that you have just completed. I, personally, read one act at a time, then closed my eyes (or reread the act) to mull over what had just transpired. I was left with a better understanding of that portion, and a greater respect for the genius of Shakespeare.
REVIEW: Julius Caesar is murdered very shortly into this play so while he bears the title the play is about the conspirators and the supporters of Caesar and the struggle for power that comes after his assassination. The power of language to persuade the masses and the fickle nature of crowds are only a few of the themes that Shakespeare explores. Shakespeare explores the nature of tyranny, politics and absolute power in ways that must have been remarkably risky and controversial in his day.
Someone below noted that we have come to believe that the events as Shakespeare crafted them in his play are how this really happened; "Et Tu Brutus", for example. This is one of the better known and more widely read of Shakespeare's works and is the way many middle school kids are introduced to Shakespeare (maybe rivaled by Romeo and Juliet). That said it is a fine drama and after multiple readings will still yield something new to think about or some new phrase that will stick in the readers mind.
When Brutus and Antony each deliver their respective addresses to the crowd following Caesar's death Shakespeare demonstrates a universal truth that people can be persuaded by words and the body politic is susceptible to a good propagandist. As true today as it was then.
REVIEW: Scholars have expounded on the merits of Shakespeare's work for centuries, so I'm not likely to add anything of value here. I merely want to point out how extraordinary and rewarding it is to read something written 500 years ago that still seems so fresh today. Human nature really hasn't changed at all. Upon rereading this tale of the machinations surrounding the assassination of Julius Caesar, the scene that really stood out for me was the one in which the assassin Brutus and the loyalist Antony take turns addressing the public following Caesar's death. The manner in which the crowd is stirred against Caesar by Brutus and then swayed the opposite way by Antony can be read as a humorous parody of today's poll-driven political scene. When Antony insists that "I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, action, nor utterance, nor the powers of speech to stir men's blood; I only speak right on." I can hear the voices of any number of modern politicians.
REVIEW: Julius Caesar is a classic book that everyone should read. This play of Shakespeare tells an accurate story of the Roman Revolution of 40 BC. This is an excellent play and great to watch either as a movie or as a play, but it works well in book form and also makes the script easier to analyze. Under scrutiny, you can see the subtle hints that Shakespeare makes about monarchy being better than a republic. Shakespeare, growing up in the monarchy of Great Britain. This play is about Brutus and the other conspirators trying to assassinate Caesar because he has amassed too much power and they are afraid he might try and become a king. Julius Caesar, although given many warnings, went into the Senate house on the ides of March. There he was killed by the conspirators, of whom Brutus, Caesar's friends, was one.
The play portrays one of the most influential revolutions. It shows the history and what Shakespeare thinks of the time. This play is mostly accurate to the real history of this time and effectively shows what Rome was like at this time. On of the major themes in this play was the cycle of violence. In the beginning, "God" allowed Caesar to become near ruler. Then Brutus and the conspirators question God's decision by killing Caesar. There is divine retribution signified by the war, and then peace is restored.
REVIEW: As with so many of Shakespeare's history and tragedy plays, this one is a wonderful history lesson. It is also a wonderful character portrayal of some well-known historical figures. Brutus is a fine example of one of Shakespeare's most wonderfully portrayed tragic figures. Brutus is the true hero of this tragic play. There are lots of wonderful soliloquies, and the language used is just beautiful. A wonderful play to re-read.
REVIEW: This play by William Shakespeare, is a fascinating study of human drama composed of a group of Romans who wish to assassinate their would be king, Julius Caesar. Each character is significantly drawn, and each has flaws, and is quite interesting. Brutus is the hero of the play, even though it's named Caesar, Caesar is not the main character, more like the unifying force. Anyway, Brutus is a heretofore honorable soldier brought into the assassination plot by the more sinister Cassius. Caesar has a god complex, and his right hand man is Mark Antony, who is a party boy turned avenging angel. These are the main characters, rounded out by Octavius Caesar who joins the cast near the end. Clever dialogue, and thought provoking story make a fascinating read. This has made a Shakespeare fan out of me.
REVIEW: Julius Caesar is one of Shakespeare’s best plays. It has drama, action, and comedy all tied up into a touching story with a sad end. It helps give insight into how the politics worked, and what drove the conspirators to kill Caesar. I think everyone should read this book at least once.
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