Character Design For Shakespeares Julius Caesar

character design for shakespeare’s julius caesar

the one thing i need most on this earth is a late roman republic highschool au. mark antony wearing his cheer uniform to class. cicero writing a burn book in gel pen. cato rats on people vaping in the bathrooms. massive sweater vest wearing nerd octavian and his giga-chad jock bf agrippa. all my fave tyrannical war criminals in hell on earth <333

mark antony voice how does a balding lying son of a pleb and an eques

The more familiar with Cicero you are beforehand, the more the Pro Caelio feels like being punched in the face. It can be so very easy to buy into one view of Cicero's character, because he's simply so good at projecting the image he wants us to see. One minute all we see is absolute outrage towards anyone vaguely associated with Catiline's conspiracy, executions without trial, righteous anger and passion. And it's so bloody effective that we buy into it wholeheartedly.

But when he has to, he sheds this skin in the blink of an eye. From bemoaning the Times and Morals, Cicero pleads that the judges be lenient with Caelius, since perfect virtue like that of the heroes of the old Republic is something you find only in books and rarely in life. The times and morals become an excuse. Being dragged into the wrong political circles is just an unfortunate consequence of youthfulness. Coming from Cicero, this is just unbelievable.

But fun uncle Cicero is as much a persona as Mister Republic '63. It's only when you see such radically different versions of Cicero that you realise just what a master of rhetoric he is, how effectively he warps even our impression of him and of the case, though we are looking back with fresh eyes 2000 years later. The real Cicero is an elusive mastermind. Hearing his voice booming his ire through the senate house would have been heart-stopping. But realising how much he's playing with you in order to have such an effect is almost... something more awe-inspiring.

Roman senator who openly likes guys and girls (in fact, he blithely assumes everyone does) but is stunned to realize he's actually in love with his own wife. He's supposed to be stoic, authoritative, and this was a just political marriage but nooo she's so brilliant and objective and knows law better than he does, and if his colleagues knew they would never stop picking on him. How do you ask someone on a date when you're already married?? He is suffering.

(Next room over: Roman senator's wife, who shows love by infodumping and has the people-reading skills of a rock, wonders how to make her sweet but awkward husband notice her.)

I am wheezing.