The modern version of Julius Caesar can be seen in Mean Girls, which has numerous connections with the classic play. High school effectively portrays the themes of jealousy, backstabbing, and betrayal present in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. In Mean Girls, Regina George takes on the role of Julius Caesar as she holds leadership and is both feared and admired by her peers, just like Caesar. Eventually, Regina becomes the target of a plot to destroy her reputation, orchestrated by Brutus and Cassius (depicted as Cady and Janice in Mean Girls). Furthermore, Regina’s actions resemble those of Marc Antony when she reveals the Burn Book to the school.
Both Cady and Gretchen are connected to Brutus in some way. Cady was influenced by Janice to bring down Regina, but in the process, she started becoming more like Regina herself. Once Regina was out of the picture, Cady assumed control of the plastics. Similarly, Gretchen, who used to be Regina’s best friend, also turned against her. When reading a paper in English class, Gretchen demonstrated her resemblance to Brutus by questioning why Caesar should be allowed to dominate while the rest of them struggle not to be crushed under his power. She also emphasized that there is nothing particularly exceptional about Caesar and that Brutus is just as attractive.
Brutus possesses the same level of intelligence as Caesar, and people equally appreciate both Brutus and Caesar. Moreover, when did it become acceptable for one individual to dominate everyone else? This goes against the principles that Rome was built upon! We should definitely consider eliminating Caesar through stabbing. Regina’s growing popularity and her supposed superiority over others are beginning to trouble her. The holiday candy canes symbolize the forged letter from the Roman people, urging Brutus to assume leadership instead.
Cady received a candy cane from Regina but purposefully didn’t send one to Gretchen. This caused Gretchen to discover Regina’s true nature, albeit under false pretenses. It resulted in Gretchen turning against Regina. The Burn Book can be compared to the will that Marc Antony presented to the people, which turned them against Brutus and sparked a riot among the Romans. Similarly, the Burn Book caused all the girls to despise each other and turn against Cady. Regina, like Marc Antony, utilized the book as a means of seeking revenge.
