Julius Caesar: Historical VS Shakespearian

Julius Caesar In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Caesar is depicted as an overal good man as opposed to how he actually was in real life. Many details of Caesar’s love life amongst other things are left unmentioned. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar includes many details that are historically accurate; however, there is much information that is left out pertaining to Caesar’s personality and his qualities as a leader. Shakespeare most likely left out details of his personality to direct the readers’ focus on things he thought were more important like the conflict between the triumverant and the conspirators. Amongst the many details of Caesar’s life that Shakespeare left out in Julius Caesar is the fact that Caesar had many wives and a few children. Shakespeare never mentions Julius Caesar having any children and only one wife (Calpurnia). Barbara F. McManus states, “Caesar practiced-and widely publicized-his policy of clemency (he would put no one to death and confiscate no property).” (www.vroma.org). The fact that Caesar used this policy is one of the reasons why Caesar was such a liked dictator. Shakespeare mentions that he is liked, but never gives a specific reason as to why. Both the historical context of Suetonius and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar talk about Caesar declining the crown. Casca says in Julius Caesar, “I saw Mark Antony offer him the crown...then he offered it the third time. He put it the third time by.” (Act I, sc. ii, ll. 237-242). The fact that he turned down the crown three times is an example of his modest character. Both sources also support the fact that Caesar was awarded several honors and that Caesar became unhealthy with diseases. The death of Julius Caesar is characterized by this excerpt from Suetonius, “And in the wise he was stabbed with three and twenty wounds...” (www.fordham.edu). Suetonius also notes that Caesar’s body is left by the conspirators to be found by three common slaves. This fact differs from