plan his murder to save the republic After the assassination Antony and Octavius fight the conspirators This follows history almost exactly Shakespeare also shows the Roman belief in omens The Soothsayer warns Beware the Ides of March This warning reflects Roman superstition and builds tension Thus Shakespeare uses real events and beliefs to make the story realistic and exciting Changes for Dramatic Effect Though the main story is true Shakespeare changes time and order to make the plot more powerful In real life Caesar s triumph over Pompey happened years before his death but in the play it occurs just before the murder This makes Caesar s pride look fresh and dangerous Shakespeare also compresses several months into a few days Caesar s funeral Antony s speech and the battle of Philippi happen close together Historical Figures as Human Characters Shakespeare s greatest success is not in exact history but in his living characters He turns political leaders into real human beings Brutus becomes a noble but mistaken patriot Cassius is sharp and jealous Antony is loyal but clever and dangerous Caesar himself is proud and blind to warnings He says proudly I am constant as the Northern Star This line shows his arrogance before death Blending Roman History with Elizabethan Concerns Shakespeare connects Roman history with the politics of his own time In Queen Elizabeth I was old and childless People feared chaos after her death The same fear appears in Rome after Caesar s fall The struggle between republican freedom and personal rule reflects England s debate between monarchy and liberty Brutus says Not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more His words express political idealism like many thinkers of the Renaissance Shakespeare uses Rome to speak about England without breaking censorship laws Faithful to Spirit Not to Details Shakespeare never aimed to write history like a historian His purpose was moral and artistic He uses events to show fate ambition and the dangers of power Cassius reminds Brutus The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves This line expresses Renaissance humanism the belief in human choice Shakespeare also makes the crowd s behavior a symbol of political truth He changes details but he keeps the spirit of Roman history alive In conclusion Julius Caesar is not a record of facts but a recreation of history through art The author keeps the main events and the real figures but changes details for dramatic power He uses Roman history to reflect the political fears of his own age His handling of history makes the play both realistic and meaningful Through truth and imagination Shakespeare turns history into lasting human drama