The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (1599) is Shakespeare’s tragedy about the events leading to the murder of Julius Caesar. Two tribunes, Marullus and Flavius, break up the Roman citizens attending a victory parade for Julius Caesar. Characters include Mark Anthony (his one and only friend), Marcus Brutus, Octavia, and Calpurnia (Caesar’s wife). A soothsayer forewarns Caesar’s fate: “Beware the Ides of March”. Another favorite quote: “Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war.” [Painting by Edward Scriven, Brutus and the Ghost of Caesar, 1802.]
