The Modern Take On William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” Stirs Debate On A Donald Trump-Like Title Character in The Play

Updated On March 18, 2024 | Published By: Chirlot Sharma | In Career

This week, the modern take on William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” stirred a debate when it showed a Donald Trump-like title character in the play
In this session, we will be learning more about the play and its motives as well as morals

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Table of Contents

The Play

Gathering in Delacorte Theater for a new rendition of the legendary William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar“, the audiences heaved in gratification when the title character first tread across the stage.

The titular character, however, was not in a toga but embellished in a business suit with a tie that fell unfashionably below his belt. The character also sported a presidential yellow coif of hair atop his head.

Their response to the Trump-like character abated as the audience supposedly skipped ahead to the scene when they would observe the grisly assassination of this blonde, frisky, Trumpian Emperor.

Indeed, this year’s Shakespeare in the Park production, produced by the New York’s Public Theater, puts a present-day twist on the historical ancient tale of power, deceit, and rebellion.

In the story plot, a conspiracy of statesmen, who are worried that Caesar will take on too much power, plot to assassinate him on the Ides of March, the date a soothsayer warns Caesar to cautious of. Caesar, in his conceit, ignores the warning and appeals from his wife to stay at home.

Finally, when the moment for the assassination scene arrives, the conspirators pull Caesar from his rostrum and stab him several times until he collapses onto the stage, covered in a jumble of bloodied clothing. Then, Caesar’s friend, Brutus, inflicts the final blow that ends his life.

Hints and Connections to Donald Trump

The backdrop of the play includes various American icons and images of past presidents. Graffiti on walls proclaim calls to “Resist!”. While Caesar is deliberately played like Trump in both dress and manner, his wife, Calpurnia speaks in a Slavic accent, which bears a similitude to the first lady Melania Trump.

While the dialogue of the play remains almost entirely true to the original Shakespearean play, there is one reference to how Caesar is so beloved by the common public that he could stab “their mothers on Fifth Avenue,” a reference to Trump’s own claim that he could shoot a person in public and be easily forgiven by his supporters.

In the story, a stratagem of statesmen, worried that Caesar will assume too much power, plot to kill him on the Ides of March, the date a soothsayer warns Caesar to beware. However, Caesar, in his conceit, ignores the warning and appeals from his wife to stay at home.

“Shakespeare’s political masterpiece has never felt more contemporary,”

the theater’s promotional materials read. The resolution to portray Caesar as the nation’s president is a contentious artistic option.

The motive of the Play

The show’s previews opened on May 23. The news of this rendition of Shakespeare’s classic has caused quite a debate about whether it is suitable to depict the killing of a sitting leader or not.

However, Shakespeare’s play is not a celebration of violent rebellion. As the audience that sticks around until the end learns, Caesar’s assassination results in a disaster for the conspirators as well as the whole nation.

“Julius Caesar can be read as a warning parable to those who try to fight for democracy by undemocratic means,”

Oskar Eustis, the play’s director, said in a statement promoting the performance.

“To fight the tyrant does not mean imitating him.”

Short Bio of Donald Trump

Donald Trump is the 45th and current president of the United States. Before entering into the field of politics, he was a businessman and television personality. More Bio…

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