Title: Was Julius Caesar liked by the people? - eNotes.com
Headings: Was Julius Caesar liked by the people?
The Ancient World
Start Free Trial
Was Julius Caesar liked by the people?
Expert Answers
We’ll help your grades soar

Content: Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. tresvivace
Educator since 2009
100 answers
| Certified Educator
Page Citation
Share Link
We know that Julius Caesar was liked by the people early in the play when Flavius and Marullus chastise the common people for celebrating and for putting decorations on Caesar's statue. They ask, "Knew you not Pompey?" reminding the people that they had formerly loved Pompey, conquered by Caesar before the play begins. Marullus and Flavius tell the plebians to remove the decorations from Caesar's statues. Much later, after the conspirators stab Caesar, Brutus momentarily persuades the populace that the assassination of Caesar was justified. He gets them thinking, if only for a moment, that maybe Caesar was too ambitious. But then Marc Antony delivers a more powerful oration, persuading the people that Caesar did, indeed, do much for them (leaving them parks, a monetary share of his will and more) and that they should exact revenge for his death. The mob is fickle, to be sure...one moment they are pleased with Caesar's death and the next moment they mourn him...but it appears that their predominant feelings were positive toward the ruler. After Antony's rousing funeral oration, she even kill Cinna, the poet because he has the same name as Cinna, the conspirator.