There are no real heroes in Julius Caesar, only real men. William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is one of his most analyzed works due to the complicity of its characters and the nostalgic magnificence of the Roman Empire. The play can be divided into three main stages: Caesar's ascension to the Roman throne, Caesar's betrayal and murder by the senators, and the aftermath of the murder. In many Shakespeare plays, the protagonist and antagonists are very clear, but in Julius Caesar it is very difficult to distinguish. Many critics still debate the most basic facts about Julius Caesar, such as who the main character is, whether the play is a tragedy, and whether Caesar's murder is damnable or praiseworthy (Sims OL). While reading the play, the reader is faced with difficult choices. Which side do they take? Cassius, who describes Caesar as a boastful tyrant and the assassination as a magnificent act of emancipation, or Mark Antony who thinks Caesar is "the noblest man that ever lived in the tides of time", and the murder like a horrible crime. Schanzer 6) ? They had to make choices based on what they felt was best for the good of society. Shakespeare chose Julius Caesar as an important historical figure, on whom he could base a play focusing on moral decision-making in Roman politics (Sims OL). Shakespeare uses the play Julius Caesar to explore the fine relationship between personal virtue and public policy through the characters of Brutus and Cassius. At the beginning of the play, Cassius' intentions are clear: to dethrone Caesar by killing him (Shalvi 70). It soon becomes apparent that Cassius has a personal vendetta with Caesar. Cassius thinks Caesar gets too much credit for his defeat middle of paper......akespeare uses the play Julius Caesar to explore the fine relationship between personal virtue and public policy through the characters of Brutus and Cassius. Cassius' intentions were clear; he didn't like Caesar and wanted him dead. Brutus's case was not so simple. “Julius Caesar is an odyssey of sorts in which Brutus attempts to navigate his ship through the murky depths of Roman politics and all its sordid ironies and ethical dilemmas. » (Sims OL) Brutus is an idealistic man who joins the conspiracy to kill Caesar and prevent tyranny. Brutus attempts to justify his murder by citing it as a sacrifice for the greater good and ignores Cassius' wise advice. He does not understand that Antony must die with Caesar to completely erase the threat of possible tyranny. In the end, Cassius and Brutus both die in vain as Caesar's nephew Augustus becomes dictator..