Tuesday, January 6, 2015

In Julius Caesar, ending with, "... look upon Caesar," Caesar's name is repeated seven times in the first 21 lines of this scene. Comment on the...

The repetition of Caesar's name is a rhetorical device and closely resembles diaphora which is used to signify the importance of such a person and then to explain what the name means.

The reference in the above extract is found in Act 1, scene 2. It is the feast of Lupercal, a traditional celebration for fertility and purification. The scene opens with Caesar leading a large party. They are there to witness Antony running the course, which is a route he will run as part of the festivities. Caesar holds the highest authority and he obviously has to be there.


The repeated mention of his name signifies Caesar's importance. It emphasizes his authority and status. Its value lies in the fact that the audience is presented with a figurehead, an iconic leader, master of all he surveys. The name is a respected one and is known by all and sundry.


Caesar is the archetype of a leader. The repetition of his name does not only create an awareness of the individual, but it also creates an expectation - that the character so referenced will either perform some great deed or that an unexpected disaster would befall him. As it is, this second expectation is enhanced when Caesar is approached by a soothsayer, who warns:



Beware the ides of March.



Caesar, who is relishing his status, believes that he is practically invincible, does not heed the soothsayer's caution and dismisses him as a dreamer. This further heightens the audience's presumption that indeed, something is afoot. This is later confirmed by other events such as Caesar's cynicism about Cassius, Brutus's somber mood, Cassius's exhortation to Brutus, references to a malicious faction and Cassius's scheming and plotting.


Shakespeare gradually builds the tension by gently nudging the audience with light suggestions at first which gradually grow in intensity until they all come together and explode in the brutal climax - Caesar's bloody assassination.

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