Season 3 Episode 5

"Julius Caesar" is a historical tragedy written by renowned playwright William Shakespeare. Believed to have been written in 1599, the play dramatizes the events surrounding the assassination of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar and the subsequent power struggles in Rome. The story explores themes of ambition, betrayal, loyalty, and the consequences of political unrest.

The plot centers around the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar, led by a group of senators who fear his growing power and influence. Despite warnings from the soothsayer and his wife Calpurnia's ominous dreams, Caesar proceeds to the Senate, where he is brutally stabbed to death by the conspirators, including his trusted friend Brutus. This act sparks a series of conflicts and civil war in Rome as the conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius, face off against Caesar's loyal supporters, led by Mark Antony.

The play delves into the moral dilemmas faced by the characters, particularly Brutus, who is torn between his loyalty to Rome and his friendship with Caesar. Mark Antony, a skilled orator, delivers a famous funeral speech that ignites public sentiment against the conspirators. The play culminates in a climactic battle at Philippi, where the forces of Brutus and Cassius clash with those of Octavius Caesar and Mark Antony.

The radio presentation of "Julius Caesar" through the "Mercury Theater" occurred on September 11, 1938. This adaptation, directed by Orson Welles, featured a modernized setting with a contemporary political context to draw parallels between ancient Rome and the rise of Fascism in Europe at the time. Welles himself played the role of Brutus, and the production employed innovative sound effects and dynamic performances to bring Shakespeare's tragedy to the radio audience. The "Mercury Theater" production of "Julius Caesar" is remembered for its creative interpretation and powerful storytelling, solidifying its place as one of the notable radio adaptations of the play.

Books in Sound is a free podcast series that presents a collection of hundreds of the world’s greatest books through the magic of the performing arts.

Different from audiobooks: Instead of having a single narrator read an audiobook, these performances have a full cast of actors, suitable background music, and special effects that help define the drama.

Most presentations are from old time radio theater broadcasts that have been remastered to remove most of the hissing, clicking and volume fluctuations. Many of the presentations are from the 1930's and 1940's, so a significant amount of work went into the remastering process.

Most presentations are about one hour, some are multiple hours, and some are abbreviated presentation that last about half an hour, making this series wonderful for bedtime stories, self-improvement by learning about literature, or simply as a very imaginative form of entertainment.

The episodes are not sequential, but we do recommend listening to the complete collection starting with the first episode so that you can grow and benefit from the wide assortment of styles and content.

For more information visit https://www.booksinsound.com