The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-07-04
JULIUS CESAR.
Mr.. Edwin NJ.
Analysis
Royle's
OF aHAKEsPEARE'S TRAGEDY.
the Men, Motives and Incidents
of the Play.

often acted now for obvious reasons,
has always been one of the most popu
lar of the masters works.
1t was acted with great applause. we
are told. even in the time of Shakes
peare, and it was one of the few Shakes
pearean plays brought back 10 the
stage at the restoration. 1t has been
alike popular with school children,
scholars. actors and people.
The leading actors Of our own time
and country have regulations in
separately connected with it-Booth as
Brutus. Barrett as Cass;us, and Bangs
and Keene as Anthony. There IS no
play of Shakespeare perhaps whose
lines are so familiar TO the popular
mind; and tho Shakespeare gets the
credit for its famous speeches and
aphorisms. his principal credit stands
in the genius of appropriation, for the
materials Of the play are a / taken from
North S translation of Plutarch's Lives.
But the constructive genius of the
play, in grouping, color, essential
Characterization, and that subtle but
peryasiye spirit which assimilaies.
unifies. WHITES. recreates and exalts,
is truly Shakespesrean.
The play belongs IN point of compo-
sition to the Hamlet period. In the
EnAlish historical plays Shakespeare
had portrayed the heroes OF poetic &C
tion-men successful in the heroic
affairs Of the bus Ting world; but at the
time this play was constructed he had
left the surface of life. and gone down
into the grey, rayless, path.ess depths
OF human destiny. The human heart.
the individual soul in its struggles
with itse and fate-its heIghls, its
de, tbs, its strength, its weakness,
Its crimes. its remorse, its sins, It's suf-
ferings, IL passions and its eternal
such was his theme. Men
are no longer wholly bad, nor alto
gether sdmirable-the gold, the silver
and the clay of the statue are only DIFF
proportional. We see men sue
cessful who are failures, and men who
are failures gloriously successful.
There are four great personages in
this drama admirably contrasted. Let
me call attention TO their prominent
characteristics, as they appear success
is the feast of Lupercalia, b. G.. "A. and
Cesar, accompanied by Marc Antony
and gorgeous professional, is on his
way TO the Forum, TO deliver his ora
ton to the people. The procession is
al little distance by Brutus
and Cassius.
Shakespeare's treatment of Cesar has
caused much discussion and some I'M
favorable comment among the critics.
here represents Cesar as
IN the decline Of life; physically ailing.
pale, deaf. subject to hts, mentally fall
ng, superstitio1s, vain, ''thrasonical
oraggart," full blown with the pride and
1omp OF power.
There is only one historical excuse
or this-PlutsTeh intimates that Caesars |
character altered much for the worse
,efore his death.
There Is no parsonage Of history per
laps more oft n alluded to by Shskes |
leare than Cesar, and almost always /
n Just consideration of the magnitude 1
II the man. Why should Shake peare /
n this play treat the brosdest figure of 1
ancient history in this contemptuOus
md belittling way2
There have been various explanations
)ne Is that Shakespeare represents
'aesar 10 us as he appeared 10 the
so as TO excite in us
ympathy with their deed and preserve
he dramatic interest Of the play. How
yer that may be, i must be remenl-
cred that tho Cesar disappears from
he drama after the third act, his spirit
,ervsdes the ragedy to the end
Mark Antony-Ehat picture OF how \
many young men then, now, every I
Fhefel Affable, genial. Tarm-bloodedr
ensitiye, talented, friendly and be-
riended; a man men and women both
Ove; a man upon VII m fortune III
lists on smiling. / know OF no one who
more reminds me of T to Mslema in
ieorge Eiiot's great story: for he was
God only so long as be lacked tempta-
ion; be was loyable only until has SELL
interest was aroused Then he became
oluntuous, peTfidious. cunning, 3
issembler and pitless tyrant-going
Ioxn step by step, until at last he sank
into the embrace OF the
serpent Of the Nile, Tor he
scked mood, fibre and the stability OF
haracter. Though he had genuine
oye for Cesar and q true admiration
or Brutus, be made his friends death
ave his fortunes and worked the run
4 the noblest Roman Of them all
Rrutus and Cassius.-Here We have
he co. trast between the man OF prsc6-
al affairs. and the theo-ist and idealisG
,assius was 3 political oppo5tunist.
lad be been successful ge would hare
allied him, : Statesman, as be
rss not we viii simply call him q poll
ician. He knew men ana how
n rise them, and no scraPies OF
he heart or conscience ever biased
he clear discernment OF the head.
Wherever Brutus and CsssiuS disagreed
,sssius was always right de nsyer
made but one mistake and that Was Ia
Moving Brutus TO override him. de
n nss = '- reeder OF men and Of books.
strange combination Of cold eaicniation
nd choieric passion, proud, Ieyense-
MI ambitious. piiless-. de hated Csc
,sr. not tyranny. he had one Iedeem-
ne festure. he 'loTed Bruins and was
oeloyed bv him. His IS Tnnch me more
dramatic character OF the Two.
BrI.tus IS the pstheus agnIs OF the
play. Always morally nSet, and
,lTavs practically wrongly wrong IN
'ns-;ng Antonv; wrong IN letting |
nm pa'iu ssldTess the mob; wrong in !
.ayane;ag on Philippl; wrong n
bis condros Of the ostue. ne does
1870. ozs,u,ate men, nor