Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

“Et tu, Brute?” Few lines in the English language carry such weight—and it all begins here, on these pages.

There’s something thrilling about holding a story that has stirred readers and audiences for over four hundred years. Shakespeare may have written Julius Caesar as the very first play performed at the Globe, back in 1599. For it, he reached deep into Roman history: Caesar’s death at the hands of friends and fellow politicians.

Was Brutus a hero or a villain? Renaissance writers couldn’t agree, and Shakespeare’s play keeps that debate alive and crackling. Ambition, loyalty, betrayal—it’s all here, as timely today as it was on the Elizabethan stage.

This is the authoritative Folger Shakespeare Library edition, the trusted and widely used series beloved by students, teachers, and curious readers alike. It’s designed to make the Bard feel welcoming rather than intimidating.

Inside you’ll find:

• A freshly edited text based on the best early printed version
• Newly revised explanatory notes placed conveniently on facing pages
• Scene-by-scene plot summaries
• A handy key to the play’s most famous lines and phrases
• An accessible introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language
• An illuminating essay by noted scholar Coppélia Kahn
• Rare images from the Folger’s remarkable collection
• An up-to-date guide to further reading

Whether you’re revisiting an old favorite or meeting Caesar for the first time, this edition invites you to linger and truly explore.

So pour yourself something warm, settle in as the sea air rolls off the cove, and let the drama of ancient Rome unfold.

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