Norman Sanders Knihy

Based on Plutarch's account of the lives of Brutus, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony, Julius Caesar is the first of Shakespeare's Roman history plays. Presented for the first time in 1599, the play showcases the dramatist's ability to explore and express profound human emotions and instincts. It offers compelling insights into history and human behavior, making it a staple in secondary-school curricula. The drama unfolds as Brutus, Cassius, and other conspirators plot to overthrow Caesar, the dictator of Rome. After Caesar's assassination, Mark Antony skillfully turns the crowd against the conspirators with one of literature's most famous speeches. The ensuing civil war sees the forces of Mark Antony and Octavius Caesar triumph over Cassius and Brutus. Humiliated and desperate, both conspirators choose to end their lives. These tragic events raise profound questions about power, government, ethics, and loyalty, creating a riveting dramatic spectacle that resonates with timeless themes.

While Julius Caesar and Coriolanus are concentrated on the city of Rome, the epic love affair of Antony and Cleopatra extends across the Empire. Each of these plays is profoundly concerned with political action, with the relation between the political and the personal. Shakespeare, like Plutarch, closely scrutinizes his heroes and compels us to question what sort of men they are.In this collection each play is accompanied by notes and an introduction, making this edition of particular value to students and theater-goers.