The literary association of your school has conducted a debate session on a book. Here are two comments from your friends.
• Characters are all deep and universal.
• There is no suspense in the plot.
Write a review of the book for your school magazine.Your review should be 150-200 words long.
Sample Response
Ideas and people hold us close and tight[A1]. No wonder, literary works with insights into thoughts and characters stand the test of time. Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ evokes such a lasting appeal. The play can be read as a political drama of our time as well.[A2]
More than anything,[A3] "Julius Caesar’ is about the conflict between the republic and the empire.[A4]. It presents a mighty and generous Roman ruler, accused of being ambitious to possess the entire Rome, the republicans conspiring against him and consequence of this antithesis.
The play unfolds multiple layers of the problem of this political choice.[A5] On the one hand, Caesar is the tallest figure with charisma and heroic temper combined with generosity. Even the arch conspirator loves him as a friend. But, he poses a threat to the republican fabric of Rome. “Not that I love Caesar less, but that I love Rome more”: These words of Brutus bring out the complexity of the situation.
It is true that the plot is presented in an episodic manner, in the order of happenings.[A6] No much effort is taken to keep the thrill of suspense. But, the curiosity for climax perishes at the moment of the revelation. The purpose of the playwright here is to show, not incidents, but people and society.[A7]
To put it brief [A8], this Shakespearean masterpiece is a sophisticated portrayal of the conflict between democracy and monarchy. Obviously, it makes sense in our own time as well.
