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Cato: A Tragedy, and Selected Essays
"A day, an hour, of virtuous liberty is worth a whole eternity in bondage."
-Joseph Addison, Cato 1713
Joseph Addison was born in 1672 in Milston, Wiltshire, England. He was educated in the classics at Oxford and became widely known as an essayist, playwright, poet, and statesman. First produced in 1713, Cato, A Tragedy inspired generations toward a pursuit of liberty. Liberty Fund’s new edition of Cato: A Tragedy, and Selected Essays brings together Addison’s dramatic masterpiece along with a selection of his essays that develop key themes in the play.
Cato, A Tragedy is the account of the final hours of Marcus Porcius Cato (95–46 B.C.), a Stoic whose deeds, rhetoric, and resistance to the tyranny of Caesar made him an icon of republicanism, virtue, and liberty. By all accounts, Cato was an uncompromisingly principled man, deeply committed to liberty. He opposed Caesar’s tyrannical assertion of power and took arms against him. As Caesar’s forces closed in on Cato, he chose to take his life, preferring death by his own hand to a life of submission to Caesar.
Addison’s theatrical depiction of Cato enlivened the glorious image of a citizen ready to sacrifice everything in the cause of freedom, and it influenced friends of liberty on both sides of the Atlantic. Captain Nathan Hale’s last words before being hanged were, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,” a close paraphrase of Addison’s “What pity is it that we can die but once to serve our country!” George Washington found Cato such a powerful statement of liberty, honor, virtue, and patriotism that he had it performed for his men at Valley Forge. And Forrest McDonald says in his Foreword that “Patrick Henry adapted his famous ‘Give me liberty or give me death’ speech directly from lines in Cato.”
Despite Cato’s enormous success, Addison was perhaps best-known as an essayist. In periodicals like the Spectator, Guardian, Tatler, and Freeholder, he sought to educate England’s developing middle class in the habits, morals, and manners he believed necessary for the preservation of a free society. Addison’s work in these periodicals helped to define the modern English essay form. Samuel Johnson said of his writing, “Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the study of Addison.”
Christine Dunn Henderson is a Senior Fellow at Liberty Fund. Prior to joining Liberty Fund in 2000, she was assistant professor of political science at Marshall University.
Mark E. Yellin, also a Fellow at Liberty Fund, received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, has taught at North Carolina State University, and edited Douglass Adair’s Intellectual Origins of Jeffersonian Democracy.
Click here for a pdf of the Cato: A Tragedy brochure
-Joseph Addison, Cato 1713
Joseph Addison was born in 1672 in Milston, Wiltshire, England. He was educated in the classics at Oxford and became widely known as an essayist, playwright, poet, and statesman. First produced in 1713, Cato, A Tragedy inspired generations toward a pursuit of liberty. Liberty Fund’s new edition of Cato: A Tragedy, and Selected Essays brings together Addison’s dramatic masterpiece along with a selection of his essays that develop key themes in the play.
Cato, A Tragedy is the account of the final hours of Marcus Porcius Cato (95–46 B.C.), a Stoic whose deeds, rhetoric, and resistance to the tyranny of Caesar made him an icon of republicanism, virtue, and liberty. By all accounts, Cato was an uncompromisingly principled man, deeply committed to liberty. He opposed Caesar’s tyrannical assertion of power and took arms against him. As Caesar’s forces closed in on Cato, he chose to take his life, preferring death by his own hand to a life of submission to Caesar.
Addison’s theatrical depiction of Cato enlivened the glorious image of a citizen ready to sacrifice everything in the cause of freedom, and it influenced friends of liberty on both sides of the Atlantic. Captain Nathan Hale’s last words before being hanged were, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,” a close paraphrase of Addison’s “What pity is it that we can die but once to serve our country!” George Washington found Cato such a powerful statement of liberty, honor, virtue, and patriotism that he had it performed for his men at Valley Forge. And Forrest McDonald says in his Foreword that “Patrick Henry adapted his famous ‘Give me liberty or give me death’ speech directly from lines in Cato.”
Despite Cato’s enormous success, Addison was perhaps best-known as an essayist. In periodicals like the Spectator, Guardian, Tatler, and Freeholder, he sought to educate England’s developing middle class in the habits, morals, and manners he believed necessary for the preservation of a free society. Addison’s work in these periodicals helped to define the modern English essay form. Samuel Johnson said of his writing, “Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the study of Addison.”
Christine Dunn Henderson is a Senior Fellow at Liberty Fund. Prior to joining Liberty Fund in 2000, she was assistant professor of political science at Marshall University.
Mark E. Yellin, also a Fellow at Liberty Fund, received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, has taught at North Carolina State University, and edited Douglass Adair’s Intellectual Origins of Jeffersonian Democracy.
Click here for a pdf of the Cato: A Tragedy brochure
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1712
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 26, 2017
What does it mean to be a virtuous citizen in a republic?
America’s founding father’s were designing a system of government in reaction to the English Monarchy. They studied political theorists from Aristotle to Locke. And it was the history of the Roman republic, and it’s decline into tyranny, that guided many of the decisions that were made about the framing of our government.
Cato: A Tragedy, by Joseph Addison, was one of the most popular plays during the American Revolution. Ben Franklin copied it out by hand. Patrick Henry adapted portions of the play to form his famous speech – “Give me liberty of give me death.” And George Washington quoted lines from the play to rally troops on the battlefield.
Why did this play command so much mind share?
Virtue.
Cato gave his life in an attempt to save Rome and the Senate from a tyrant – Caesar. He would rather take his own life than see the republic fall. Cato epitomized virtue, he was selfless, never compromising, and devoted to the public. Many political theorists believe that public virtue is the foundational habit of a republic. And in their private letters, both Washington and Hamilton cite Cato’s example as helping them to overcome their shortcomings and set the baseline for how leaders in a republic should act. This play catalyzed the spread, across America’s and England’s middle classes, of a culture of civic responsibility.
In this play the greatest thread to liberty (and the virtuous Cato) is a popular figure who appeals to the masses with bribes, promises, and charisma.
Unsurprisingly, Addison wove in Stoic philosophy throughout his play. Cato exemplifies the Stoic ideal. He is intensely logical, has control over his emotions, and fights for his ideals. Cato has an unwavering commitment to his principles and the standards of the Roman Republic.
Cato isn’t the easiest book to read. The English is antiquated, and I often found myself spending an hour here or there in the wikipedia rabbit hole while I brushed up on my history to gain the historical context for the play.
While I was reading this play I couldn’t help to draw parallels to the current leader of the American Republic. How would our founding father’s judge his virtues? Which of our senators would be willing to stand up and commit suicide (career or otherwise) to defend the sanctity of our government?
America’s founding father’s were designing a system of government in reaction to the English Monarchy. They studied political theorists from Aristotle to Locke. And it was the history of the Roman republic, and it’s decline into tyranny, that guided many of the decisions that were made about the framing of our government.
Cato: A Tragedy, by Joseph Addison, was one of the most popular plays during the American Revolution. Ben Franklin copied it out by hand. Patrick Henry adapted portions of the play to form his famous speech – “Give me liberty of give me death.” And George Washington quoted lines from the play to rally troops on the battlefield.
Why did this play command so much mind share?
Virtue.
Cato gave his life in an attempt to save Rome and the Senate from a tyrant – Caesar. He would rather take his own life than see the republic fall. Cato epitomized virtue, he was selfless, never compromising, and devoted to the public. Many political theorists believe that public virtue is the foundational habit of a republic. And in their private letters, both Washington and Hamilton cite Cato’s example as helping them to overcome their shortcomings and set the baseline for how leaders in a republic should act. This play catalyzed the spread, across America’s and England’s middle classes, of a culture of civic responsibility.
In this play the greatest thread to liberty (and the virtuous Cato) is a popular figure who appeals to the masses with bribes, promises, and charisma.
Unsurprisingly, Addison wove in Stoic philosophy throughout his play. Cato exemplifies the Stoic ideal. He is intensely logical, has control over his emotions, and fights for his ideals. Cato has an unwavering commitment to his principles and the standards of the Roman Republic.
Cato isn’t the easiest book to read. The English is antiquated, and I often found myself spending an hour here or there in the wikipedia rabbit hole while I brushed up on my history to gain the historical context for the play.
While I was reading this play I couldn’t help to draw parallels to the current leader of the American Republic. How would our founding father’s judge his virtues? Which of our senators would be willing to stand up and commit suicide (career or otherwise) to defend the sanctity of our government?
July 17, 2012
A bit on the dry side. Lots of dialogue, not much action. Some of the dialogue, at least to modern ears, seems overwrought and melodramatic ---- which is probably due to 18th Century's plays' need to evince emotion and feeling on stages without sound systems or special effects.
So, why did I bother reading this? Joseph Addison's "Cato" reportedly was one of George Washington's favorite plays. During the Continental Army's stay at Valley Forge, Washington had the play presented for the entertainment of his troops, and, reportedly, they much enjoyed it as well. I wanted to see what Washington liked about it.
And, while I personally could not get engaged in "Cato", by reading it, I do understand much better why Washington liked it. The protagonist, Cato, is the last of the Roman senators remaining, still fighting against Rome's descent into despotism and tyranny under a victorious Julius Caesar, and he is a man who places duty to country above personal gain ---- a value that George Washington cultivated throughout his life, his command, and his Presidency. A man of Roman values, Cato values freedom and rule of law over the cheap trifles and pay-offs of tyrants and rule by force. Given the sentiments of the Founding Fathers, including Washington, they naturally saw an ideal hero in Cato -- a man who, in the play, fought to the bitter end for his beliefs in liberty and democracy.
In the play, Cato's last ditch resistance against Caesar is undermined and, ultimately, ruined by the treacherous Syphax; in turn, snuffing out the last remaining embers of Roman republicanism. Ironically, Washington's own resistance via the Continental Army was also very nearly destroyed by none other than Benedict Arnold as well as by Tory sympathizers in New York, New Jersey, and the Carolinas. Fortunately, for America and the world, unlike Cato, Washington did prevail in his fight for freedom, rule of law, and democracy.
So, why did I bother reading this? Joseph Addison's "Cato" reportedly was one of George Washington's favorite plays. During the Continental Army's stay at Valley Forge, Washington had the play presented for the entertainment of his troops, and, reportedly, they much enjoyed it as well. I wanted to see what Washington liked about it.
And, while I personally could not get engaged in "Cato", by reading it, I do understand much better why Washington liked it. The protagonist, Cato, is the last of the Roman senators remaining, still fighting against Rome's descent into despotism and tyranny under a victorious Julius Caesar, and he is a man who places duty to country above personal gain ---- a value that George Washington cultivated throughout his life, his command, and his Presidency. A man of Roman values, Cato values freedom and rule of law over the cheap trifles and pay-offs of tyrants and rule by force. Given the sentiments of the Founding Fathers, including Washington, they naturally saw an ideal hero in Cato -- a man who, in the play, fought to the bitter end for his beliefs in liberty and democracy.
In the play, Cato's last ditch resistance against Caesar is undermined and, ultimately, ruined by the treacherous Syphax; in turn, snuffing out the last remaining embers of Roman republicanism. Ironically, Washington's own resistance via the Continental Army was also very nearly destroyed by none other than Benedict Arnold as well as by Tory sympathizers in New York, New Jersey, and the Carolinas. Fortunately, for America and the world, unlike Cato, Washington did prevail in his fight for freedom, rule of law, and democracy.
February 5, 2024
As other reviews have pointed out, this was rather dry. Just a lot of dialogue and plotting and political stuff. It was kind of boring, and I never connected with any of the characters. But I still appreciate it, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
October 17, 2021
To the extent that one might order and read this text for the same reasons I did, to snatch an unadulterated view of the Cato tragedy that so infused and inspired men of the revolutionary era, I must confess that Cato was the least interesting part of the text. And frankly, if not for the many selected essays that adorn these pages, I might have given Cato itself a two-star rating. The play feels weathered down by an unnecessary love story between melodramatic characters whose focus, under the circumstances of the Caesar-level moment Addison is writing, ought to be less distracted by fickle and fleeting emotions. Nevertheless, Addison’s essays take up far more of this book than the play and are, on their own, a treat of early 18th Century political theory, a chance to read, as it were, a classic Dear Abby column, published for the purpose of encouraging its readers toward politeness and social morality, for the good of all. If the modern reader thinks of Joseph Addison as a playwright, they’ll probably be disappointed and bored, but if they think of him as a once-respected blogger of sorts, someone with a large audience of civil readers, one might better grasp, through his essays, a sense for what really inspired the American Founders, or the King of England himself, since Addison offered reasonable arguments in favor of both sides, long before they were caught up in any kind of revolutionary or rebellious conflict.
December 7, 2018
I actually read Cato online. I did not read this edition or any other of Joseph Addison's essays, so I cannot review them.
I read Cato for the reason that many do, it was George Washington's favorite play. Apparently he saw it so many times, he quoted much of it verbatim. (Reminds me of youth today quoting favorite movies).
I am so glad I read it. It gives an insight into Washington and his love of freedom, and why he would persevere through a war that at all odds should not have been won. I share this love of freedom. I share Cato's love of freedom. I don't know that I am as valiant or brave as these men, but I hope so. Freedom is more precious than life to me.
Cato and Juba are heroes for the free man, for the cause of liberty. And they were real men. These are lives that actually happened and mattered. I'm grateful that we have these examples to follow.
I read Cato for the reason that many do, it was George Washington's favorite play. Apparently he saw it so many times, he quoted much of it verbatim. (Reminds me of youth today quoting favorite movies).
I am so glad I read it. It gives an insight into Washington and his love of freedom, and why he would persevere through a war that at all odds should not have been won. I share this love of freedom. I share Cato's love of freedom. I don't know that I am as valiant or brave as these men, but I hope so. Freedom is more precious than life to me.
Cato and Juba are heroes for the free man, for the cause of liberty. And they were real men. These are lives that actually happened and mattered. I'm grateful that we have these examples to follow.
January 31, 2019
Short and powerful, it is easy to see why Cato was especially popular among the founding fathers during the Revolutionary War. The play's recurring themes of freedom, loyalty, and honor, would obviously have carried a lot of weight when actors performing for the Continental Army claimed that even a moment of liberty is worth dying for or what pity it is that we only have one life to give for our country. I think the devotion that Cato had to his honor and country is worth noting, appreciating, and emulating even though more than 300 years have passed since the play was first performed. Definitely would recommend.
June 27, 2022
I was very excited to read Cato, as this was likely inspirational in the creation of the United States. Addison's strong prose and additional essays contributed to the formation of such minds as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson. Though in reading through the play, much of it was lost on me due to the stylistic rendition of the story, on top of an already aging parlance of the 1700's. Addison's essays were a bit easier to read (less rhyming!) and had some good nuggets, but still overall struck me as a bit dry. Though the story of Cato is still compelling, it felt less impressive reading it 300 years later.
November 27, 2018
Only read Cato, A Tragedy and not closely at that, for the same reason I expect everyone does at this point: while reading about the American Revolution some author (in this case, B. Bobrick) mentions it as a key artistic prelude to Washington's struggle.
Glad to have it checked off for historical merit and a refresher on how to read old text. However at this point I'd rather read the fleshed out writings of the so-called founding fathers instead of an outdated allegory.
Glad to have it checked off for historical merit and a refresher on how to read old text. However at this point I'd rather read the fleshed out writings of the so-called founding fathers instead of an outdated allegory.
January 6, 2022
Popular during the American revolution. General Washington had the play put on for his soldiers. Cato and his desire for his Rome to be free from Ceasar's Rome were ringing as sympathetic with the rebels and England called them. Interested in reading and studying more after I finishing reading 1776 by David Mccullough.
November 7, 2023
Cato is a very brief drama, but effective. It's easy to see why the American founding fathers cherished Addison's play as it extols the virtue of dying for a just cause, laying down life for country, and opposing tyranny. Addison isn't Shakespeare, but there are some good quotes in the text. I enjoyed the play and was able to finish it easily in one day.
June 5, 2018
The things I'll do to research a fanfic I'm planning to write...
Anyhow, this is actually an interesting play, good in its own right with some fantastic speeches, but also interesting historically as the favorite play of George Washington and the other American revolutionaries.
Anyhow, this is actually an interesting play, good in its own right with some fantastic speeches, but also interesting historically as the favorite play of George Washington and the other American revolutionaries.
September 30, 2017
An over the top drama extravaganza filled with stoics, armies, love and death.
October 12, 2018
Pope's Prologue. Wow.
October 22, 2021
A fun book to read in class. Very easy to see why this play was so favored by the first president and how it influenced his ideas of government.
November 16, 2021
Love and Freedom.
June 14, 2022
Come to understand George Washington and his peers by reading this popular 18th century play. Roman Senator Cato exemplifies Patriotic heroism in the midst of Julius Caesar's rein of tyranny.
July 2, 2022
rip in peace cato :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2024
the epilogue??? what the fuck
Read
September 2, 2024Cato: 4 stars
September 25, 2024
read this in the library, facing a large window, on a rainy fall day, while listening to the succession soundtrack. so like overall an enjoyable experience.
July 27, 2014
Joseph Addison's 'Cato: A Tragedy" written in 1712 was very popular in its day and in particular with America's Founding Fathers who identified with the honour and dignity they perceived in Cato a Roman senator who would rather die than submit to what he viewed as the tyranny of Julius Caesar and the rise of the emperors.
George Washington the incorruptible general of the American Revolution, who was thought of as the father of his nation was obsessed with the play, able to quote it at length, naturally raised the status of the play with his soldiers, fellow revolutionaries, and the American public.
Cato's unquestioning principles of loyalty to the Roman Republic and his utter willingness to fight against the coming tyranny of Julius Caesar and the emperors makes him an attractive hero to American republicanism. When Cato says, "what Pity is it. That we can die but once to serve our Country! Thy Life is not thy own, where Rome demands it." you can hear John Adams proclaiming the honour of serving and willing to die for his "country", Massachusetts in the 1770s. According to historians Patrick Henry's famous line, "Give me Liberty or Give me Death!" taken from a speech in 1775 was inspired by Cato's utterance, "But Chains, or Conquest; Liberty, or Death." as he ponders the dictatorship of Julius Caesar.
Cato the role model, many of the founding generation used high spirited language such as is found in Addison's play when chastising British rule...
" So shall we gain still one Day's Liberty;
And let me perish, but, in Cato's Judgement,
A Day, an Hour of virtuous Liberty,
Is worth a whole Eternity in Bondage."
Cato the model for the noble American patriot who sacrifices for the future of his country...
"The firm Patriot there
(Who made the Welfare of Mankind's Care)
Tho' still, by Faction, Vice, and Fortune, crost,
Shall find the gen'rous Labour was not lost....
O Liberty! O Virtue! O my Country!"
Although Joseph Addison's 'Cato: A Tragedy' is steeped in heady virtuous republicanisms and it is quite clear to see why so many of the American revolutionaries embraced its sentiments it does not stand the test of time as to the modern reader the noble sentiments do come across as rather ridiculous today. That said, if you are interested in the influences of literary works played on the founding generation of Americans it is an insightful look into what inspired them and what they enjoyed, it is a worthwhile read.
George Washington the incorruptible general of the American Revolution, who was thought of as the father of his nation was obsessed with the play, able to quote it at length, naturally raised the status of the play with his soldiers, fellow revolutionaries, and the American public.
Cato's unquestioning principles of loyalty to the Roman Republic and his utter willingness to fight against the coming tyranny of Julius Caesar and the emperors makes him an attractive hero to American republicanism. When Cato says, "what Pity is it. That we can die but once to serve our Country! Thy Life is not thy own, where Rome demands it." you can hear John Adams proclaiming the honour of serving and willing to die for his "country", Massachusetts in the 1770s. According to historians Patrick Henry's famous line, "Give me Liberty or Give me Death!" taken from a speech in 1775 was inspired by Cato's utterance, "But Chains, or Conquest; Liberty, or Death." as he ponders the dictatorship of Julius Caesar.
Cato the role model, many of the founding generation used high spirited language such as is found in Addison's play when chastising British rule...
" So shall we gain still one Day's Liberty;
And let me perish, but, in Cato's Judgement,
A Day, an Hour of virtuous Liberty,
Is worth a whole Eternity in Bondage."
Cato the model for the noble American patriot who sacrifices for the future of his country...
"The firm Patriot there
(Who made the Welfare of Mankind's Care)
Tho' still, by Faction, Vice, and Fortune, crost,
Shall find the gen'rous Labour was not lost....
O Liberty! O Virtue! O my Country!"
Although Joseph Addison's 'Cato: A Tragedy' is steeped in heady virtuous republicanisms and it is quite clear to see why so many of the American revolutionaries embraced its sentiments it does not stand the test of time as to the modern reader the noble sentiments do come across as rather ridiculous today. That said, if you are interested in the influences of literary works played on the founding generation of Americans it is an insightful look into what inspired them and what they enjoyed, it is a worthwhile read.
July 18, 2013
Cato: A Tragedy by Joseph Addison is a play from the early eighteenth century that bridges the gap between the era of classical drama and the coming era of Romanticism. Featuring an archetypal ideal hero in Cato (the younger) who is faced with the responsibility of leading the opposition to Julius Caesar. Caesar had been methodically defeating his foes; those who blocked his path to sole leadership of the Roman Republic. Trapped at Utica in Northern Africa near Carthage, Cato with the help of his sons and a very few friends must decide what to do. The drama is not suspenseful for anyone who knows his Roman History is aware of how it ends, but it does provide a platform for delineating the character of Cato and in doing so shed light on the culture of Rome.
The defining characteristic of Cato's character is virtue. That is virtue in the classical sense, true goodness and beauty and courage, that can be found in the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. It is the sort of virtue that leads his friend, Juba, to comment in the second act:
"I'll hence, and try to find
Some blest occasion that may set me right
In Cato's thoughts. I'd rather have that man
Approve my deeds, than worlds for my admirers."
While in the final act Cato's son, Marcus, says:
"He is all goodness, Lucia, always mild,
Compassionate, and gentle to his friends."
As he nears his death Cato turns to the Phaedo of Plato, meditating on the death of Socrates and the possibility of the immortality of the soul. Addison's play is as inspirational today as it was in eighteenth century America when the leaders of the Revolutionary War read it and shared the ideal of virtue embodied in this drama.
The defining characteristic of Cato's character is virtue. That is virtue in the classical sense, true goodness and beauty and courage, that can be found in the works of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. It is the sort of virtue that leads his friend, Juba, to comment in the second act:
"I'll hence, and try to find
Some blest occasion that may set me right
In Cato's thoughts. I'd rather have that man
Approve my deeds, than worlds for my admirers."
While in the final act Cato's son, Marcus, says:
"He is all goodness, Lucia, always mild,
Compassionate, and gentle to his friends."
As he nears his death Cato turns to the Phaedo of Plato, meditating on the death of Socrates and the possibility of the immortality of the soul. Addison's play is as inspirational today as it was in eighteenth century America when the leaders of the Revolutionary War read it and shared the ideal of virtue embodied in this drama.
February 8, 2017
Addison's Cato sucks. This is one of those where audiences of the day knew the ending before the play began, and Addison adds so much stoicism to it that it is almost utterly lacking in any real emotional depth. And even though I knew how this play was going to end, I still would like to rewrite after the style of Hamlet.
That being said, Addison's essay are pretty well spot on. For the class I read this for we are looking at writing that led to the 1st Amendment. Addison foresaw every. single. problem America is facing right now. Every. Single. One. He predicted the problems we are having with a two-party system. He talks about how man becomes a tyrant and how a tyrant acts. By the time I finished the essays I was assigned, I was convinced that Addison was a prophet. Skip the crappy play, read the essays (I can't believe I just typed a recommendation for essays).
That being said, Addison's essay are pretty well spot on. For the class I read this for we are looking at writing that led to the 1st Amendment. Addison foresaw every. single. problem America is facing right now. Every. Single. One. He predicted the problems we are having with a two-party system. He talks about how man becomes a tyrant and how a tyrant acts. By the time I finished the essays I was assigned, I was convinced that Addison was a prophet. Skip the crappy play, read the essays (I can't believe I just typed a recommendation for essays).
February 3, 2017
This collection of writings by Englishman Joseph Addison (1672-1719) were penned at a time of upheaval in England as he sought civil solutions through personal honor, integrity and Christian conduct. His writings obviously influenced America's founders as his views appear in the United States' Declaration of Independence and Constitution and, for the modern reader interested in the development of our republic government, seems to be a nice supplement to The Federalist Papers. As for the play Cato, which General Washington had his troops perform during their winter at Valley Forge, it was the perfect medium for entertainment, morale, and civic instruction. (I can only imagine the catcalls and jests leveled at the young soldiers assigned to play the roles of Marcia and Lucia). Obviously, this is not a "fast" read but it is one that all elected officials should try to live by no matter their political orientation.
July 17, 2015
[These notes were made in 1983:]. Not sure which edition I read. I found this more sympathetic and more genuinely dramatic than I had expected. Although Cato's stoic virtues, insistence on public over private duties, and somewhat wilful suicide are scarcely likely to appeal to any woman, yet the "private" scenes were handles with considerable skill; each of the young ladies had two male admirers, one of whom had to be despatched; and there was a "treason" plot to give some life to Cato's otherwise rather wooden virtue. In language, metre, etc. the play was very reminiscent of the Shakespearian Roman plays, although without the looser, vernacular scenes which provide such necessary relief. (It's also much shorter).
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February 15, 2016George Washington's favorite author, Joseph Addison allowed me to start to understand the highly self-sacrificing aspect of George Washington's life. As an old person I can see that the authors and artists that fueled our youthful passions determined which forks in the path we pursued. I found out about Joseph Addison from "Martha Washington" at Mount Vernon. She deserves a PBS special.
September 18, 2009
Cato is an interesting play, but the critical work on it really opens the play up to a whole new level. When considered in the context of Republicanism versus Liberalism and a British view compared to an American view there are a whole host of things to discuss.
March 15, 2013
Very interesting tragedy showing how a human being can be so stubborn that he would rather die than oblige to a few concessions by his benevolent enemies. Another depiction of human pride and futility.
July 23, 2013
Whenever Cato is giving a crusty speech it's pretty cracking. Otherwise lots of confusing romantic subplots that don't really gel or ever deign to give the appearance of being relevant to anything really.
December 3, 2013
This play gets three stars for being historically important and for being a compendium of amazing quotes. It does prove that a story is more than the summation of one liners, however. Not much of an arc. Still, I wouldn't turn people away from this short work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews