Caesar, The GOAT

“there was no danger to which he did not willingly expose himself, no labour from which he pleaded an exemption.” (Plutarch 210)

I believe this quote is important because it shows Caesar as a fearless, and brave leader. It goes along with a general theme of the text that Caesar was a leader, and not just some guy who bossed everyone around without getting his hands dirty.

Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives of Illustrious Men. The J.C. Winston Co., 1908.

In Your Weakness You Find Your Strength

"But he did not make the weakness of his constitution a pretext for his ease, but rather used war as the best physic against his indispositions "( Plutarch, 210).

Plutarch, et al. Plutarch's Lives of Illustrious Men. The J.C. Winston Co., 1908

I chose this quote because it shows that Caesar did not let any shortcomings stand in the way of his quest for power. He used his weaknesses as a drive to fight harder, rather than have them hold him back and limit him.

Man of Power and the People

       A large part of Caesar's life, as presented by Plutarch, centers around his drive for power. In multiple instances, he uses his wit and cunning to win over the people, and they rally around him in times of need. They become tools in his quest for position and power, yet he treats them with the utmost of respect even beyond simple 'winning over'. He was generous and honorable to his soldiers: "All he gave to deserving soldiers as so much increase to his own riches...there was no danger to which he did not willingly expose himself, no labor from which he pleaded an exemption" (Plutarch, 210).
      After reading about Caesar's life, what type of man can we conclude him to be? What are instances where he sides with the people only to gain their favor, and how does that later assist him in his rise to power and his impressive exploits as a leader? How does his relationship with the people (particularly the commoners, not the nobility) coincide with his power?

From the movie Little Caesar.

https://lassothemovies.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/little-caesar-1931.jpg

Caesar West-Video response

For my musical response I chose to compare Plutarch's Life of Caesar, to Kanye West's song Power. In the music video for his song, Kanye is pictured as a god. As he stands at the center of what appears to be heaven, the camera slowly pans out to reveal demi-god like beings that represent some of the vices that come along with his power. These include lust, greed and people trying to kill him. This song was made after Kanye had become an established artist in the hip-hop industry, and describes his personal experience with what fame, and thus power, has brought him. I feel like much of what Kanye experienced is similar to Caesar experience after he became the Emperor of Rome. Power brought him riches, women and enemies.

Plutarch on Caesar

Does Caesar act like a dictator?

Fake Love

For my musical challenge I picked the song "Fake Love" by Drake. In the song, Drake (who's basically the biggest hip-hop artist alive right now) describes how people who are below him in the rap game show him "fake love" in order to gain relevance in the music industry. I feel Caesar faces the same issue to an extent, as he is surrounded by political foes who are both beneath him and want his position of power.

-Trevor Delane

A Trust Betrayed

Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower,
And was embarked to cross to Burgundy,
And in my company my brother Gloucester,
. . .
Methought that Gloucester stumbled, and in falling
Struck me—that thought to stay him—overboard
Into the tumbling billows of the main.


In this quote, Clarence is seen giving an almost prophetic-like description of his dream in which he broke out of the tower and fled to France with Richard, only to be cast overboard and drowned. I believe the quote is meant to symbolize Clarence's fast-approaching death as two elements from the dream are realized in the play's near future: Clarence's death by drowning (in a barrel of wine) and ultimately, his death was a result of Richard's work. Aside from foreshadowing, I believe this quote also serves to show Clarence's trust in Richard, as he never accepted the fact that Richard was out to kill him. I believe Shakespeare's intent here was to have someone close to Richard killed off, in order to demonstrate the extent of his evil nature