Character Analysis: Caesar & Cassius

Caesar and Cassius represent opposite poles of the play's political spectrum. Caesar is the powerful leader whose ambition threatens the Republic; Cassius is the shrewd manipulator who orchestrates the conspiracy. Understanding both characters — and how they contrast with each other and with Brutus — is essential for GCSE success.

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Julius Caesar

Caesar's Paradox

Shakespeare's Caesar is deliberately paradoxical — a man who is both powerful and vulnerable, both admirable and arrogant:

Aspect	The public Caesar	The private Caesar
Authority	Dominates Rome; crowds worship him	Deaf in one ear; suffers from "the falling sickness" (epilepsy) (1.2)
Courage	"Danger knows full well / That Caesar is more dangerous than he" (2.2)	Initially agrees to stay home because of Calpurnia's dream
Judgement	Wise enough to distrust Cassius — "he thinks too much; such men are dangerous" (1.2)	Ignores the Soothsayer, Calpurnia, and Artemidorus
Humility	Refuses the crown three times at the Lupercal	Refers to himself in the third person, comparing himself to the "northern star"

Caesar's Arrogance