「줄리어스 시저」에 나타난 ‘위기의 사회’
“The Society of Crisis” as Represented in Julius Caesar
0
조회
0
다운로드
2
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
The fact that Caesar wants to become a monarch causes serious disorder in the Roman Republic. This has been the general critical consensus in studies of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and it is the reason why the aristocrats decide to kill Caesar in the play. However, with the death of Caesar, the basis of the Republic is weakened, instead of being solidified. With the death of Caesar, the Republic becomes chaotic, because every class of society is immersed in its own interests, not in the public cause. The aristocrats are not following the ideals of the Republic, such as “reason,” “community,” “sharing the public culture,” “friendship” and “courage.” The trial hall is a place in which public culture is shared, but there is no trial in the play and Caesar is cruelly killed in a public place. The public place functions not as a channel for the community’s opinions but as a place where killing and criminal practices are exercised. The killers’ action does not correspond to the aims of the Republic. Furthermore, in the play there is only emulation and competition, not true friendship. The aristocrats kill Caesar because he is not in fact superior to them, and there is no cause for them to be ruled by Caesar. The killing of Caesar is undertaken not for the better of the Republic but to satisfy the aristocrats' desire to prevent the creation of a class higher than their own. A major virtue of the Republic is bravery, but the aristocrats obtain what they want through plots and deception, instead of through courage. The citizens as well fail to ponder what would be advantageous for the Republic. They act only for their economic interests. When the fact that Caesar has decided to give his inheritance to the citizens is revealed, the citizens insist on retaliating against Caesar’s death, saying that the killers of Caesar are traitors. However, just before they learn about Caesar's will, some of them agree with Antonius’s opinion and Brutus’s opinion about the death of Caesar. This shows that what is most important to the citizens is not the future of the Republic nor the arrival of monarchy. What is important to them is their own economic interests. In conclusion, few of the aristocrats and citizens are committed to serving the Republic and the country. Nor does anyone seriously consider the future of the Republic after the death of Caesar. Furthermore, with the death of Caesar, the society enters a more serious crisis. All this suggests that Shakespeare considers neither the Republic system in which citizens and aristocrats play a major role nor the monarchy system to be ideal. The final scene does not show any hint of the future system, which suggests Shakespeare’s agony over the ideal political system.
Abstract
The fact that Caesar wants to become a monarch causes serious disorder in the Roman Republic. This has been the general critical consensus in studies of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and it is the reason why the aristocrats decide to kill Caesar in the play. However, with the death of Caesar, the basis of the Republic is weakened, instead of being solidified. With the death of Caesar, the Republic becomes chaotic, because every class of society is immersed in its own interests, not in the public cause. The aristocrats are not following the ideals of the Republic, such as “reason,” “community,” “sharing the public culture,” “friendship” and “courage.” The trial hall is a place in which public culture is shared, but there is no trial in the play and Caesar is cruelly killed in a public place. The public place functions not as a channel for the community’s opinions but as a place where killing and criminal practices are exercised. The killers’ action does not correspond to the aims of the Republic. Furthermore, in the play there is only emulation and competition, not true friendship. The aristocrats kill Caesar because he is not in fact superior to them, and there is no cause for them to be ruled by Caesar. The killing of Caesar is undertaken not for the better of the Republic but to satisfy the aristocrats' desire to prevent the creation of a class higher than their own. A major virtue of the Republic is bravery, but the aristocrats obtain what they want through plots and deception, instead of through courage. The citizens as well fail to ponder what would be advantageous for the Republic. They act only for their economic interests. When the fact that Caesar has decided to give his inheritance to the citizens is revealed, the citizens insist on retaliating against Caesar’s death, saying that the killers of Caesar are traitors. However, just before they learn about Caesar's will, some of them agree with Antonius’s opinion and Brutus’s opinion about the death of Caesar. This shows that what is most important to the citizens is not the future of the Republic nor the arrival of monarchy. What is important to them is their own economic interests. In conclusion, few of the aristocrats and citizens are committed to serving the Republic and the country. Nor does anyone seriously consider the future of the Republic after the death of Caesar. Furthermore, with the death of Caesar, the society enters a more serious crisis. All this suggests that Shakespeare considers neither the Republic system in which citizens and aristocrats play a major role nor the monarchy system to be ideal. The final scene does not show any hint of the future system, which suggests Shakespeare’s agony over the ideal political system.
참고문헌 (25)
- Archer, John, "Citizen Shakespeare" (2005), Palgrave Macmillan
- Armitage, David, "Empire and Liberty:A Republican Dilemma, Republicanism Vol II" (2002), Cambridge UP
- Arnold, Oliver, "The Third Citizen" (2007), The Johns Hopkins UP
- Bathory, Dennis, "With Himself at War: Shakespeare’s Roman Hero and the Republican Tradition. In Shakespeare’s Political Pageant", pp.237~245 (1996), Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
- Blits, Jan, "The End of the Ancient Republic: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar" (1993), Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
- Burt, Richard, "A Dangerous Rome. Contending Kingdoms", pp.109~127 (1991), Wayne State UP
- Colclough, David, "Talking to the animals: persuasion, counsel and their discontents in Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare and Early Modern Political Thought", pp.217~233 (2009), Cambridge UP
- Drakakis, John, "Fashion it thus: Julius Caesar and the Politics of Theatrical Representation. In New Casebooks: Julius Caesar", pp.77~91 (2002), Palgrave
- Hadfield, Andrew, "Shakespeare and Republicanism" (2005), Cambridge UP
- Hager, Alan, "Shakespeare’s Political Animal" (1990), Associated UP
- Halpern, Richard, "Vicissitudes of the Public Sphere: Julius Caesar. New Casebooks: Julius Caesar", pp.210~228 (2002), Palgrave
- Hawkes, David, "Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar: New Critical Essays", pp.199~212 (2005), Routledge
- Knowles, Richard, "Shakespeare’s Arguments with History" (2002), Palgrave
- Mahler, Andreas, "There is restitution, no End of Restitution, only not for us. Julius Caesar: New Critical Essays", pp.181~195 (2005), Routledge
- Miles, Geoffrey, "Shakespeare and the Constant Romans" (1996), Oxford UP
- Miola, Robert, "Shakespeare’s Rome" (1983), Cambridge UP
- Parker, Barbara, "Plato’s Republic and Shakespeare’s Rome" (2004), U. of Delaware P
- Peltonen, Markku, "Citizenship and Republicanism in Elizabethan England. Republicanism Vol I" (2002), Cambridge UP
- Pennacchia, Maddalena, "Antony’s Ring: Remediating Ancient Rhetoric on the Elizabethan Stage. Shakespeare’s Rome", pp.49~60 (2009), Ashgate
- Potter, Lois, "His Oration: Shakespeare and the Art of Public Speaking. Staging Shakespeare", pp.244~258 (2007), U. of Delaware P
- Rebhorn, Wayne, "The Crisis of the Aristocracy in Julius Caesar. in New Casebooks: Julius Caesar", pp.29~54 (2002), Palgrave
- Riley, Dick, "Shakespeare’s Consuls, Cardinals, and Kings" (2008), Continuum
- Shakespeare, William, "The tragedy of Julius Caesar" (1992), Washington Square P
- Sinfield, Alan, "Theaters of War: Caesar and the Vandals. In Shakespeare: The Roman Plays", pp.45~65 (1996), Longman
- Thomas, Vivian, "Julius Caesar" (1992), Harvester Wheatsheaf