Supernatural Elements in Julius Caesar

Write note on the use of Supernatural Elements in Julius Caesar Or, What part does the Supernatural play in Julius Caesar? Undoubtedly, the first name in English literature is that of an Elizabethan poet and dramatist― William Shakespeare― whose skill in transforming human character and action into art created a world of unforgettable people, phrases and incredible situations. He is considered to be the master of human psychology and employs several agencies to heighten the dramatic actions in his plays. The supernatural elements and superstitions in ‘Julius Caesar’ have been introduced to reflect the prevailing social beliefs and taboos, and to cater to the crude taste of the groundlings. The people living in the age of Shakespeare believed in black magic and supernatural appearances. They believed that the ghost, witches and fairies actively interfered in human affairs and controlled the destiny and actions of man. This belief was shared by even the most learned man of 16th century. The dramatist has made use of this belief in his plays for a dramatic purpose and with miraculous results. The introduction of the supernatural in his plays adds an element of mystery and deeper moral significance to the drama. It stands as a symbol of mysterious relationship existing between the world of matter and the world of spirit. He has very successfully employed it in his many plays. The supernatural machinery plays an important role in the plays like ‘Hamlet’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘Cymbeline’ and does it most effectively in ‘Julius Caesar’. In ‘Macbeth’, it intensifies human action. In this play the supernatural agency does not originate any course of action. It quickens the impulse which is already in the mind of the hero― Macbeth. But in ‘Julius Caesar’, the ghost of Caesar gives a definite shape and intensifies some elements always present in the mind of Brutus. It