From Shakespeare’s play to Handel’s opera and various films, artists have long been fascinated by Julius Caesar. Parallels have recently been drawn between Caesar and populist politicians such as Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro. As the US presidential election looms, Steve Dow talks to academics, historians and stage directors about Caesar and his ongoing resonance.

President Donald Trump greets supporters at the MAGA rally for the 2020 presidential election at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pennsylvania on 26 September, 2020. Photo © Lev Radin/Shutterstock

Julius Caesar loved grand political theatre and became a dab hand at using entertainment and celebrity to whet the public’s appetite and shape its opinion. On the day that the general and statesman unveiled his informal triumvirate, uniting the most powerful men in...