Why it is called "The Ides of March"?

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When I search the words The Ides of March it gives me the assassination day of Julius Caesar.

But the movie's plot is related to political drama.

Why it is called "The Ides of March"?



Best Answer

It's a reference to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

This article offers a thorough analysis:

Ides is a movie adaptation of the play Farragut North. The play ends with Stephen being fired. The movie, obviously, continues on. And this is why the title is different.

[...]

The reason the movie is called The Ides of March and not Farragut North is for the comparison to Shakespeare. And the comparison to Shakespeare is a reference to the assassination of Caesar. Do you see how this fits with our movie?

Stephen (Ryan Gosling) is Brutus. Governor Morris (Clooney) is Julius Caesar. (Shakespeare's play, as with Clooney's film, casts Brutus as the protagonist).

Brutus betrayed Caesar, so I think we can extrapolate that Stephen betrays Morris. The clue to this, the title aside, comes as Stephen is, at the end of the movie, sitting in the chair, waiting for the live TV interview to start. A clip of Morris is playing. It's a speech about decency, about honor, about doing the right thing. Morris's words happen to also be the topics on Stephen's mind. It's a deft touch of irony. But also foreshadowing. And elucidation of Stephen's thoughts, which we're never really privy to.

After reading that article, you can find further discussion in this forum thread.


Interestingly, Clooney had to fight to keep the title The Ides of March. From this article:

Interesting: the trade says Sony wanted to use the play’s title, Farragut North, rather than The Ides of March, with the reason cited being the recognizance of the title. But Mr. Clooney won out, and the film will use The Ides of March for now.




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Why is the Ides of March called that?

Kalends, Nones and Ides were ancient markers used to reference dates in relation to lunar phases. Ides simply referred to the first new moon of a given month, which usually fell between the 13th and 15th. In fact, the Ides of March once signified the new year, which meant celebrations and rejoicing.

Why is the 15th called the ides?

Marking the months In the ancient Roman calendar, each month had an Ides. For the months of March, May, July, and October, the Ides fell on the 15th day. In every other month, the Ides fell on the 13th day. The word Ides derives from a Latin word that means to divide.

What does the Beware the Ides of March mean?

Beware the ides of March is a warning to watch out for betrayal or misfortune. It's often used in political contexts. The term ides of March refers to March 15\u2014the day on which Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 b.c.e. For this reason, it has become associated with bad omens, betrayal, and misfortune.

Why is the Ides of March so well known in Roman history?

It was marked by several religious observances and was notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debts. In 44 BC, it became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar, which made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history.



What Are the Ides of March?




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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