This work—the only Shakespeare tragedy considered to have its roots in the classics—is a study in contradiction. Though it is about the character of Brutus, it has Caesar as its dominant figure. This and other complexities and themes of the drama are investigated through the performance of key scenes by noted Shakespearean experts from the Shakespeare Centre and the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon Avon. Themes and topics include politics and the corruption of power; the play as drama, history, and art; the persona of Brutus as noble but self-deluded; Cassius as an opportunistic prime mover; the rhetorical skills of Brutus and Antony as pivotal to the action; and Shakespeare’s use of dramatic effect in key scenes, such as the appearance of Caesar’s ghost. (33 minutes)