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The History Of European Theatre
Julius Caesar: ‘It is the Bright Day That Brings Forth the Adder’
Episode 190:
'Julius Caesar' has proved to be one of Shakespeare’s most malleable plays through the centuries as it’s political narrative has been applied to just about every period of history since it was first performed, either in the moment or retrospectively. In most people’s estimation it is one of Shakespeare’s truly great plays, but that does not mean that there is always a consensus of opinion over the details of the plot or the motivations of the main characters, but by now that is pretty much what we have come to expect from Shakespeare.
The dating of the play
The early performance history of the play
The publication history of the play
The sources for the play
A brief synopsis of the play
Why did Shakespeare choose to write about Roman history?
The play as Ceasar’s tragedy
The play as the tragedy of Brutus
Anthony as the playboy and political strategist
The role of words, letters and misunderstandings in the play
The death of Cinna the poet
The later performance history of the play
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