Julius Caesar 
 
By William Shakespeare
 
In the play of Julius Caesar, we see a brief picture of
Roman life during the time of the First Triumvirate. In
this snap shot, we see many unfortunate things. Shakespeare
gives us the idea that many people try to circumvent what
the future holds, such as unfortunate things, by being
superstitious. 
 
Superstition seems to play a role in the basic daily life
of most Roman citizens. For instance, the setting of the
first scene is based upon superstition, the Feast of
Lupercal. This feast is in honor of the god Pan, the queen
of fertility. During this time, infertile females are
supposed to be able to procreate, and fertile ones are
supposed to be able to bear more. It is also a supposed
time of sexual glorification and happiness. Other scenes
depict how throughout Rome, roaming the streets are
mysterious sooth-sayers, who are supposedly given the power
to predict the future. Dictating what is to come through
terse tidbits, these people may also be looked upon as
superstitious. In the opening scene, one sooth-sayer, old
in his years, warns Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March,"
an admonition of Caesar's impending death. Although
sooth-sayers are looked upon by many as insane out of touch
lower classmen, a good deal of them, obviously including
the sayer Caesar encountered, are indeed right on the mark.
Since they lack any formal office or shop, and they predict
forthcomings without fee, one can see quite easily why
citizens would distrust their predictions. Superstition, in
general elements such as the Feast of Lupercal, as well as
on a personal level such as with the sooth-sayers, is an
important factor in determining the events and the outcome
of Julius Caesar, a significant force throughout the entire
course of the play.
 
Before the play fully unravels, we see a few of signs of
Caesar's tragic end. Aside from the sooth-sayer's warning,
we also see another sign during Caesar's visit with the
Augerers, the latter day "psychics". They find "No heart in
the beast", which they interpret as advice to Caesar that
he should remain at home. Caesar brushes it off and thinks
of it as a rebuke from the gods, meaning that he is a
coward if he does not go out, and so he dismisses the wise
advice as hearsay. However, the next morning, his wife
Calphurnia wakes up frightened due to a horrible nightmare.
She tells Caesar of a battle breaking out in the heart of
Rome, "Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol," with Caesar
painfully dying, such that "...The heavens themselves blaze
forth the death of princes." Although Caesar realizes
Calphurnia is truly concerned about his well-being, he
seeks another interpretation, coming to the conclusion that
the person who imagines the dream may not be the wisest one
to interpret it's meaning. Later Caesar tells his faithful
companion Decius about it, and he interprets it quite the
contrary, "That it was a vision fair and fortunate," and
indeed, today is an ideal day to go out, since this is the
day "To give a crown to mighty Caesar." Perhaps Decius is
implying here that today is a day where much appreciation
and appraisal will be given to Caesar, surely not the
endangerment of his well-being as Calphurnia interprets it.
Caesar predictably agrees with him, as most citizens enjoy
believing the more positive of two interpretations.
 
After Caesar's assassination at the hand of Brutus,
Cassius, and the rest of the conspirators, Brutus and
Cassius are chased into the country side, where we see a
few superstitious signs of their forthcoming painful death
in battle. In a dream, Brutus sees Caesar's "ghost",
interpreted as an omen of his defeat. He also looks upon
the ensign, and instead of the usual stock of eagles,
ravens and kites replace them, construed as another sign of
their loss at Phillipi. Not surprisingly, Caesar's death is
avenged in the end, with the two of the conspirators'
double suicide. As superstition is inter-twined within the
basis of the entire play, we can reasonably conclude that
it is because of this irrational belief of why certain
events occur and how to avoid them, that Caesar is retired
and eventually avenged. In the words of Caesar's devoted
follower and companion Mark Antony, "His life was gentle,
and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up
and say to the world, 'This was a man!'"