Friday, November 27, 2015

The Cephalopod Coffeehouse: November 2015

Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the works they enjoyed most over the previous month.  Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.  If you wish to add your own review to the conversation, please sign on to the link list at the end of my post.

Title: Julius Caesar
Author: William Shakespeare
via Amazon
I first read Julius Caesar in high school as I'm sure many in the English-speaking world do.  In American high schools, one typically reads one Shakespeare play in each of the four years.  Everyone gets the Big 3: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Hamlet.  The fourth varies.  Some get Othello.  For my wife, it was The Merchant of Venice.  At my school, it was JC.  While I've seen many Shakespearean plays performed that I've never read, JC is the only one I've read but never seen performed.

Julius Caesar is an unusual play, particularly for Shakespeare, for the fact that the title character is not the clear protagonist.  Most of the story focuses instead on Brutus, Caesar's trusted friend and adviser, the very Brutus who led the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar.  Brutus is, in turn, an unusual protagonist for Shakespeare in light of his altruistic motivations:
"If then that friend [of Caesar's] demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more."
Even Brutus's antagonist, Mark Antony, describes Brutus as "the noblest Roman of them all."

In fact, much of what makes Julius Caesar such a fascinating story is the moral fluidity of the five principals.  Caesar is killed not for what he has done but for what he might do with his considerable power.  Brutus is forgiven for cold-blooded murder because his heart was in the right place.  Cassius seems to be on the right side because he's on Brutus's side but he is motivated by self-interest.  Antony and Octavius oppose Brutus but theirs is easily portrayed as the more justified cause.  Good stuff, Bill!

For our English project in high school, my friends and I made a parody film in which the reindeer assassinated Santa Claus.  I got to play Rudolph in the Brutus role.  I still remember the essay question from the exam: "Explain the differences between the death scenes of Cassius and Brutus."  At the time, I came up with something about Brutus being braver because he threw himself upon his own sword rather than having someone stab him.  Now, I see it differently, taking note of the fact that everyone Brutus asks to run him through wouldn't do it.  Even his own slave loves him too much to do more than hold the sword for him.  In suicide, Brutus is a martyr rather than a coward.

Please join us and share your own review of your best read from the past month.  This month's link list is below.  I'll keep it open until the end of the day.  I'll post December's tomorrow.  Meetings are the last Friday of each month.  Next gathering is December 25th.


17 comments:

  1. Ah, yes, I remember Julius Cesar. High school and college. I took a Shakespeare class one semester and Julius Cesar was always my favorite.

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  2. I'm pretty sure we only read Hamlet. I read a book on the assassination a few months back, and meant to revisit Shakespeare's version, which would have taken the form of watching Marlon Brando's movie again. Brando's the only animated actor in it, naturally.

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    1. I've never even seen it on film - might need to work on that.

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  3. Mr. Squid, I'm very sorry, but I didn't write a book post for the current Cephalopod Coffeehouse. I'm focused on the giveaway that I'm doing with Michele of Angels Bark.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. I read the et tu, brute book in school. We also read Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. I don't think I got anything out of them. In college I took a course on Shakespeare. It was great. I wrote my major essay for the term on As You Like It, but my favorite play is King Lear. Gotta love Cordelia. I would love to play a certain character in the Scottish play. I imagine her with a southern accent, whining, I just cain't get this here blood offa mah hands.

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    2. Macbeth reinterpreted a la Tennessee Williams? I could definitely get behind that!

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  4. I don't think I've read Caesar since high school, so I don't have much I can say about it at the moment. My education was a bit different, so my Shakespeare reading didn't follow all of the normal patterns.

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    1. I'm delighted to have rediscovered Shakespeare as an adult.

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  5. I haven't read Julius Caesar but in High School we read Hamlet and Macbeth.
    But your review makes me want to read it.
    Santa and reindeers..... love it !

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. Those are the two you've gotta read - the English language at its finest.

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  6. H.S. seems the stop sign for reading Shakespeare. And alas, I am the same. Rudoph as Brutus somehow makes me happy.

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    1. I'm making an effort to read more now, though starting by revisiting a few old favorites.

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  7. I have never read this one...not sure that I will--unless it's assigned to one of my kids and we go through that special homework hell together! That said, I'm interested. I love the way you discuss the political and moral framework here.
    Thanks for sharing!
    V:)

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    1. I certainly hope my daughter will enjoy Shakespeare when it comes to her. Maybe we can have readings at home.

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  8. I haven't read this one either altho I have read other plays by the Bard. I like your twist on the tale, lol.

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