Ambition plays a huge role in Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. In the play, Caesar is a valiant and proud leader of the Roman Empire. His determination and vanity leads to a group of conspirators, some of Caesar’s closest friends, to organize a plan to murder Caesar. On the night before the ides of March, Caesar’s wife, Calphurnia, dreamt of bad omens that Caesar will be murdered if he goes to the Capitol. She tries to persuade Caesar to stay at home, but Decius, a member of the group of conspirators, attempts to convince Caesar to go to the Senate. Decius uses his knowledge about Caesar’s ambition to his advantage. Caesar is persuaded by Decius’s argument because he lets his ambition, instead of the compassion shown by Calphurnia, influence his decisions.
On the day Caesar is supposed to go the Capitol, Calphurnia is worried that something bad will happen to Caesar if he goes. She tries to encourage him to stay home instead of going to the Capitol. She has dreams of omens where a fountain that looks like Caesar is spewing blood and people bathe in it while rejoicing. Calphurnia says, “Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies, yet now they fright me. There is one within, besides the things that we have heard and seen, recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch” (1-4). Calphurnia describes to Caesar that what she dreamt is vivid and frightening to her and she believes it may come true. In lines 13- 14 she is telling Caesar that her dream is quite farfetched yet she worries the omens will happen. Calphurnia uses her knowledge about Caesar’s pride to persuade him to stay home in lines 29-31. She says, “Your wisdom is consumed in confidence. Do not go forth today, call it my fear that keeps you in the house and not your own.” Calphurnia knows that Caesar does not want people to think he is weak and fearful. She begs him to tell the Senate that it is her fear that keeps him from the Capitol, not his own. Caesar agrees to stay home to please his wife’s pleads until...