Julius Caesar can be portrayed in two different aspects. One aspect being historical and the other being fictional. An example of Caesar being portrayed as fictional is in the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare describes Julius Caesar differently compared to who Julius Caesar actually was. This paper will contrast what Julius Caesar was like in William Shakespeare's play and what he was like historically. .
In the tragic play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare interprets Caesar as an older, plump man with facial hair. Mentally, Shakespeare created Caesar as a demanding tyrant who was very rude and overconfident. G.B. Harrison describes Caesar in Shakespeare's play as beingAn unsympathetic, pompous tyrant.? During the scene between Caesar and Calpurnia, his overconfidence was shown. Calpurnia believed that Caesar was going to be murdered and so she feared for him. However, Caesar wouldn't believe what she was saying. He believed no one would want to do such a task to him. The things that threatened me Ne?er looked but on my back. When they shall see the face of Caesar they are vanished.?(Act 2.2.10 - 12) This quote represents how egotistical Caesar is because the quote shows his belief of how powerful and loved he thinks he is in Rome. The reason Shakespeare could easily create Caesar as such an evil man is because Shakespeare could put his words into Caesar's mouth and into the mouths of the other characters. This allowed Shakespeare to create any picture of Julius Caesar he wanted.
Caesar's behavior towards the senate and Cassius was very different in Shakespeare's tragedy in comparison to Caesar's actual history. For instance, in the play Julius Caesar, Caesar was courteous and friendly towards the senate and their ideas. Where as historically Caesar was very dishonest with them. He tried to overload the senate by weakening their power but at the same time gaining power for himself.
