Abstract

During the summer of 2017, The Public Theater’s production of Julius Caesar created quite a stir: it seemed to depict the assassination of President Donald Trump and thus was perceived by some to be a dangerous piece of propaganda calling for the death of the president. Scholars, critics—anyone who had read or seen the play, really—quickly pointed out how ridiculous this interpretation was: the play does not go on to suggest that this action, taken early in the play, was such a good idea and things don’t end well for the conspirators. Nonetheless, Shakespeare’s play became ground zero in a political/cultural battle over meaning and representation.