Jennifer Lines as Mark Antony (Julius Caesar, 2023) | Photo & Image Design: Emily Cooper
Julius Caesar is perhaps the most famous Roman ruler in history. His life was full of conquest, lust and betrayal.
Attending the opening night of Bard on the Beach’s first-rate production of Julius Caesar was ruthless. I mean that in the cold blooded meaning of the word, as it was during that particular era. The actors in this production did a superb job in their respective roles.
Granted this is not one of Shakespeare’s feel-good plays, which is understandable since those Romans were pretty violent. But few can argue that this renowned historical story about the lust for power, sold under the pretext of defending virtuous aspirations, is as relevant today as it was in the days of ancient Rome. Historically, Julius Caesar’s assassination transpired at a time when Rome itself was at a turning point, teetering between its achievements as a Republic and its less constrained nascent imperial ambitions.
Gaining Power and influence is a double-edged sword – quite literally.
Andrew Wheeler as Julius Caesar – Photo by Tim Matheson
Most people have heard the name Julius Caesar but may not know the story behind the man. Shakespeare’s historical rendering is about the military genius who overthrew Rome’s decaying political order and replaced it with a dictatorship. Cut to the chase: He triumphed in the Roman Civil War (nothing civil about it) only to be assassinated (no spoiler alert here) by those who believed he was becoming too powerful. Even his closest ally, Mark Antony (played by a woman here), is unable to stop his murder from those he most trusted.
The greatest enemy will hide in the last place you will ever look – Julius Caesar. Does this have anything to do with the phrase “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?”
*This timeless story, in a modern-day setting, is about the human drive to get and hold on to power – and how order and good government can turn to chaos when personal ambition is unchecked. Julius Caesar is powerfully connected to our world’s political landscape, with its fractured integrity, and it raises profound questions for us all.
Emma Slipp as Cassius and Andrew McNee as Brutus – Photo by Tim Matheson
A few fun and gruesome facts from the past that remain today, thanks to Caesar:
Caesar created the Julian calendar, which is the basis for the calendar we use today!
The term “Caesarian Section” supposedly comes from Caesar’s family; one of his ancestors was reportedly born via this method, which was probably a really gruesome way to come into the Ancient world.
The handsome Caesar was something of a lothario, and his ravenous appetite once got him into deep trouble. (Okay to be fair, this is regarding Caesar but in today’s landscape infidelity still stands).
Caesar frequently engaged in steamy affairs—and one led to an incredibly dark secret. During his youth, he took the beautiful and well-connected Servilia as his mistress. When she later had a child, Marcus Junius Brutus, Caesar reportedly believed the boy was his illegitimate son. If that’s the case, it may be one of the greatest tragedies in history. As we know now, Brutus was the one who helped lead the assassination against Caesar. That’s right, he may have killed his own father.
When it came to affairs, Caesar didn’t stop at Servilia. His infamous tryst with Cleopatra the Queen of Egypt, has gone down in history as a legendary love affair. They lived together for 14 years, and many believed that if Caesar were ever permitted to marry someone who wasn’t a Roman citizen, he would have chosen her.
There are other dark secrets but think we’ll leave it at this for now.
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