The 48 Laws Of Power

giant

newtheaterwasbuiltthat

slopeddramatically

downthe

Tarpeian

Rock.Crowdsfromalloverthe

empire

flockedtothese

events,

theroadsto

Romelinedwithvisitors’tents.Andin 45

B.C.,

timing

his

entry

intothe

city

formaximumeffectand

surprise,

Caesar

broughtCleopatra

backtoRome

afterhis

Egyptiancampaign,

and

staged

evenmore

extravagantpublic

spectacles.

Theseeventsweremore

than

devicestodivertthe

masses;

they

dra~

matically

enhancedthe

public’s

senseofCaesar’s

character,

andmadehim

seem

larger

thanlife.Caesarwasthemasterofhis

publicimage,

ofwhich

hewasforeveraware.Whenhe

appeared

beforecrowdsheworethe

most

spectacularpurple

robes.Hewouldbe

upstagedby

noone.Hewasnotori-

ously

vainabouthis

appearance—it

wassaidthatonereasonhe

enjoyed

being

honored

by

theSenateand

people

wasthatontheseoccasionshe

couldwearalaurel

wreath,hiding

hisbaldness.Caesarwasamasterful

or-

ator.Heknewhowto

say

alot

bysaying

a

little,

intuitedthemoment

to

end

a

speech

formaximumeffect.

He

neverfailed

to

incorporate

a

surprise

into his

public appearances—a startling

announcement that would

heighten

theirdrama.

Immenselypopular

among

theRoman

people,

Caesarwashatedand

feared

by

hisrivals.

On

the

ides

of

March——March15—inthe

year

44

B.C.,

a

group

of

conspirators

led

by

BrutusandCassiussurroundedhiminthe

senateandstabbedhimtodeath.Even

dying,

however,

he

kept

hissenseof

drama.

Drawing

the

top

ofhis

gown

overhis

face,

helet

go

ofthecloth’s

lower

part

sothatit

draped

his

legs,allowing

himtodiecoveredandde-

cent.

According

totheRomanhistorian

Suetonius,

hisfinal

words

to

his

old

friend

Brutus,

who

was

about

to

deliverasecond

blow,

werein

Greek,

andasifrehearsedfortheendofa

play:

“You

too,

my

child?”

Interpretation

TheRomantheater wasaneventforthe
masses,
attended

by

crowds

unimaginabletoday.

Packed into enormous

auditoriums,

theaudience

wouldbeamused

by

raucous

comedy

ormoved

byhightragedy.

Theater

seemedtocontaintheessenceof
life,

inits

concentrated,

dramaticform.

Likea

religious

ritual,

ithada

powerful,

instant

appeal

tothecommon

man.

Julius

Caesarwas

perhaps

thefirst

publicfigure

tounderstandthevital

linkbetween
power

andtheater.Thiswasbecauseofhisownobsessivein»

terestindrama.Hesublimatedthisinterest

by

making

himselfanactorand

directorontheworld
stage.

Hesaidhislinesasif

they

hadbeen

scripted;

he

gestured

andmoved

through

a

crowd

witha

constantsenseofhowhe

appeared

to

hisaudience.He

incorporatedsurprise

intohis

repertoire,

building

dramaintohis

speeches,staging

intohis

public

appearances.

His

gestures

werebroad

enough

forthecommonmanto

grasp

them

instantly.

Hebecame

immenselypopular.‘

Caesarsetthe

ideal

forall

leaders

and

people

of

power.

Like

him,

you

mustleamto

enlargeyour

actions

through

dramatic

techniques

suchas

LAW 25 19.?