Sunday, May 31, 2015

What is one internal and one external conflict of Julius Caesar in the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar?

Caesar's external conflict is very straight-forward: man vs. man. Caesar is positioned in direct opposition to the men who are trying to assassinate him for his supposed ambition. This conflict is strongest between Caesar and Cassius, who Caesar says has "a lean and hungry look" (1.2.194). Caesar doesn't trust Cassius' ambition, just as Cassius doesn't trust Caesar's.


Caesar's internal conflict is harder to pinpoint, mainly because his character is so ambiguous. One internal struggle might be his decision to aim for the position of king of Rome. When Mark Antony offers the crown to Caesar and he refuses it despite the crowd's cheers, he could be playing out a public relations scene or genuinely reacting to a natural moment. Either way, it seems that he both wants and avoids crowning himself king of Rome, though the audience never gets to see that conflict play out. 


Another internal conflict that Caesar seems to be experiencing is with his physical limitations. He suffers from epilepsy, he can't hear out of one ear, Cassius recalls him getting very sick and losing a swimming contest in a very embarrassing way. It could certainly be the case that Caesar has been in constant struggle against handicaps and various disabilities his whole life. 

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