people, while increasing the stakes of the action and the impact of the tragedy. Shakespeare’s transformation of his source material is evident in an example: Plutarch mentions Brutus’s succinct rhetorical style and records only that Antony’s eulogy of Caesar “did greatly move [the people’s] hearts and affections.” Shakespeare, however, showcases the differences between Brutus and Antony to theatrical advantage, making their competing eulogies a turning point in the play. Brutus’s logical explanation gives way to Antony’s shrewd and memorable 130-line appeal to “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” that inspires the assembled crowd and has a calamitous effect on the events that follow. At the same time that he explores significant political issues, Shakespeare is also concerned with character relationships and what they reveal not only Brutus’s uneasy alliance with Cassius and his disintegrating friendship with Caesar, but also the relationship each man has with his spouse. Structurally, the back-to-back domestic scenes contrast the military leaders in moments of spousal intimacy. When confronted with concern for their health and safety, Brutus is unwilling and withholding, while Caesar is initially affectionate and accommodating, thus complicating the audience’s view of each man, forcing a reconsideration of each. Even here the ground shifts and Caesar’s initial regard for his spouse’s prescient warning collapses when Decius mocks him for it. While Shakespeare adapted Plutarch’s stories of Brutus and Caesar to comment on power and politics in early modern England, he seemed to anticipate, in Cassius’s lines, the play’s lasting impact: How many ages hence Shall this our lofty scene be acted over In states unborn and accents yet unknown (3.1.112-114)
As we present Shakespeare’s take on ancient Rome in downtown Worcester in 2021, our adaption seeks truth and authenticity in storytelling, togas with a modern twist and diverse casting that reflects our community and world, as we draw new significance from this enduring story. By Kathryn M. Moncrief, Associate Director and Dramaturg.
Costume sketches by Lex Liang. The Soothsayer on left page and Octavius’ messenger above right. Lex is the founder and owner of LDC Design Associates, an experiential event design and production company in NYC.
