Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare · 1599 · Paper 1 Section A

6-Part Quote Analysis

6 quotes with full 6-part analysis

Theme Sheets

4 printable A4 theme analysis sheets

Writer’s Toolkit

6 sections · 70 techniques · A4 printable

Exam Practice

6 practice questions with timed writing

Context

Written in 1599, the play reflects Elizabethan anxieties about succession, political instability, and the ethics of deposing a ruler — topical concerns as the ageing, childless Elizabeth I neared the end of her reign. Shakespeare used Plutarch's Lives as his source, exploring how republican ideals can be corrupted by personal ambition and mob mentality.

Key Themes

Political Power & AmbitionLoyalty & BetrayalRhetoric & PersuasionHonour & DutyFate vs Free WillPublic vs Private SelfRepublic vs Tyranny

Characters

Brutus

Noble Roman who joins the conspiracy out of duty to the republic; tragic hero

Julius Caesar

Powerful leader whose ambition threatens Roman democracy; assassinated at the Senate

Mark Antony

Caesar's loyal friend; masterful orator who turns the crowd against the conspirators

Cassius

Shrewd manipulator who recruits Brutus; driven by envy as much as principle

Portia

Brutus's wife; strong-willed woman who demands to share his burdens

Calpurnia

Caesar's wife; her prophetic dreams foreshadow his assassination

Octavius

Caesar's adopted heir; cold, calculating future emperor

Quotes

“Beware the ides of March”

IMPERATIVE / PROLEPTIC WARNING

“Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!”

CODE-SWITCHING / LINGUISTIC SHOCK

“The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with t…”

ANTITHESIS / PARALLEL STRUCTURE

“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of…”

ANTITHESIS / PARADOX

“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”

COMPARATIVE STRUCTURE / MORAL CALCULUS

“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, lead…”

EXTENDED NAUTICAL METAPHOR