LEC052021. Gayathri M G. "Critical significance of the Ides of March".

 

                              Critical significance of the ‘Ides of March’ in Julius Caesar

            Julius Caesar is a historical play and one of the famous tragedies by William Shakespeare. The phrase the ‘ides of March’ in the play would go down in history to be associated with bad luck. The ides of March(the fifteenth of March) had religious significance in Roman calendar. It was also considered by Romans as the deadline to settle debts. Unfortunately, Caesar’s assassination on the said day results in the belief that it is a harbinger for misfortune, an idea which was promoted by the superstitious Roman society. “The Ides of March is considered to be pivotal in Roman history as the death of Caesar contributed to the transition from the historical period known as the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire” (The Literary Significance).

            The soothsayer’s warning “Beware the ides of March” appears in Act 1 Scene 2 of Julius Caesar. The phrase foreshadows the impending doom of Caesar. Caesar hears it first as he takes his victory march in the street. The soothsayer is called forward by him. When the soothsayer repeats his warning, Caesar dismisses him stating “He is a dreamer. Let us leave him. Pass!” Despite this remark, Caesar sees a soothsayer before the ides who warns him about the tragedy which would happen. Still, he goes to the Senate.

            The play is abound in superstition adding to the warning which signifies the main action of the play. Calpurnia, wife of Caesar, dreams of her husband’s statue overflowing with blood like a fountain. She also saw several smiling Romans bathing their hands in it. When this dream doesn’t change Caesar’s decision to go the  Senate, Calpurnia recounts the numerous horrid sights seen in the city earlier that night – the dead walked in the streets, the graves cracked open, a lioness gave birth in the streets and lightning flashed in the sky. Despite the fear of his wife who is generally not superstitious, he remains unperturbed.

            Pride acts as the hamartia of Caesar which leads to his fall. Caesar refuses to pay heed to the soothsayer’s warning and decides to ignore the other omens pointing to his demise. As John T. Ramsey states in his article “ ‘Beware the Ides of March!’:An Astrological Prediction?” the seer is identified as a haruspex named Spurinna(pp. 440-454). Caesar belonged to a period where Etruscan soothsayers where never ignored in their prophecies. Still, not only does he disregard it but also mocks the soothsayer.

            CAESAR. The ides of March are come.

            SOOTHSAYER. Ay, Caesar; but not gone.

When he goes to the Senate, he is stabbed to death by the conspirators. His pride led to a fate which could not be changed despite several interventions.

            The ‘ides of March’ turns out to be a phrase which significantly points to the major incidents in the play. Calpurnia’s dream delineating Caesar’s murder and the several supernatural occurrences which happen on the eve of the said day also point to the significance of the warning. The element of foreshadowing is heavily used in the play to show how fate overpowers free will leading to the assassination of one of the greatest figures in Roman history.

 

                                                                    Works cited

Ramsey, John T. "‘Beware The Ides Of March!’: An Astrological Prediction?". The Classical Quarterly, vol 50, no. 2, 2000, pp. 440-454. Accessed on 13 Jan 2021.

Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. M G Publishers, 2015. Print.

“The Literary Significance of The Ides of March.” The Indian Express, 15 March, 2020.  https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-literature/the-literary-significance-of-ides-of-march-6315265/. Accessed on 13 Jan 2021.