In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, there have been many anachronisms that have found their place inside the play due to Shakespeare's own lack of knowledge about the era he was setting his play in as well as making his plays more accessible and relatable to his 16th century audience. Anachronisms are found in several different scenes in the play, and each is used as a device to get an effect Shakespeare wanted (even if he didn't know it would be an anachronism).
The first anachronism to be found in Julius Caesar is in the opening act. When Casca is informing Cassius and Brutus that Caesar refused a crown Mark Antony offered him three times, and how Caesar “plucked me ope his doublet and offered them his throat to cut” (Shakespeare l.ii.263-273). Historically, Romans would have been wearing robes whereas in the play Caesar is wearing a doublet. A doublet is a type of jacket that was in style in England around Shakespeare’s time. However, even if a doublet is an anachronism in the time period Caesar lived, the actor playing Caesar would have most likely been wearing one, and it would have made more sense in context of what he was wearing on stage. In the same scene, Casca also tells Brutus and Cassius that the crowds of commoners watching Caesar cheered "and threw up their sweaty night-caps" (Shakespeare l.ii.337) after he had refused the crown. This is another anachronism since people would not have worn night-caps in Ancient Rome either.
Silverstah. "Renaissance Faire Doublet." Photograph. Silverstah, 18 Nov 2013. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.
Silverstah. "Renaissance Faire Doublet." Photograph. Silverstah, 18 Nov 2013. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.
In the first scene of act two, Brutus is telling Cassius to tell him the time. In ancient times, the only way of telling time was through a clepsydra. A clepsydra is a water clock in which water would regularly drop into a bowl and the markings on the bowl would tell the hour. Mechanical clocks were not invented until the medieval times. Even then, clocks were only used to signal when the church services or prayers were to to be held. Therefore, there could not have possibly been a striking clock in Julius Caesar's time. It was misplaced in time and could not have "stricken three" (Shakespeare II.i.194).
Cassius and the other conspirators against Caesar fall to their knees asking for Caesar to free Publius Cinder of his banishment. However, Caesar says that he is "as constant as the Northern Star" (Shakespeare III.i.60) and dismisses their pleas. The northern star, though, was not named that until the late 1700's. The play takes place 400 BC, however, so the character could not have known about the North Star This scene talks about being as true as the north star and the north star hadn't been named until 1780 and Julius Caesar takes place around 44 BC.
Just after a long discussion with Cassius, Brutus sits down to read a book where he had left off. Unfortunately for Shakespeare, it would've be quite impossible for Brutus to leave " the leaf turn'd down" (Shakespeare IV.iii.273-274 ) on the book he was reading. While books had mostly taken on their modern shapes by Shakespeare's life, albeit much larger than today's, during Brutus's lifetime a book would have been a simple scroll or group of scrolls put into a codex. It simply would not be possible for Brutus to dog-ear what he was reading. However, Shakespeare uses the book as a way to set up the next event, wherein Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus. Brutus would have been "reading when the Ghost of Caesar appears" (Delaney) by candlelight.
Michael D. Marlowe. "Great Isaiah Scroll." Photograph. Bible Researcher. n.p. n.d. Web. 6 April 2014.
William Shakespeare incorporated anachronisms into The Tragedy of Julius Caesar that neither helped nor hindered the play's plot. Anachronisms are "errors that occur due to lack of research" (Bavota). While Shakespeare uses many anachronisms throughout his literature, the most highly noted one is the mention of the clock in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. It is an object that is referenced much earlier than its own creation. Neither the clock, nor any of the other misplaced objects, affected the fates of the characters in Shakespeare's play. They did, however, serve their purpose whether or not it was intentional.
Citations:
Bavota, C. LiteraryDevices. n.p.,n.d. Web. 6 April 2014.
Delaney, Bill. Enotes. n.p., n.d. Web. 4 April 2014.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. n.p., n.d Print. 26 Mar. 2014.
Bavota, C. LiteraryDevices. n.p.,n.d. Web. 6 April 2014.
Delaney, Bill. Enotes. n.p., n.d. Web. 4 April 2014.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. n.p., n.d Print. 26 Mar. 2014.