Subtext: Conversations about Classic Books and Films The Character of Authority in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” (Part 5)
Feb 18, 2026
A close reading of rhetoric and power in Julius Caesar, from Brutus’s bank-account metaphor to Antony’s ambiguous praise. They trace wordplay on rank, blood, and authorship, and unpack theatrical visuals like bloody hands and the will as a political prop. The conversation moves from individual virtue to how authority is institutionally grounded and publicly narrated.
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Tudor Portraiture Evokes Monarchal Surveillance
- Erin compares Caesar's wounds to Tudor portraits and Elizabeth's 'eyes and ears' gown.
- She uses this visual anecdote to show how bodies and senses become instruments of power.
From Corpse To Catastrophe
- Antony escalates from mourning to prophecy, foreshadowing civil war with vivid imagery.
- His rhetoric turns Caesar's corpse into the catalyst for unleashing 'the dogs of war.'
Honor As Circular Authority
- Brutus frames his act as grounded in honor and public good, but his rhetoric contains a revealing slip.
- Saying "believe me for mine honor" collapses his appeal into circular authority Antony exploits.
