Structure and Insurrection
 I'm afraid prayer won't help, Mr. Corleone.
Both Caesar and The Godfather rely on the use of a hierarchy, or a ruling body system organized into ranks. The differences between these two hierarchies are apparent. One is a legitimate ruling government body that carries out its activities with legal protection, the other is a ruthless crime syndicate that shuns the law and established authority, yet still maintains strong family values. In this system, egos clash, and the idea of leadership worthiness is brought into question. But unlike most formal institutions today, these characters act upon their thoughts with decisive acts of violence rather than due process.
We as an audience are captivated and stunned by the actions of these people, watching their loyalties shift and their morals questioned as they undergo the rigors of underhanded deeds. Whether it is Cassius arranging the killing of a god-like tyrant, or Sollozzo planning a hit on a senior mob chieftain, the idea of insurrection and "back-stabbing" (a term which was coined by Caesar) is one that captivates the attention and spirit of an audience. In the second part of The Godfather trilogy, the Corleone family is even directly compared to the Roman Empire, as a massive and all-powerful conglomerate, to which no other organization is closely comparable. No audience member can help but agree with this claim, further heightening the dramatic effect. The same can be said for Julius Caesar; the emphasis of power and immensity in the groups that are dealt with make us believe that in our viewing of them, we are not seeing humans, but veritable gods in motion. You can see that there's a similar hierarchial mob connection in HBO's TV series, The Sopranos.
Honor and Loyalty
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