"Julius Caesar" is a significant political thriller by William Shakespeare. It is set in Rome around 44 B.C., focusing on the conspiracy and assassination of Julius Caesar. The play explores the motives and consequences of political betrayal, centering on Caesar's friend Brutus, who is persuaded by jealous conspirators to join their plot. After Caesar's murder on the Ides of March, Brutus and the conspirators face retaliation led by Mark Antony. The conflict culminates in a decisive battle, resulting in the suicides of Brutus and Cassius and the eventual rise of Antony to power in Rome.