Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare

Apr 2005 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

'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

About the author

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born to John Shakespeare and mother Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), a collection of sonnets and a variety of other poems.


Stanley Wells is Emeritus Professor of the University of Birmingham and Chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Norman Sanders is retired from the position of Professor of Shakespeare at the University of Tennessee. He has also edited Julius Caesar in the Penguin Shakespeare series.