This paper aims to analyze Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in terms of political psychology. Political psychology has contributed to our understanding of the political behavior of both political leaders and ordinary people. This play is a political tragedy that deals with the assassination of Julius Caesar by Brutus and his party. Why did Brutus kill Julius Caesar who thinks that Brutus is his favorite? What caused Brutus to conspire with Cassius against Caesar? Was it his idealistic and moral beliefs and character or the political situation with which he was confronted? The theories of political psychology provides us with the available clue to the question. Even though he decided to kill Caesar not for the personal cause but the general good of Rome, he betrays his inner desire to be powerful. Brutus and his party intended to keep a republican form of government in Rome by getting rid of Caesar. However, they did succeed temporarily. The most decisive reasons why the conspiracy failed in the end were not only Brutus’s personality but also his mistake to cope with the political situation. When he took the role of the leader he made a decisive blunder that he permitted Antony to speak the funeral address in front of the plebeians. Since Antony has a good grasp of the attribute of commons he manipulates them into mutinying against Brutus’ party with his political rhetoric. Brutus party lost the support of the commons. As a result the political situation was reversed, so Brutus killed himself. By using concepts of political psychology I attempted to show how and why Brutus’s political behavior has been done. Both his idealistic personality and the political situation account for his political action which led to his tragedy.
한국중앙영어영문학회 [The Jungang English Language And Literature Association Of Korea]
설립연도
1968
분야
인문학>영어와문학
소개
본 학회는 영미어문학의 학술연구와 이에 부합하는 아래의 사업을 기획 수행하며,
또한 회원 상호간의 친목을 도모함을 목적으로 한다.
1. 학회지 발간
2. 연구 발표회, 강연회, 공동연구
3. 영미어문학 관련 도서출판
4. 영미어문학 관계 도서 및 자료의 모집 및 비치
5. 기타 본회의 목적 달성에 필요한 사업
간행물
간행물명
영어영문학연구 [The Jungang Journal of English Language and Literature]