Critics of the harsh prosecutions in the January 6th debacle continue to be vindicated. Those who have said the whole thing was a setup keep getting proved right by our own Department of Justice. According to lawyers for Zachary Rehl, a Proud Boys chapter leader charged with seditious conspiracy, the government failed to disclose that one of the witnesses scheduled to testify was actually a confidential informant for the FBI. Surprisingly, the Associated Press reported it...
In the end, those in power, those with money, those with prestige split the country apart by unthinkable acts, by selfish ambition, by self serving self centered crossing of untouchable lines with little or delusional thought, destroying the very system trying to be preserved or corrected.Caesar was murdered March 15, 44 BC by a cabal of Roman Senators( perhaps as many as 60 were involved , privy to it, or approved it.) The Senate consisted of two houses, Patricians ( the nobility) and the Plebeians ( commoners). At the time, there were upwards of 600 Senators.
Many Roman authors wrote about the event, the causes, the aftermath, and gave opinions about it.
Shakespeare himself drew heavily upon these writings, and then embellished by adding dialogue in character to the person's, perspectives, and events.
Caesar and Pompey had fought a brief private war a few years before, with control of the Senate's affairs at stake. Caesar portrayed himself as a man of the people and a reformer. Pompey as the protector of tradition.
Caesar won as Pompey was murdered by Cleopatra's brother.
Caesar crossed the Rubicon River with his army in violation of Senate edicts and tradition, and was to declare himself Consul for life.
Shakespeare wrote his dramas as allegories and social lessons for his time. By cloaking them as historical plays, he was able to issue object lessons without invoking too much heat from those in power
Shakespeare knew the death of Caesar would lead to civil war. He died @ 25 years before the English Civil War erupted.
The play itself doesn't catch the entirety or flavor of the event. In all fairness, it was written at a time where almost all nations were ruled by monarchies and the common people were subject to all the power grabs and intrigues as normal and routine.
The Old Roman Republic had been dead for at least a generation prior to Caesar's death. The Slave Revolt had been put down. The old ideal of doing public service for the good of the nation was now a cliche. Nobility based on historic clan was replaced with wealth, power, and political allegiance. Marriage was often about maneuvering. The gods weren't revered but invoked for posturing..
Patricians held office for life. The plebians sought election by winning anyway possible, inorder to gain power and wealth to become a new patrician.
The commoner sold his vote for money or favor. A writer later wrote of them :" all they care about is bread and circuses ( chariot races). Food was subsidized because Rome couldn't grow enough grain. A dole system began to be set up. The Senate spent more than it had. Much spending was done for lobbyists, merchant guilds, and public works. The military usually favored their leaders who paid them and allowed spoils. In essence, they were privatized..
The Roman Republic had devolved into a cesspool, a swamp, a den of vipers.
So the death of Caesar basically boiled down to the Republican elites killing a Populist elite. One group was trying to save the illusion that was the Republic , and one trying to " reform" the system.
The people were against Caesar becoming a dictator, but were outraged by one group engaging in a heretofore unspeakable and untouchable taboo of political gain through assassination.
