hakespeare writes the character of Caius Martius as a question to the audience. He questions if his actions and crimes against the people are redeemed by his military successes. Caius Martius is used to ask the audience, to ask the public of 1600’s England, if the political world that they live in is just. Caius Martius is the main tool used in Shakespeare’s attempt to provide a social commentary on the conflict between his Parliament and King James.
Caius Martius is introduced through the perspective of the people as they prepare to riot and murder him. Shakespeare has introduced him in such a hostile manner in order to help those outside of his intended audience sympathize and empathize with the oppressed plebeians. By introducing Caius through the eyes of the ones he damages the most, we see the exact amount of damage he can do. Through this introduction, we see the consequences of his actions, we see what he has the potential to do. By introducing through the plebeians, we also are told how they are not deserved of such a punishment. We are introduced to a wounded group, aiming to get revenge back at their aggressor. Shakespeare uses this introduction to create an image of a monster, well before Caius even enters the stage. He uses the image of a monster to set up what he asks and challenge his audience to tell him whether this monster is worth respect for what he does on the battlefield and for the greater community rather than the disgust for what he does on the home front.
Caius is written as an almost unredeemable monster in the beginning of the play. It is not until after we know of his cruelty that we learn of his many heroic military exploits. By introducing his atrocities first, Shakespeare brings in the cruel side of him first, so that the audience always examine the good he hath done for the people as an afterthought. It is even written this way in the play as a plebeian asks after the decision to kill Caius has been made, whether they should consider his military achievements and the merit he holds in battle.
Shakespeare’s presentations of his military and physical merit show another side of Caius. They show how being ruthless, merciless and cruel is something necessary, and it is what makes him such an incredible fighter. His exploits and adventures on the battlefield are portrayed as next to godlike, but they still show this raw, aggressive nature that he holds in his civilian life. By showing his merit, Shakespeare is able to question the audience as to whether or not it Caius’s role is a necessary one, and then by illustrating to them how the personality traits he holds are ones that have come from his time on the battlefield. This is used as an excuse almost, a way for his brute and savagery to be justified as they are skills that he has to have to succeed in his profession and to succeed for his society.
Shakespeare is able to create a character that causes great audience conflict as they cannot decide whether they despise him for his actions against the lower class or if they respect him for what he has done for them on the battlefield. It becomes a case of whether Caius Martius is a necessary evil or just an evil.
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