Julius Caesar in Jacobean England.

What views were held about the historical Julius Caesar in Jacobean England and how did they shape reactions to Shakespeare's, a play which remained in the repertory throughout the period? I explore the representations of Caesar in early seventeenth-century drama and historiography in the context of Jacobean politics and political thought, especially of James I's readiness to present himself as a latter-day Julius Caesar. My focus is on two critical moments in James's reign: the Gunpowder Plot and the Palatinate débâcle. The former conferred renewed urgency on the assassination of Julius Caesar; the latter provoked interest in Caesar's rise to power and his autocratic government typified by his management of the senate. How those two crises resonated with the king's persistent self-fashioning as Caesar, and how they may have influenced the topical appeal of Shakespeare's tragedy, are the twin themes of this essay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]