Abstract

This article discusses Lev Shestov’s essay that analyzes Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar. The essay was included in Shestov’s book the Apotheosis of Groundlessness, and still remains largely unknown to a broader public. The article shows that the essay is less an analysis of a Shakespeare play and more an employment of Shakespeare’s themes and characters in order to challenge his killer heroes in the name of certain abstract principles that “sacrifice” both individuals and masses of humanity. The author also demonstrates the contemporary relevance of exposing the ideology of sacrifice.