When it seems that Julius Caesar may assume supreme power, a plot to destroy him is hatched by the senators Brutus and Cassius, who are determined to preserve the threatened Republic. But the different motives of the conspirators soon become apparent when high principles clash with malice and political realism.

'Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial'

Fearful that Caesar will become a tyrant, his friends plot to assassinate him in order to save Rome. But the conspirators' high principles clash with personal malice and ambition, and as they vie to manipulate the mob, the nation is plunged into bloody civil war. A taut, profound drama exploring power and betrayal, Julius Caesar exposes the chasm between public appearance, political rhetoric and bitter reality.

Used and Recommended by the National Theatre

General Editor Stanley Wells
Edited by Norman Sanders
Introduction by Martin Wiggins