Table of Contents

• Introduction
• A summary of the plot
• What is Julius Caesar about?
• What kind of Rome does Shakespeare show us?
• What do we make of Caesar himself ?
• Is Brutus a tragic hero?
• How much of a villain is Antony?
• What is the significance of the proscription scene and the death of Cinna the Poet?
• Why is the play so full of metadrama?
• What role do women play?
• How does Cassius's relationship with Brutus evolve?
• What does the play tell us about the art of rhetoric?
• What view of the world does Shakespeare leave us with?

About the Author

Andrew James Hartley is the Robinson Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, specialising in performance theory, theatre history and dramaturgy. His academic books include The Shakespearean Dramaturg, Julius Caesar, Shakespeare and Political Theatre, Shakespeare on the University Stage, The Arden Critical Guide to Julius Caesar, and Shakespeare and Millennial Fiction.