How much power is too much to vest in the hands of one person? For Cassius and Brutus two of Caesar s closest confidantes the question is difficult to resolve because the answer might mean murdering their friend. This compelling volume probes the moral and political dilemmas posed in William Shakespeare s Julius Caesar through the lens of tyranny. A series of essays discuss the complex politics of Rome how the play presents the anarchy-tyranny dilemma as inevitable and draws modern comparisons to leaders in Iran Cuba and the United States. Contributors include Stephen Greenblatt and Peter Ackroyd.