23"Monopoly" isn't just a fiction about a bunch of young adults who played a long game of Monopoly. It is actually a reworking of the classic play Julius Caesar. I tried to give subtle hints of this in the Chapter titles and the brief excerpts from the actual Shakespeare play. Each character parallels a character in the play, and for the most part, events parallel the events in Julius Caesar.
Characters:
Jude/Julius Caesar: Jude plays Julius Caesar in Monopoly. Jude fits into this role, because she is initially well loved by everyone, and is seen as a powerful player. She loves flattery and enjoys being the most liked player. However, much like Caesar, she ignores signs of her downfall, and eventually lets Erin (Brutus) and Sara (Cassius) overcome her. Although some may disagree in Julius Caesar, Jude is definitely the protagonist of Monopoly. She is innocent, and the audience sympathizes with her. Jude's exit from the game (Caesar's death) marks the climax of the play.
Erin/Brutus: Erin is the Brutus of the play. She is very smart, and it is evident that she knows how to play the game the best, as she wins three consecutive weeks of Monopoly. She portrays a very wise woman, because although she is the master schemer, she doesn't let anyone know what she is thinking. She remains quiet throughout the play, and listens to every side of the house. Erin is friends with every character in the play, and is the only one who knows the full picture. Erin (Brutus) is a good friend of Jude (Caesar), but is willing to betray her for more power. However, unlike Brutus, Erin is more interested in herself than the other players. This is why Erin is considered to be the antagonist. Erin's departure from the game represents Brutus' death. Erin killing her fish represents Brutus' suicide.
Sara/Cassius: Sara plays Cassius in the play. She is a mess and does not know how to play the emotional game of Monopoly. She starts out as the cruel villain, and changes her heart in the middle. She is easily swayed, which causes Erin to convince her to betray Jude. Early on, with Dustin (Casca), she organized the plan and was the chief architect of the conspiracy, much like Cassius. Sara's greed is what motivates her, which is the principal reason in why she was willing to betray her friend Jude. Sara's departure from the game represents Cassius' death.
Matt/Mark Antony: Mark and Eric remain silent in the beginning parts of the play. (Antony did not play a big role in the beginning parts of Julius Caesar)Like Antony, Matt has not wronged Jude (Caesar) and is considered to be a trusted companion. After Jude leaves the game, he condemns Sara and Erin, much like Antony condemned the conspirators. Along with Octavius, they are the only ones who remain in the end (final two). Also, when Matt offered Jude money three times at the dinner table, this symbolized Antony's offer of the crown to Caesar three times. Sure enough, Jude denies the money. Mark and Eric are victorious over the two villains. Matt's win of the game represents Mark Antony's victory.
Eric/Octavius Caesar: Eric plays the role of Octavius Caesar, who is the heir of Julius Caesar. Eric is seen as an heir, or a strong player, as he remains high in the first rounds of the game. Eric and Mark are victorious over the two villains. Although Eric doesn't win the game, he doesn't leave the game. In fact, Matt and he are the only ones left alive at the end of the play.
Lisa/Calpurnia: Lisa plays Calpurnia, who was the wife of Julius Caesar. Lisa was Jude's closest companion. Like Calpurnia, she was struck by a bunch of visions and omens, which made her superstitious. She convinced Jude to be careful, because she would soon leave the game. However, Jude refuses to listen. This resembles Caesar's refusal to listen to Calpurnia. In Julius Caesar, Calpurnia disappears from the play before Caesar dies. This is why Lisa leaves the game before Jude. Lisa's superstitions become real in the week after her departure.
Dustin/Casca: Dustin plays Casca, who was the first conspirator to stab Caesar. Dustin is the first to stab Jude in the back, as he conspires with Sara, and deceives Jude into buying his card. Like Julius Caesar, Sara manipulates Dustin's simplicity, into getting what she wants. Dustin is seen as an ignorant player in the game.
Austin/Cinna the poet: Austin plays a minor role in the play because he is the first to leave. In fact, he is already gone in Act I. Austin plays Cinna the poet, because over all the scheming, he was innocent, and was unexpectedly taken out of the game. Austin is the only character in the play not to have his counterpart in Julius Caesar to be the title of the chapter. This is mainly because his role is small and irrelevant.
SUMMARIES
ACT I: The Ides of March
The Plot: ACT I give short, brief introductions to the characters, but enters the plot rather quickly. Eric, Sara, Matt, and Erin are the first characters to talk before the host interrupts. This foreshadows the final four. This is no coincidence, because the first four confessionals are by the same characters. The feast that they are invited to symbolizes the Ides of March, where Jude gains quick popularity. Soon, Sara and Erin are quite jealous of Jude, and are already thinking of her leaving the game. Jude gets flattered very easily, and emerges as the most popular character. Soon, things get out of control, and Lisa warns her to be careful, much like the Soothsayer in the introduction warns Caesar to be careful of the Ides of March. In the end, the perfectly innocent Austin is exiled from the game, and is the first to leave.
ACT II: Casca
The Plot: The reader may or may not know that Casca (Dustin) will leave by the end of the chapter. This will become more evident later. However, many are not aware that Casca is Dustin, and many are not aware of the significance of the title. The opening quote shows that Caesar will be stabbed in this Act. (This does not mean Jude will leave). Dustin has lost his best friend, and relies on Sara for companionship. They concoct a plan to get Jude out of the game, but it is unsuccessful (This plan will revive later). In the end, it is Dustin himself, who finds himself out of the game. This is also the act that regenerates the famous scene when Julius Caesar denies the crown from Antony three times. This Act hints to the reader that Julius Caesar is Jude, and Matt is Antony.
ACT III: Calpurnia
The Plot: Some may see the title and think that a Calpurnia character will be gone, or some may think that Julius Caesar will be gone after reading the opening quote. The Calpurnia character can be interpreted as either Erin or Lisa. Further into Act III, Lisa is struck by many omens, much like Calpurnia experienced in Julius Caesar. She then warns Jude on many occasions, but Jude refuses to believe any of her omens. Caesar even calls Calpurnia a fool. Next, the characters all eat dinner and have a heated debate over good vs. evil. Everyone believes in evil, except Jude, who says there is no such thing as evil. Sara begins to feel guilty, and after breaking down, promises to be a better person. Finally, Lisa leaves, feeling foolish for being the actual one that was "least expected."
ACT IV: Julius Caesar
The Plot: Act IV serves as the climax of the Play. By now, it should be quite obvious that Jude will leave. Not only is the title suggestive, but the opening quote suggests it as well. Jude leaving represents the murder of Julius Caesar. Erin and Sara are most responsible for this act. Erin is driven by her ambition for the game, while Sara is driven by her greed. The characters play a game of Hide-N-Seek and discover many new rooms that they did not know existed before. This sparks Sara's interest, and Erin eventually uses her weakness to resurrect Dustin's plan. (Sara's greed parallels that of Cassius). Jude is suspicious, but refuses to believe what she knows inside her heart. Finally, when she knows Erin has betrayed her, she gives up, much like Caesar gives up when Brutus stabs him. Jude refuses to fight to stay, and accepts her loss on the game. She paints a portrait of a sad woman, who represents her, and Sara begins to feel guilty. When Jude leaves the game, Sara becomes emotionally unstable and guilt-struck.
ACT V: Cassius
The Plot: the opening quote is very suggestive that Sara will be the next to go. By now, readers should have narrowed Cassius down to Erin and Sara, but the quote proves that it is indeed Sara. She feels extremely guilty over betraying her friend. As Antony immediately condemns the conspirators for killing Caesar, Matt and Eric (Mostly Matt) condemn Erin and Sara. Sara mentions that Jude's fish did not die, and Erin later asks "What, are you going to apologize to Jude's ghost?" The fish represents Caesar's ghost, who appears briefly in Julius Caesar. During their walk, Erin tries to tell them that what she did was for the good of the other characters. However, they do not believe her, much like the crowd does not believe Brutus. In one of Matt's confessional, he mentions that the game has turned into a battle over good vs. evil. This parallels the battle that Antony and Octavius fought against the conspirators. Later in the week, Erin loses all her money. Struck by greed, Eric and Matt convince Sara that it is in her best interest to not help Erin out. However, at the last possible moment, Sara gives Erin all her money in her most honorable act, because she thinks that Erin deserves the house more than she does. Sara leaves the game.
ACT VI: Brutus
The Plot: "Brutus" is the story of Erin's demise. She is the most confident character, but ultimately ends up losing because of words. The old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones…" comes to life in this play, and shows that words can hurt even the strongest of people. Erin's killing of her fish represents Brutus' suicide. Sara convinces Erin that she should step down and give up the house, because she has done so much wrong to everyone and doesn't deserve to win. Erin contemplates, but under pressure, gives in. In the end, Erin is left without any money, and leaves with a clear conscience.
Act VII: Finale
The Plot: In the finale, the contestants are asked to decide the winner, which ends up being Matt, who represents Marc Antony. The quote in the end says "In the end, the good guys die and the bad guys die. In the midst of scheming and plotting, the people who didn't do anything were the ones who pulled through." This statement is also relevant in Julius Caesar. The theme of the play Monopoly is that both good and bad people don't get their way. When everyone was scheming, the two people that didn't say much ended up winning. In Julius Caesar, it seems that everyone died except the ones that didn't play a big role. The good characters and the bad died, but Antony and Octavius Caesar were victorious.
Symbols
Fish/Fishtank: the fishtank represents the mansion, while the fish represents the players in the game. When a player's fish died, it was sure that they left the game. Jude's fish stayed alive, representing Caesar's ghost. Jude's "ghost" haunted the players even after she left. Erin's killing of her fish represents Brutus' suicide.
Grape Juice/Wine: the Grape Juice represents blood. When everyone eats the first and last day, there is grape juice, resembling the wine that was present in the Last Supper
Mansion: the mansion represents enclosure, away from the real world. In the mansion, nothing is real.
Hide and Seek: the game hide and seek represents an escape from reality