ERH 321 Reflective Tag
When I first began the research for this essay, I had developed a distinct interest in the ways that English society, especially in Shakespeare’s era, modeled itself off of the ideals of the Roman Republic. Even though I had read so much on both English and Roman history before taking the class, I never quite saw the powerful connection between Julius Caesar and the events going on during the final years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. The initial goal for me in this paper was to broadly analyze the concerns that were obviously felt by many in England at this time, but a deeper investigation quickly revealed how the play itself was echoing these terrifying thoughts of great social instability that could seize English society when the queen passed away. The most significant discovery I made in this essay was how Julius Caesar was actually a defense of the absolute authority wielded by Elizabeth and her court. They ensured that no enterprising tyrant could come in on the wings of a populist mob to seize power and kept in check any members of Parliament who might attempt to overstep their authority. This finding in particular showed just how fragile such cherished political institutions as England’s could be when they were confronted by an extensive social crisis. The sensitivity with which individuals such as Shakespeare himself showed towards the issue presented by Elizabeth not having a child revealed that English as a whole was deeply concerned with maintaining the stability of their kingdom. Through plays such as Julius Caesar they saw the consequences that would follow if they allowed their government to descend into tyranny.