BBC Shakespeare Collection: Julius Caesar

In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare's plays for television. The resulting productions, renowned for their loyalty to the text, utilised the best theatrical and television directors and brought acclaimed performances from leading contemporary actors.

The crowds may have hailed Julius Caesar after his conquest of Pompey the Great, but there are other Romans who are alarmed at the power and authority the great dictator is assuming. Among them are a leading citizen, Cassius, and the respected Marcus Brutus, a friend of Caesar. The consequences of their actions will soon throw the Republic into violent and bitter turmoil ...

Shakespeare's greatest Roman tragedy breaks all the conventional rules of drama, creating neither a clear-cut hero nor a villain. Director Herbert Wise, who also directed the great BBC dramas I Claudius and , brilliantly conveys a world of personal and political conflict while allowing the play's chilling supernatural undercurrent to emerge.