One of the main themes in Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caesar,” is power and ambition and how it can corrupt.  Brutus is afraid the absolute power might turn Caesar into a tyrant. He is concerned for the welfare of his country. After taking part in Caesar’s assassination, Brutus argues to the crowd that committed murder out of love for his country, and made them believe that if Caesar were still alive, they would all be slaves, whereas now that Caesar is dead, they can have freedom. He claimed that even though he loved Caesar, he loved Rome more. “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?” (Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 2). Brutus really believes this, and therefore he agrees to take part in Caesar’s assassination. His fear of Caesar’s power is part of what moves him to betray his best friend.

         Caesar, however, has shown no hints that he will be corrupted by his power. For example, he refuses the crown offered to him a total of three times. “I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown;–yet ’twas not a crown neither, ’twas one of these coronets;–and, as I told you, he put it by once: but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by again: but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he put it the third time by…” (Shakespeare, Act 1, Scene 2). Why then, after this show of humility and modesty, would Brutus come to believe that Caesar would become a corrupted leader? The most probable reason is Cassius. Brutus may be honorable and a great friend to Caesar, but Cassius is greedy and power-hungry. Cassius is everything that he accuses Caesar of to give an excuse to kill him. Being ambitious and eager to take over the crown himself, he tricks Brutus and the other senators into turning against Caesar.

         The act of killing a king or emperor is referred to as regicide. This concept is another way to look at the theme of the play. This play warns against betrayal and treachery from those whom one would never expect. Brutus helped kill Caesar, even though he and Caesar were best friends, therefore, anyone could be betrayed by a friend just as Caesar was. Caesar’s last words, “Et tu, Brute?” (Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 1)., express his surprise and disappointment that even his best friend would turn against him. In this way, the way in which Shakespeare’s play warns us of betrayal is another of the main themes.

         Two of the main themes in Julius Caesar are how power and ambition can corrupt a person, turning him into a tyrant, and how fear of this tyranny can cause even the most honorable of people who are friends to turn against someone and betray that person as Brutus betrayed Caesar.