Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-05
JULIUS CAESAR PORTRAYED
PROF. GRIGGS' LECTURE AT
CHURCH OF OUR FATHER.
Noted Shakespearean Characters
Subjects of Observation-Disclosures
ment in Interest of Fairgrounds.

.Brutus." said Prof. Edward Howard
Grggs in his lecture on Julius Caesar at
the Church of Our Father last night. lis
pictured by Shakespeare as pure idaai
of the highest principle and the noblest
character in the play. yet because he be-
lonqed to the class of men whose motives
are pt1re and lofty. he was infinitely more
dangerous and more to be feared than the
unprincipled opportunist. Cassius.' for the
reason that he slew Caesar. believing that
he deserved to die without iirst consloer-
ing the consequences of his act in RELATION
to the rest of the world
One must not only mean we'll. but one
must do we'll. explained the lecturer. IL Is
a bad deed which is born of good mollve
when it's effects or consequences are pau
Ii is bad deed which is born OF an I'M
proper motive. even though IL iesuits -,
GOOD To be a truly good deed, II must
he horn of a good motive and result IN
good The play of Julius caesar, saio
Prof Griggs, is the most llss, ,a ~
drama i'm the history of the world, =. II
illustrates a struggle of ideas. not Oh III
djyiduals 1t is also model OF res'ra'i'eu
literary art Itch tho
Shakespeare does not strike WIN me
leading idea in his opening scenes Va
..Inli,s Caesar" as in his other pays
said the lecturer. Yet there is consuih
mate art in the introdGction.ol the nion
at the beginning. because 'liei.os ,.s
shown the condition of affairs that exlsteu
AT the time-a condition which mevltaply
made Brutus patriotic attempt laliuie
and established more Clearly IMAM anS
thing else could have done that MS pr
iect should never have been UNDERTAKEN
Boastful and Superstitious.
Julius Caesar was described as vac
illating. boastful and superstitious charac-
ter at the time of the play, his vaciiia-
ton being shown by a change of nina
and purpose twice within fifteen minutes
first when the tears of woman persuaa
ed him not to go TO the foI oiil on AL INV
day of his assassination. and. secondly,
when the fiattery of the sycopnaht III
duced him to do otherwise
The nobler d mans character sdiu ,ile
lecturer. the graver is his fespoislpI....
Rrutus being a noble character. ms puI-
noses high and his reputation estaDnSheu
was indispensable to the success OF the
plot that was framed to destro! Cdesai
and make the world stake Tor the gam
blers who played for it. Yet brutus was
led to action by mean thing as cas-
slus an unprincipled opportunist. VINO
worked by suggestion. not only in the ACT
which led to Caesars destruction, ou'
later in other things. yet always eventual
~ 10 be overruled by Brutus IN the emo
To the undoinS of both. In dealing win
the careless mob of his day, Brutus did
not realize that 1t was not made OF
h:Sh-prrncipled ancestors.
I5rutus character was measured by the
lecturer by his soliloauy. which, he SAID
was ShakeSpeare'S favorIte way OF reveal
ing the deeper, thoughtful characters OF
his plays. He cited. as other illustrations,
.dacoetn and Hamlet Caesar had done
nothing to deserve death. as yet. reasoned
Brutus: yet he might do something. and
therefore it was right to kill him. That,
said Prof. Griggs. has ever been the arSu-
ment of tyranus the world over in every
age
Brilliant Adventurer.
Cassus was right in advising Mark An
tony's death. but Brutus would not have
1t. and so put aside the suggestion with
almost jest. Cassius knew Antony bet
ter than did Brutus. This is shown in
the difference of the invitations given An
tony to join the conspiracy-one by Bru-
tus the other by Cassius. Antony is
described the most brilliant adventurer
ever known to Misrepresentation, lovabie,
world as a stake. His strong argument
was that he stood by his friends. the ia
vorite old argument of the ward boss and
Brutus. said Prof. Griggs. was like many
teachers, preachers and statesmen They
.low to teach If to others. He knew his
motive to be high. noble and pure, but
he could not ; 50 teach it to his people
that are employed by the sensational
newspaper writer and demagogue to in
nuence the human NINA ana hedrt. First,
he clouded the issue; then he appealed to
the cupdity of his hearers; and finally,
he resorted. to coarse. brutal sensation.
Brain Path to Crime.
There are too many who gloat over
morbid sensations. said Prof. Grggs.
They build a brain path to crime and the
day will come when only a slight sugges-
ton will make the brOoder a criminal by
the commission of the ultimate act.
Although Shakespeare often used ''unex-
pected denouement'' in the construction of
his plays said the lecturer. in julius
Caesar he had resorted 10 the method. en-
pIoyed in the old Greek tragedies of lift
ing the audience. which knows the end,
away from the plane of the characters
and circumstances
The lecture was one of series which
is being given in the interests of the
Fairgrounds Association.
There was a very large attendance and
IN the audience were a number of SEN
stprs and representatives in Congress and
prominent clergymen of the city.