Much speculation has arisen as to why Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar. Some say he was predicting what would happen if civil war broke out in England. Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616 in the Elizabethan era. Julius Caesar was written in 1599, towards the end of the queen's reign. Elizabeth was getting old and still had no heirs; the future ruler of England was in question. Undoubtedly, more candidates would fight for the throne, but ultimately the people would choose who would succeed through their support. However, can people motivated by such vile things be trusted to make the right decision? This is one of the questions Shakespeare attempts to answer in Julius Caesar. Set after the Roman Civil War, the plot revolves not around the title character, but the conspirators who wish to kill him, Brutus and Cassius. They fear that Caesar will proclaim himself king and that the Roman Republic will fall; to avoid this, they assassinate him. They announce to the people that they did it for the good of Rome. Unfortunately, the Roman people are convinced by Mark Antony that Caesar was virtuous and that the conspirators are traitors, resulting in another civil war between the triumvirs - Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus - and the conspirators. Brutus and Cassius lose this war and the Republic dies with them. The Roman mafia plays an important role, as their support is necessary for each side to succeed. Both factions attempt to manipulate them, but the triumvirs win because they appeal to the fundamental nature of the crowd instead of trying to reason with them. This stark view of human nature raises a larger question: If people are so short, can they be trusted to govern themselves? Democracy is doomed to... middle of paper... A Brief History." JohnKeane.net, 2013. Web. 13 November 2013. .2. Leithart, Peter J. "History: Julius Caesar." The Brightest Paradise of inventions: a Christian guide to the six works of Shakespeare. Moscow, Id.: Canon, 1996. N. page Print.3. "REPUBLIC versus DEMOCRACY." , IL: Crossway, 2000. No. page 6 Government." Elizabethan government. Tennessee State University, n.d. Web. November 13. 2013. .