Dare to be Different
“Beware the ides of March.”
What does this quote from Act I of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar have to do with an inspirational phrase “Dare to be Different” that calls us to be ourselves, even if it is different from what others want or think we should be?
Quite a lot, as it turns out.
This ominous warning is given by a soothsayer to Julius Caesar as the ruler is returning triumphantly to Rome after conquering a rival.
Statue of Julius Caesar, Rimini, Italy
Most historians blame Shakespeare for making us afraid of March 15 (aka the “Ides of March”), because prior to the popularity of the tragedy of Julius Caesar, the ides of March was just another way of saying “the middle of March.” Thanks to Shakespeare, though, and his telling of the story of betrayal and brutal murder in broad daylight by a group of senators and Caesar’s best friend Marcus Brutus, the “ides” have taken on a new meaning.
According to www.history.com, “Kalends, Nones and Ides were ancient markers used to reference dates in relation to lunar phases. Ides simply referred to the first full moon of a given month, which usually fell between the 13th and 15th days. In fact, the Ides of March once signified the new year, which meant celebrations and rejoicing.”
Maybe if Brutus and Caesar had been true to themselves rather than to what others expected of them, the Ides of March might have meant a time of celebration.
Shakespeare was not so subtly telling us in Julius Caesar that tragedy and disaster befall those who deny their true selves in order to follow the crowd.
We do it all the time, going by the book, not making waves, doing what we “should” even when it doesn’t feel right, making decisions based on how it affects our “image” rather than whether it feels true to us. Call it the Holy Spirit, call it Source, call it God, but we have an inner guidance system and it does not operate through what others say or claim to know about us.
“No, Cassius, for the eye sees not itself
But by reflection, by some other things.”
Marcus Brutus speaks these words in Act I, Scene 2, admitting that he can only see himself through the eyes of others, denying his own power and living only as he is reflected back through their eyes.
It’s an identity crisis, for sure.
Brutus admits that he loves Caesar well, even stating in Act II, Scene 1, “And for my part I know no personal cause to spurn at him.”
Is he going to choose his friend, the target of a conspiracy plot, or is he going to follow the haters? We already know the answer, but I kept rooting for Brutus until the very end.
Which reminds me of the 1986 classic John Hughes movie, Pretty in Pink.
The lead character, Andie, is a girl who is literally from the wrong side of the tracks, bullied by the rich kids at her school until she falls for one after talking to him on neutral ground (the record store where she works). Andie and Blane (the rich boy) are not supposed to be together because society doesn’t approve of their relationship.
I won’t spoil the ending if you haven’t seen this movie, but the themes of identity, social pressure, betrayal, love, and relationships are the very same that Shakespeare shined a light on in Julius Caesar.
I hope that doesn’t turn you off from seeing Pretty in Pink, but if it does, then keep in mind that the movie’s cast includes Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, James Spader, Annie Potts, and Harry Dean Stanton. It’s so good!!
And if you like Pretty in Pink, give Julius Caesar a try. What would have happened if Brutus had dared to be different from Caesar’s murderous conspirators? Has there been a time in your life when you were faced with the choice of daring to be different or following the crowd?
#daretobedifferent #identity #juliuscaesar #idesofmarch #betrayal #selfdetermination #friendship #service #innerself #loveintruth #williamshakespeare
