“Paranoia and patriotism” - theme

What does patriotism mean for these characters what are its limits and to what extent does it intersect with individual conscience and collective vision of justice?

Who do we want the audience to sympathize with? Caesar, conspirators, neither, or both?

ARACHNE is an ensemble company that believes each of us carries stories that, when woven together, create a new tapestry of understanding. We recognize that these stories can be both new and old, informed by each person’s ancient and present history. Our theater is interested in both re-fabricating and re-infusing classic works, as well as finding ways to tell new stories in, and about, our communities.

Working with Arachne has been such a rewarding experience as someone who is deeply passionate about creating theatre, especially Shakespeare. This production, we explored the play’s themes of patriotism and paranoia and how it impacts the lives and relationships of the central characters. We created the phrase “there is no good, there is no evil, there is only________” as a way to explore our individual characters’ ideas about morality as well as a way to understand what Shakespeare was trying to say with Caesar.

In the end, it became clear to us that ultimately there was no simple answer to fill in the blank with. Each character had their own reasons for their actions which is true to how individuals make choices that may ultimately impact entire communities. For Brutus, there is no good, there is no evil, only honor and only Rome. While this stems from a desire to serve the people, it leads to his downfall since he doesn’t really consult the people of Rome to see what they want the Senators to do in regards to Caesar. Though Brutus was trying to do what he thought was right, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”