29th Annual Student Research Conference
What Drove Brutus?
Curtis J. Wichmer
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
The assassination of Julius Caesar is perhaps the most well-known political murder of all time. Nearly everyone knows the story of how Caesar was warned to "Beware the Ides of March," disregarded the warning, and was killed by the senate, muttering the words, "Et tu, Brute?" The story is so well known, that interpretations and examples of it can be found in literature spanning hundreds of years into the past, the most notable reiteration being that of William Shakespeare. Though Shakespeare recounts Caesar's death at Brutus' hands, the details surrounding Caesar's death are changed somewhat from how they are historically represented. Brutus may have been the one driving the plot to kill Caesar in real life, but did Shakespeare truly represent that in his play, Julius Caesar? A thorough analysis of Shakespeare's masterpiece will show the many liberties Shakespeare took when retelling the story of how Caesar was assassinated.
Keywords: Caesar, Brutus, Shakespeare, History, English
Topic(s):English
History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -3
Location: VH 1328
Time: 3:00