Julius Caesar with Brian Cox -
shakespeare uncovered

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is a play that upholds liberty against tyranny. But what is tyranny? And who decides? Shakespeare doesn't make it simple. In order to preserve the freedom of the Roman Republic, Julius Caesar, an "over-mighty" leader, is assassinated by Roman Senators led by Caesar's friend Brutus. Caesar wanted to become an emperor. Is Brutus a traitor or a great hero and defender of liberty? Brian Cox explores how Julius Caesar is Shakespeare's "American" play, showing how easy it is for a "free" republic to fall into corruption. More than that, the play challenges us to think about who or what to trust and what values we want to live by - and to look inside and wonder how well we even know ourselves.

Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 304

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About Shakespeare Uncovered:

This series combines history, biography, iconic performance, analysis and the personal passion of its hosts -- Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Irons, Derek jacobi, Trevor Nunn, Joely Richardson and David Tennant -- to tell the story behind the stories of Shakespeare's greatest plays.

Each episode combines interviews with actors, directors and scholars, along with visits to key locations, clips from some of the most celebrated film and television adaptations and illustrative excerpts from the plays especially staged for the series at Shakespeare's Globe in London.