The verdict is in...

I find the story to be dull. Yes, here I said it! I know that sounds callous but seriously, there are more scenes in this book that are boring than there are that are interesting. In fact, only the scene where Caesar was assassinated seems to be somewhat interesting.

However, I do give Shakespeare props for creative foreshadowing talent. For example, the viewer already gets a dose of what is to happen to Caesar when the soothsayer comes out and says “Beware the Ides of March”, Calpurnia’s dream that she sees Caesar’s statue running with blood and Caesar’s priests sacrifice animals to the gods only to find that the animals lack hearts are all foreshadowing Caesar’s approaching murder. Caesar’s ghost visits Brutus prior to the battle, and birds of prey circle over the battlefield in sight of Cassius are incidents foreshadow Caesar’s revenge and the victory.

Also, Shakespeare has this amazing skill of character portrayal. That, I might add, is the only element in this play that seems real. For Caesar, he wasn’t too interested in portraying him as a great hero or some legendary merit. If Shakespeare would have made Caesar this great leader that would mean that the conspirators would be evil for murdering such a remarkable person. On the other hand, Shakespeare didn’t make Caesar seem as if he was this horrendous, cunning and ruthless man. If he did this that would mean that Brutus wouldn’t have hesitated in being part of the plan to execute Caesar and Antony would not want revenge. Shakespeare does not sensationalize at all, and I applaud him in this book- the only applaud I’ll give him.

Anyone Else Having Problems With the Language?

This Shakespearian language is really getting to me. I’m not understanding a lot of things and that’s not good. Homer was easier to read than this and Homer wrote his book thousands of years before Shakespeare did. I understand the general idea of what the characters are saying but specific details are hard to analyze and comprehend. The side of each page offers help but it doesn’t help me where I need some summary or some sort.

I was so eager to read this book but now, I’m so disappointed. My dad says I should read the text more slowly and the phrases that I don’t understand, I should write it down and try to explore it. I tried that for Scene 3 of Act I and believe me, it didn’t work at all. Reading it slower made me forget what I was reading in the beginning and I felt like I was this mentally retarded person. I’ve never felt as dumb reading a text as I have now.

Don’t get me wrong, the language is really beautiful and just reading it feels as if you’ve stepped back into time. I’m learning French at school and when my teacher speaks to us in French, it sounds so beautiful. I could listen to it forever. The sad part is that I only understand a handful of what she’s saying but soon as the weeks went by, I slowly got the hang of what she was saying. I’m new to this type of writing because I’ve never read anything written by Shakespeare before. I’m certain that if I give myself some more time, I’ll be able to get the hang of this writing just as I did with French. The words make you just want to say it aloud just to hear the sound of it. It makes me sound like those aristocratic girls, I mean ladies, from the 16th century depiction movies that you see on television.

But then again, it isn't Shakespeare's fault that he writes just how people back then spoke. I suppose I'm being biased-if that's the right word to describe it.

Continuation of Prior Entry

This is a continuation from the prior entry- I guess this picture makes you able to visualize Caesar's death. Now don't you feel some compassion towards him?

Sympathy

"Et tu, Brute?"

I suddenly feel so much sympathy for Caesar. I didn't really like him in the beginning because he gave off a vibe of having to much pride primarily because he dismissed the soothsayer, calling him "...a dreamer" and he didn't bother with his wife Calpurnia's dream.

I can just imagine the part where that famous line- Caesar looks up at Brutus with sadness and shock in his eyes. "Et tu, Brute?" he says. Brutus lets out a sigh and takes one look at Caesar before turning away.

However, this book offers no depiction of how the scene really is and it makes it very hard to picture anything. Now that I've read this part, it seems almost ironic. What I'm saying is that if you go back to Scene 2 of Act I, you'll see that when the soothsayer says his prediction in the crowd, Caesar cannot hear and asks Brutus "What man is that?" and Brutus answers "A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.” I like the way Shakespeare does this because Brutus is repeating the warning where we all know he will be one of the murderers.

Going back to me being sympathetic about Caesar dying, I still wonder what would’ve happened if Julius Caesar had lived. From reading up to this scene, I’m very confused about whether or not the conspirators killed a great man or not.

Julius Caesar

Well I'm on the newest book- Julius Caesar. The beginning was very troubling for me, not because of the language (though that is another topic we need to touch upon) but rather what Flavius and Marullus have to say about Caesar. I never really knew that people hated Caesar so much. He was just always pictured as a famous figure who glorified Rome by capturing other countries and forcing them to become part of the Roman empire. In the beginning, they're telling the people who fill the streets that it isn't any holiday and that people should resume to their usual business. I scrunched up my nose when I read this- I definitely know the characters that I'm going to hate throughout this book. First impressions are very important to me and if you don't do a good job the first time, then I probably won't care for the second.

This is kind of what like we learned in class about characterization; Indirect and direct. Flavius and Marullus' actions and dialogue between the other characters provide vital clues about these two tribunes. These are indirect traits but they definetly show a lot about the characters so far.