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Terrial Davis

Mrs. Davenport

William Shakespeare

19 November 2007

William Shakespeare: Biography

Behind Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare is a well known author and playwright with little

information recorded about his history, and many thoughts in which he based his

writings. Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in Warwickshire, England. It is not known

of what day, but writers do know that he was baptized April 26, 1564. At the age of

eighteen he married Anne Hathaway. Through that time they had three kids together.

Susanna, in which was the oldest, and a pair of twins; Hamnet and Judith. His career

began in London around 1585 as an actor, and a writer. He was the co-owner of the

playing company entitled “The Lords Chamberlain’s Men” later known as the “Kings

Men”.

Every writer has a place in which their ideas come from. As for Shakespeare his

writings, plays, poems, and ideas were all either based on history, tragedy, or comedy.

The inspiration is said to have come from the fact that Shakespeare was always interested

in history. In his time he published thirty – eight plays, two long narrative poems, and

one hundred and fifty – four sonnets. His last few plays were collaborated with John

Fletcher; who took over after Shakespeare retirement. Although his writings, and plays

are world – wide known in our days Shakespeare works didn’t flourish until the early

1900’s.
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The legendary play entitled “Julius Caesar” comes from the devastating calamity of

the actual roman dictator Julius Caesar. The play is based on a true story of Caesar’s life

and background. Julius Caesar was born in Rome on July 13, 100 B.C to Gaius Julius

Caesar and Aurelia. At the age of sixteen, Caesar’s father Gaius passed away. He was

then furthermore raised by his mother who was very well prominent in his life. Caesar's

family was part of Rome's original aristocracy, called patricians, although they were not

rich or particularly high-ranking. At the time of Caesar's birth, the number of patricians

was small, and their status no longer provided political lead.

Caesar tried in numerous ways to obtain difference from the others that surrounded

himself and his family. Soon within time in the Roman empire, a Roman nobleman s

sought election to public office. In 86 B.C., Caesar was appointed “Flamen Dialis” a head

position in Rome something like reverend in our time with the help of his uncle by

marriage, Gaius Marius. The position was one of an ancient priesthood and held basically

no power. Nevertheless, Caesar held the position, and led the group to religious beliefs

and held regular services for them to attend.

Soon after Julius met the woman of his dreams. He then had other needs, and things

to tend to. He married Cornelia Cinna, the daughter of Lucius Cornelius Cinna in 84 B.C.

In 82 B.C., Caesar was ordered to divorce his wife by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, an enemy

of the radical. Caesar did not agree, and he and his wife prudently left Rome for military

service in Asia and Cecilia. He returned in 78 B.C. after the death of Sulla and began his

political career.
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In 69 B.C., Julius Caesar was elected quaestor. His wife, Cornelia died

shortly afterward. In a merely political plan, Caesar took the opportunity to

praise his uncle, Cinna and father-in-law, Marius during the funeral orations

for his deceased wife. He then married Pompeia, a relative of Pompey. Caesar

was elected “Curule Aedile” in 65 B.C., “Pontifex Maximus” in 63 B.C., and

a “Praetor” in 62 B.C. By this time, Caesar was making a name for himself as

a political figure. He soon after divorced Pompeia after what appeared to be a

scandal.

Caesar was made governor of Farther Spain in 61 B.C. When he returned to

Rome the next year, he joined forces with Crassus and Pompey and formed

the first triumvirate. The union between Pompey and Caesar was solidified

further when Pompey married Julia, Caesar's only child.

Caesar's next step up the political ladder was to be elected consul in 59 B.C.

During that year he also married Calpurnia. The following year, Caesar was

appointed governor of Roman Gaul. For the next eight years, Caesar

successfully conquered Gallic Gaul to the north. In 49 B.C., Caesar was

instructed by the Senate to lay down his command. Roman politics had

changed following the death of Crassus in 53 B.C., and Pompey was

appointed sole consul in 52 B.C. In addition, Pompey's wife Julia died in 54

B.C., breaking the family ties between Pompey and Caesar.

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On January 11, 49 B.C., Caesar crossed the Rubicon, a small river

separating Gaul from Italy, signifying the start of the Roman Civil War.

Pompey fled and within three months, Caesar ruled of all Italy. He then took

Spain and continued to pursue Pompey all the way to Egypt. In 48 B.C.,

Pompey was murdered by an officer of King Ptolemy. Caesar remained in

Egypt throughout the winter and hang around with Queen Cleopatra.

In 48 B.C., Caesar assumed the title of dictator. He returned to Rome for a

short time in 47 B.C. but then left for Africa to crush his opponents. Caesar

departed for Farther Spain in 46 B.C. to put down confrontation there. In 45

B.C., Caesar returned to Rome to put his empire in order.

On March 15, 44 B.C., a day known as the Ides of March, Caesar entered

the Senate House. An assassination plot had been hatched by a group of 60

senators, including Gaius Cassius and Marcus Junius Brutus. As Caesar

entered the Senate, tragically he was stabbed 23 times. After Caesar was

dreadfully assassinated, Rome experienced another 13 years of civil war.