Psychology in Julius Caesar Essay -- Psychology Analysis

The Psychological Approach analyzes characters based on Freud’s conception of the human psyche-- id, ego, superego-- as well as relationships and conflicts within the story. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare develops Marc Antony and Brutus using these two methods; Marc Antony convinces the town people to revolt by controlling his id and ego, while Brutus is developed as honorable through his relationship with Cassius, his reputation, his progression from being manipulated to standing up for himself, and the choices he makes in difficult positions, such as whether or not to kill Caesar After Marc Antony’s speech, he convinces the town people to revolt against the conspirators by controlling ego and not letting his id overrun him. â€Å"The id is the primitive urge to seek pleasure without concern for boundaries† (Losh). The conspirators killed Caesar, who Antony loved very much. It is possible that his id compelled him to want revenge on the conspirators. The ego, which deals with the part of the mind interacting with the environment and people, would make Antony rationalize and realize that he couldn’t kill the conspirators, but he could get other people to, like the mob. Knowing this, Antony could have intentionally convinced the mob to revolt against the conspirators, but he couldn’t just come out and tell them to. He had to make them want to kill the conspirators, and think that it was their idea by addressing their ids. If Antony got the mob on his side about Caesar, they would feel betrayed by the conspirators and their ids would make them want immediate revenge. By convincing the townspeople that Caesar was a great man and leader, and that he didn’t deserve being killed for the reasons that the conspirators gave, Antony got the mob... ...very noble Roman bears of you† (II, i, LINEE!!!!). It is possible that he wants to maintain this reputation so that he is well liked, and can have some control over the people. Works Cited Heller, Agnes. "Julius Caesar." The Time Is Out of Joint: Shakespeare as Philosopher of History. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2002. 311-335. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Vol. 115. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Dec. 2010. Losh, Elizabeth. "Sigmund Freud." Twentieth-Century European Cultural Theorists: Second Series. Ed. Paul Hansom. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 296. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Jan. 2011. O’Dair, Sharon. "Social role and the making of identity in Julius Caesar." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 33.2 (1993): 289+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 7 Dec 2010.