You are here

All Site ContentJulius CaesarAct 3Scene 2
Back to the Play
Religious Relics
Historical Context
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 130-137

An explanation of Shakespeare's anachronistic reference to religious relics in Act 3, Scene 2 of myShakespeare's Julius Caesar. 

Antony

Let but the commons hear this testament — 
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read — 
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds
And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
Unto their issue.

In this anachronism, Antony is referring to a practice in medieval England—not ancient Rome. When a Catholic priest was executed for heresy (nonconformance with the official Protestant religion) some of the catholics in the crowd would dip their handkerchiefs in the priest’s blood, or snip a locket of his hair to keep as a relic.