Ceasar vs. Louis 16th

A detailed Summary of Ceasar vs. Louis 16th

There have been many powerful leaders in history. Many of them share certain characteristics. Louis XIV was one of these leaders. He displayed characteristics like ambitious, arrogant, and oppressive. Many characters from the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar share these characteristics with Louis XIV.

Some of the characters, from the play, that share these characteristics with Louis are Brutus, Caesar, Marullus, and Flavius. All of these characters have said something or acted a certain way to show their similarity with Louis XIV.

Louis XIV was one of France's most powerful leaders. He was born on September 5, 1638, at Saint Germain-en-Laye. His father, Louis XIII died when Louis was young. He had it better than many other young French rulers did. "His father's death spared Louis XIV the beatings and abuse usually given to French princes" (Buranelli 23). His mother and Marzarin, the cardinal, raised him. He had tutors who gave him an education. Marzarin taught him everything he would need to know about court ceremony, war, and the craft of kingship. It is obvious that Louis has been brought up very different than other young kings. That is what might account for

Louis XIV had one last defining characteristic. He was very oppressive. He persecuted many people simply because of their religion. Louis increasingly imposed religious uniformity (Michael 241). He wanted everyone to be Roman Catholic. He revoked the Edict of Nantes, which was a document protecting religious rights, and proceeded to persecute the Huguenots. His persecution of the Protestants, many, who were skilled merchants and artisans, intensified the kingdom's economic decline (Buranelli 104). There were two people in the play who were also oppressive. Marullus said, "You blocks, you stones, you worse then senseless things! O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, knew you not of Pompey" (Shakespeare 500 li35)? He is screaming at a crowd for being extremely fickle. Flavius also said, "I'll about, and drive away the vulgar from the streets" (Shakespeare 501 li69). These two men are using their force to make other people do what they want. That is exactly what king Louis did. Instead of using his words King Louis decided to abuse his power. He abused his kingly rights to make other people do what he wants them to do. It is very obvious, that all these men were very oppressive.

Louis XIV had another defining characteristic. He was very arrogant. There is a very famous quote that he repeatedly said. "I am the state (Buranelli 88). He was so arrogant, that he had the guts to keep saying that over and over. He also believed that he was "the sun king" (Buranelli 88). He liked to believe that everything revolved around him. He also liked to believe that, without him, nothing could function. He adopted "the sun king" from Apollo, a Greek god of peace and arts. He was known as "the sun god" (Buranelli 89). There were characters from the play that were also very arrogant. Caesar showed very similar arrogance. He believed that he was above all other people. One of the things Caesar said was, "I could be well moved, if I were as you. If I could pray to move, prayers would move me. But I am constant as the northern star, of whose true-fixed and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament... Yet in the number I do know but one that unassailable holds on his rank, unshaked of

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Approximate Word count = 1498
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History