Julius Caesar

Set in the final days of the Roman Republic, this tragedy dramatizes the conspiracy that brought down its most powerful man. Fearing that Caesar’s rising ambition will end Rome’s liberty, a group of senators led by the noble Brutus and the shrewd Cassius plot his assassination. They strike on the Ides of March, but Mark Antony’s cunning funeral speech turns the crowd against them and ignites a civil war. Torn between private friendship and public principle, Brutus watches his cause collapse toward the battlefield at Philippi. Its questions about honor, persuasion, and political violence keep the play sharply relevant. Read the complete tragedy in this free PDF and EPUB edition.