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Julius Caesar
fictional character
Julius Caesar, Roman general and statesman in William Shakespeareās Julius Caesar. Shakespeareās portrayal of the celebrated Roman ruler is an ambiguous one, stressing Caesarās weaknesses as well as his noble qualities. Cassius reveals the feelings of the conspirators when he describes Caesar in this way:
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Though Caesar is decidedly uneasy about the signs of his impending death, he ultimately responds to his wifeās concerns with a much-quoted statement: āCowards die many times before their deaths; / The valiant never taste of death but once.ā
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.
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