Omens, superstition and supernatural are important themes in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, as
they reflect the beliefs and attitudes of the ancient Romans, as well as create dramatic effects
and foreshadow the events of the plot. Some of the examples of omens, superstition and
supernatural in the play are:
- The soothsayer's warning to Caesar: "Beware the ides of March" (Act 1, Scene 2)¹. The
soothsayer is a person who claims to have the ability to foretell the future, and his words are a
prophecy of Caesar's assassination on March 15. Caesar initially dismisses the soothsayer as a
dreamer, but later admits that he is troubled by his words. The soothsayer's warning is a
recurring motif in the play, and it creates suspense and tension for the audience, who knows
that Caesar's fate is sealed.
- The storm and the omens on the night before Caesar's death: "Are not you moved, when all
the sway of earth / Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero, / I have seen tempests when the
scolding winds / Have rived the knotty oaks, and I have seen / The ambitious ocean swell and
rage and foam, / To be exalted with the threatening clouds: / But never till to-night, never till now,
/ Did I go through a tempest dropping fire" (Act 1, Scene 3)¹. Casca describes the unnatural
phenomena that he witnesses on the night of March 14, such as a slave's hand on fire without
burning, a lion walking in the streets, men on fire running in the streets, and an owl hooting in
daylight. These are signs of disorder and chaos in nature, which reflect the political turmoil and
violence that will occur in Rome. They also suggest that the gods are angry and displeased with
the human affairs, and that they are sending warnings and punishments to the mortals. The
storm and the omens are used to foreshadow Caesar's death and the civil war that will follow.
- Calpurnia's dream and Caesar's ghost: "She dreamt to-night she saw my statue, / Which like a
fountain with an hundred spouts / Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans / Came smiling
and did bathe their hands in it" (Act 2, Scene 2)¹. Calpurnia is Caesar's wife, who has a vivid
and disturbing dream on the night before his death. She sees Caesar's statue bleeding
profusely, and many Romans washing their hands in his blood. She interprets this as a bad
omen, and begs Caesar not to go to the senate. Caesar initially agrees to stay at home, but he
is persuaded by Decius Brutus to ignore his wife's dream and go to the senate. Calpurnia's
dream is another example of foreshadowing, as it predicts Caesar's death and the involvement
of the conspirators. Later in the play, after Caesar is killed, his ghost appears to Brutus twice:
once in his tent before the battle of Philippi (Act 4, Scene 3)¹, and once on the battlefield (Act 5,
Scene 5)¹. Caesar's ghost represents his spirit and his legacy, which haunt Brutus and remind
him of his guilt and betrayal. Caesar's ghost also foretells Brutus' defeat and death.
These are some of the ways that Shakespeare uses omens, superstition and supernatural in
Julius Caesar. He uses them to create dramatic effects such as suspense, tension, irony,
contrast, and tragedy. He also uses them to reflect the historical context of ancient Rome, where
people believed in fate, destiny, omens, prophecies, gods, ghosts, and other supernatural forces
that influenced their lives. Shakespeare shows how these beliefs affect the characters' actions,
decisions, emotions, and outcomes in the play.
