Julius Caesar (Ignatius Critical Editions)

Though a staple in high school English classes, Julius Caesar is not a simple play. Seemingly irreconcilable forces are at work: fate and free will, the changeableness and stubbornness of ambitious men, the demands of public service and the desire for private gain. Drawn from history as recorded by Plutarch, the major characters-Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, and Mark Antony-are complex, as are the twists and turns of their fortunes. What kind of man rises to power? What price does he pay when he becomes a politician? These questions raised by Shakespeare are relevant in every age, whether ancient Rome, Elizabethan England, or even in our own day.

About the Editor: Joseph Pearce is the author of many acclaimed biographies of major Christian literary figures. He is Writer in Residence and Associate Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University in Florida, editor-in-chief of Sapientia Press, as well as co-editor of the Saint Austin Review (or StAR), an international review of Christian culture, literature, and ideas. His two books on Shakespeare, The Quest for Shakespeare and Through Shakespeare's Eyes, are published by Ignatius Press, and he has edited the Ignatius Critical Editions of The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Romeo and Juliet. He has also written and hosted two television series on the life and works of Shakespeare for EWTN.