Theme

Luis Acevedo

English Honors 10

Mrs. Bosch

Per. 2

11 September 2008 

Julius Caesar Theme Questions 

1. The qualities of a good leader is one of the play's important themes. To explore this theme, students can do one or more of the following:
• Discuss the qualities possessed by a good leader. Generate a list of these qualities • Make a list of the leadership qualities that the class feels are legitimate. Compare and contrast the two lists and compile one list of leadership qualities that the class feels a good leader should have. Prioritize the list.
• Examine the effect a leader's domestic relationships, physical condition, and/or athletic ability may have on his or her leadership abilities.

The qualities of a good leader are: they must be persuasive, must be responsible, must have mental strength, maybe have physical strength, must be loyal, must support the common people, must serve others, must be trustworthy, must be fair and just, must be educated an intelligent, must have political understanding and experience, must be feared and respected by others, must have a foreign policy, and finally, must be confident, courageous, and charismatic. 

2. Friendship is another major theme in the play. Explore this theme by answering the following questions:
• How far would you go to stop a friend from harming your country?
• How far would you go to obtain revenge on someone or some group who destroyed your best friend?
• Is there anything for which you would betray a friend?
• Which is more important to you, friendship or personal principles? Why?

In order to secure the happiness and well-being of the masses, friends would have to be stopped from harming the country by any means necessary, for it would be selfish, and foolish, to let one bond cause the destruction of an entire society of people. Although the first statement would make it seem as though bonds are of little or no value at all, friends are really significant in this life for they are there in the good and the bad and are one of the things that give life meaning , henceforth,  if they were ever to be destroyed any lengths necessary in order to avenge their deaths would definitely be applied. The only reason for which betrayal of a friend is justified would be to serve a greater good; such as they were going to harm others or killed others and one must hunt them down, for many lives is more significant than just one. However, any other reason, i.e. girls, money, personal possessions, or personal gain of any mean, would not be a good enough reason in order to betray those close to you. Friendship is to be held very highly, but not the highest. When one's personal principles are put on the line, they  are to be more important than the friend, for one is brought into this world alone and one can continue their lives holding to be true to their beliefs. However, if a friend believes in anything else other than what one believes in, it should be acknowledged but it doesn't mean that one should change their own beliefs or try to change other's beliefs and should just live with their differences. Although it would seem that the meaning of friendship has contradicted itself, it is not so. If one is faced with a friend jeopardizing one's belief system, then they are to be held lower, similarly if they are to be jeopardizing the existence of other's or something greater than themselves, then they should be destroyed. However, friends are of great importance in this life for they give one happiness and give life more reason. It was stated beforehand that if a friend were to ever be of harm to one's own country, they should be destroyed for the society is more than them and anything that is beyond them would be of higher value and yet it was also stated that one's own belief system is greater than them, yet one's own belief system is only the belief system for one particular person and they should normally be held to be equal, however one's own belief system goes beyond only one's self. The personal principles one believes in were composed of many sources, i.e. society's beliefs, religion, culture, and the like. Thus meaning that one's personal belief system would be greater than one friendship for it is composed of more than one source, so it is of more importance.

3. One of the most sensitive issues in the play is suicide. Research attitudes toward suicide held by the following cultures: ancient Roman, modern Japanese, and modern American. Compare and contrast these attitudes in class presentations or in written essays.

The view of suicide contrasts greatly from one place to the next. In America, we relate suicide to many things. Especially if one is christian, and even if one isn't christian, if they live in America, they are bombarded by these thoughts and might be influenced by them and accept them. The views of suicide amongst Americans seems to be that they associate it with: primarily going to hell, being depressed, as a sign of escape, as being weak and selfish if one suicides, they having fear so they end their life, they are outcasts so they seek to kill themselves as a way of escape, and as basically a disgraceful way to go, however those who do it seem to want to escape from this world that they hate so much and leave all their troubles. The Japanese notion towards suicide seems to be that it brings honor towards oneself for they aren't surrendering to their enemy. However, it seems that the modern Japanese also believe as suicide as a way of escape from economic and familiar troubles. The Roman's believed as suicide to be an honorable to die, however it was only to be honorable at a certain time and way. Suiciding in the ancient Roman's belief system is that it was accepted to suicide, sometimes honorable. The modern American and modern Japanese thoughts on suicide seem to be similar in that they believe in it as an escape, however, the Japanese believed it to be an rite to die in some cults and societies, whist the Roman's believe that suicide was honorable and was accepted overall. 

4. The role of fate and superstition is another theme.
• To what extent can we control the future?
• How superstitious are you? Do you have any good luck rituals that you perform before important occasions?
• Do you watch for omens before important events?
• Do you read your horoscope every day, and do you follow its advice?

There is a certain extent that we can control our future. It seems that we can control who we are friends with, and what our life would turn out to be by careful planning. If one trains hard for   a certain task or a competition, one has a better chance of getting the results one would see as favorable, same thing would go for studying a test and receiving a good grade. However, there are some things, most things, which are uncontrollable no matter how much one plans or how many steps one takes beforehand, the results of any given thing, including one's life, is sometimes completely random. One cannot control every aspect of one's life, however they can control some things. I would not say that I am really superstitious for I do not believe in things such as bad luck or anything like that. There is the here and now only and it is not controlled by some thing that is known as bad luck or good luck. However, I do in fact believe that God has some control of what happens in one's life for when one prays, I believe that He does listen and helps out in any ways He can. Henceforth, I believe that we can control somethings in our lives, but not everything, and God does manipulate some things when asked for help. I believe that we can control our futures only to a slight extent. As for omens, I do not watch out for any before an important event and i do not have any good luck rituals in order to improve my lifestyle. I also do not believe in the “power” of horoscopes and I never read it for the reasons stated beforehand which would be that we control our future to an extent and God manipulates it just a tad bit,  and I strongly do not believe in luck, rituals, or anything of the sort.