William Shakespeare completed and published the play Julius Caesar in 1623, 391 years ago. The cataloged events date from 44 BC, or 2057 years ago. At that time, the legend of Caesar became ingrained in the minds and political machines of all the peoples of the Earth. One need only look further than the name “Caesar” to see how far the concept of such a man has reached. In almost every language on Earth, a word sounds the same, regardless of the difference in culture or politics. The Russians had a Tsar from 1547 to 1918. The Germans had a Kaiser from 1871 to 1918. The Ottomans had a Qaisar from 1453 to 1922, and these words and titles all translate directly to Caesar. In the tragedy Julius Caesar, the character Caesar speaks only 1,135 words, or 5.9% of the total words spoken in the play. The astute reader will notice that this is a fairly low percentage given that the title character is the one we are talking about. This is simply because Caesar is not a major character in his own play. He sets the events in motion, but other than that his presence simply exists in the background as a powerful symbol throughout his life and death. As a symbol, Caesar has many facets. For some, he is a coward. “Gods, it astonishes me that a man of such weak character could thus leave the majestic world and carry the palm alone. » (1.2.129). For others, he is an ambitious rival: “You block, you stone, you are worse than senseless things! O hard hearts, cruel men of Rome, did you not know Pompey? (1.1.39). For some, he is even a friend “He was my friend, faithful and fair to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable man. (3.2.91). However, to all he is a god... middle of paper......, the populace soon loses itself in its own mundane monotony. That was the problem with Caesar. In private, he was a gentle and nervous man, epileptic and hypoglycemic. Adopting a persona can only last so long. Soon, cracks in the facade begin to appear. Plus, in a cruel twist of fate, even if the masses have loved a showman his whole life, the second he dies, no one cares. Absolutes should never be used, but after the death of the “Great Leader” Joseph Stalin of the USSR, his right-hand men quickly overturned all his policies. So it was with Caesar. Ultimately, he himself became the opium of the masses, and his death was just the end of another game. Works Cited Shakespeare, William, William Rosen, and Barbara Rosen. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar: With New Dramatic Review and Updated Bibliography. New York: Penguin, 1987. Print.