Monday, May 4, 2015

Julius Caesar - Good Leaders and Good Friends

DISCLAIMER: In the video, when Casca's name is used and he's called Casca the Poet, the name was misspoken and we actually meant Cinna the Poet, not Casca.  Casca is a different character.
Also: Each section of translated Shakespearean text used is not quoted by line, but by Act and Scene.

I noticed that when Casca and Brutus and Cassius are talking about Caesar and his epilepsy, Cassius says that Brutus and himself and Casca are the ones who have epilepsy and have fallen.  At first it makes no sense, but as you read on, I think that it becomes clear.

Cassius is talking about how he is corrupting Brutus behind Caesar's back and how he is not a good person himself.  Caesar actually has the disease, but Cassius and everyone involved in Caesar's death - and even those around Caesar - have fallen from being good people to following one unjust cause: ambition.  This is the first time that Cassius acknowledges that he is a bad person and has fallen from what he could have been once - which is a good person.
"No, Caesar hath it not.  But you and I And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness."
"No, Caesar doesn't have epilepsy.  You and I, and honest Casca, we have epilepsy - we've fallen."
Later on, the day before the Ides of March, Brutus says that he has hardly slept since Cassius began to turn him against Caesar.  His conscience is telling him not to do it, but he has accepted that he has to do it, and so he feels like he is in a dream.  He is so noble that he is doubting himself, even though he is convinced that killing Caesar is the only way to free Rome.

This is a politician ad for Obama demonstrating what we said before in the video, which is that politicians appear like the "good friends" and may not be the best leaders.  People vote for the good friends instead of good leaders.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBorRZnqtMo


-bookhouse4


1 comment:

  1. I really appreciate the video and the work you did to perform, contextualize, and then analyze each scene. It shows a true understanding of the themes of the play. Plus it was fun to watch.

    The effort you put into this project really shows, as does the depth that you engaged with the text and key themes.

    Nice work!

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