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Charismatic military leader Julius Caesar returns to Rome in glory, having just defeated the sons of
Pompey, a fellow member of the first Roman triumvirate. Caesar’s growing popularity inspires jealousy
and fear amongst the Roman tribunes, and a conspiracy against Caesar takes shape, with Cassius at its
head.
A storm hits Rome. Cassius recruits Caesar’s friend Brutus, who fears that the people have chosen
Caesar as their king. Caesar ignores the warning of a soothsayer who tells him to beware the Ides of
March. He heads to the Capitol, where the conspirators, Brutus included, stab him to death.
Mark Antony volunteers to speak at Caesar’s funeral and rouses an angry mob with his speech. Brutus
and Cassius quickly flee the city. Caesar's nephew Octavius arrives in Rome, where he forms a new
triumvirate with Antony and Lepidus.
In Greece, Brutus and Cassius amass an army, declaring war on Antony and Octavius. The two armies
clash at the Battle of Phillippi. Antony's forces soon overwhelm Brutus' men. Before he can be killed,
Brutus asks his soldiers to help him commit suicide. He runs into a sword and is later granted an
honorable burial.
Probably written in 1599, Julius Caesar was the earliest of Shakespeare's three Roman history
plays. Like Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus, Julius Caesar is a dramatization of actual
events, Shakespeare drawing upon the ancient Roman historian Plutarch's Lives of Caesar,
Brutus, and Mark Antony as the primary source of the play's plot and characters. The play is
tightly structured. It establishes the dramatic problem of alarm at Julius Caesar's ambition to
become "king" (or dictator) in the very first scene and introduces signs that Caesar must "beware
the Ides of March" from the outset. Before its midpoint, Caesar is assassinated, and shortly after
Mark Antony's famous funeral oration ("Friends, Romans, and countrymen … "), the setting shifts
permanently from Rome to the battlefields on which Brutus and Cassius meet their inevitable
defeat. Julius Caesar is also a tragedy; but despite its title, the tragic character of the play is
Brutus, the noble Roman whose decision to take part in the conspiracy for the sake of freedom
plunges him into a personal conflict and his country into civil war.
Literary scholars have debated for centuries about the question of who exactly is the protagonist
of this play. The seemingly simple answer to this question would be Julius Caesar himself—after
all, the play is named after him, and the events of the play all relate to him. However, Caesar only
appears in three scenes (four if the ghost is included), thus apparently making him an unlikely
choice for the protagonist who is supposed to be the main character. Meanwhile, Brutus, who is
in the play much more often than Caesar (and actually lasts until the final scene), is not the title
character of the play and is listed in the dramatis personae not only after Caesar but after the
entire triumvirate and some senators who barely appear in the play. Determining the protagonist
is one of the many engaging issues presented in the play.
Probably written in 1599, Julius Caesar was the earliest of Shakespeare's three Roman history
plays. Like Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus, Julius Caesar is a dramatization of actual
events, Shakespeare drawing upon the ancient Roman historian Plutarch's Lives of Caesar,
Brutus, and Mark Antony as the primary source of the play's plot and characters. The play is
tightly structured. It establishes the dramatic problem of alarm at Julius Caesar's ambition to
become "king" (or dictator) in the very first scene and introduces signs that Caesar must "beware
the Ides of March" from the outset. Before its midpoint, Caesar is assassinated, and shortly after
Mark Antony's famous funeral oration ("Friends, Romans, and countrymen … "), the setting shifts
permanently from Rome to the battlefields on which Brutus and Cassius meet their inevitable
defeat. Julius Caesar is also a tragedy; but despite its title, the tragic character of the play is
Brutus, the noble Roman whose decision to take part in the conspiracy for the sake of freedom
plunges him into a personal conflict and his country into civil war.
Literary scholars have debated for centuries about the question of who exactly is the protagonist
of this play. The seemingly simple answer to this question would be Julius Caesar himself—after
all, the play is named after him, and the events of the play all relate to him. However, Caesar only
appears in three scenes (four if the ghost is included), thus apparently making him an unlikely
choice for the protagonist who is supposed to be the main character. Meanwhile, Brutus, who is
in the play much more often than Caesar (and actually lasts until the final scene), is not the title
character of the play and is listed in the dramatis personae not only after Caesar but after the
entire triumvirate and some senators who barely appear in the play. Determining the protagonist
is one of the many engaging issues presented in the play.
Probably written in 1599, Julius Caesar was the earliest of Shakespeare's three Roman history
plays. Like Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus, Julius Caesar is a dramatization of actual
events, Shakespeare drawing upon the ancient Roman historian Plutarch's Lives of Caesar,
Brutus, and Mark Antony as the primary source of the play's plot and characters. The play is
tightly structured. It establishes the dramatic problem of alarm at Julius Caesar's ambition to
become "king" (or dictator) in the very first scene and introduces signs that Caesar must "beware
the Ides of March" from the outset. Before its midpoint, Caesar is assassinated, and shortly after
Mark Antony's famous funeral oration ("Friends, Romans, and countrymen … "), the setting shifts
permanently from Rome to the battlefields on which Brutus and Cassius meet their inevitable
defeat. Julius Caesar is also a tragedy; but despite its title, the tragic character of the play is
Brutus, the noble Roman whose decision to take part in the conspiracy for the sake of freedom
plunges him into a personal conflict and his country into civil war.
Literary scholars have debated for centuries about the question of who exactly is the protagonist
of this play. The seemingly simple answer to this question would be Julius Caesar himself—after
all, the play is named after him, and the events of the play all relate to him. However, Caesar only
appears in three scenes (four if the ghost is included), thus apparently making him an unlikely
choice for the protagonist who is supposed to be the main character. Meanwhile, Brutus, who is
in the play much more often than Caesar (and actually lasts until the final scene), is not the title
character of the play and is listed in the dramatis personae not only after Caesar but after the
entire triumvirate and some senators who barely appear in the play. Determining the protagonist
is one of the many engaging issues presented in the play.
The basic difference between the funeral orations of Brutus and Mark Antony is that Brutus appeals to
logic while Mark Antony appeals to emotions.
At a Glance
Ambition is one of the central themes of Julius Caesar, as well as the reason Brutus cites for Caesar's
assassination. In their jealousy of Caesar, however, the Roman conspirators reveal themselves to be
among the most ambitious characters in the play.
Questions of military might and political authority feature prominently as the Roman tribunes debate what
gives one the right to rule—or to overthrow a ruler. Ultimately, the conspirators decide that Caesar's
popularity and ambition pose a threat to the Roman Republic.
Illness becomes an important theme as the play progresses. The conspirators believe that Caesar's
ambition has weakened the Republic, leaving the state "sick" and in need of their protection. Ironically,
the conspirators themselves experience symptoms like insomnia after the assassination, suggesting that
their actions were "sick" or morally corrupt.
The crux of Julius Caesar is a political issue that was as urgent in Shakespeare's Elizabethan
England as it was in Caesar's day. It revolves around the question of whether the killing of a king
is justifiable as a means of ending (or preventing) the tyranny of dictatorship and the loss of
freedom. Brutus strikes Caesar down is the name of liberty, fearing that absolute power and
Caesar's view of himself as more than a mere mortal will enslave Rome to the will of a single
man. This was a problem with which the educated members of Shakespeare's society grappled,
with those believing in a divine right of kings to rule pitting themselves against the claim that
regicide is warranted when liberty is at stake. Brutus, at least, seems to be motivated by this
Republican doctrine. It is important to note that none of the conspirators are champions of
popular rule. Indeed, Brutus fears that the people will anoint Caesar as their absolute monarch
(I.ii.77-78). The violent actions of the base mob confirm his view of the common people as an
irrational body capable of surrendering their liberty (and that of Rome's nobles) to Caesar.
Immediately after Caesar is slain, Brutus proclaims to his fellow conspirators that "ambition's debt
is paid" (III.i.82). Ambition is in fact a central theme of the play. Its centrality is underscored by
Mark Antony's use of the word "ambition" in his funeral oration for Caesar. He asks the crowd the
rhetorical question: "Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?" after recounting that Caesar enriched
the public coffers and wept when the poor cried. If this was "ambition," Mark Antony argues, then
it should be made of "sterner stuff." Having secured the people's tacit assent to the view that
Caesar was not ambitious, Mark Antony then points out that Brutus claims that Caesar was
ambitious and that Brutus is an "honorable" man (III.ii.90-95). The discordance here leads to the
conclusion that Brutus and others were wrong about Caesar and that they are, therefore, not
honorable men. Caesar, as Shakespeare clearly shows, was in fact ambitious. He is lured by
Decius into coming to the Senate by the prospect of his being crowned king. Ironically, though,
the most ambitious of the play's characters is not Caesar or Brutus, but Mark Antony, who
exploits the situation at hand to become a member of the ruling triumvirate along with Julius
Caesar's heir apparent Octavius (Augustus Caesar).
Ambition
Ambition, in the conventional meaning of the word, is the cause, but not the primary motive, of the
conspiracy against Caesar. For all of the conspirators except Brutus, envy and resentment toward
Caesar fuel their individual decisions to assassinate this "colossus." Envy is most evident in
Cassius, who complains:
Cassius measures himself against Caesar and finds no reason that he should not hold the same
power as this self-proclaimed "god." There is, however, no explicit plan for Cassius to seize the
rule of Rome once Caesar is dead. The minor conspirators of the plot are generally motivated by
dissatisfaction with Caesar's high-handed treatment of them and by personal grievances.
Brutus, however, is ambitious in the sense of being divided between two visions of the future.
Brutus has no complaint against Caesar as he is, but fears what Caesar might become if the
people and the Senate crown him as Rome's king. "He would be crown'd; / How that might
change his nature, there's the question" (II.i.12-13), as Brutus poses it to himself. Unlike Cassius
and the others, Brutus does not act out of personal envy or resentment over past wrongs, but out
of fear for the future of the Roman Republic. For the sake of Rome, Brutus takes personal
responsibility for the murder of its ruler, bathing his hands in Caesar's blood as an open
acknowledgment of his deed. But after the tyrannicide is done, Brutus continues to be plagued by
doubts and haunted by great Caesar's ghost. Trying to straddle the present and the future, Brutus
acts irrationally, making a series of self-defeating political and military blunders.
Civil War
While a Roman future without Caesar temporarily prevents tyranny, it yields an even worse
outcome from the standpoint of the Republic as well as in the view of Shakespeare and the play's
Elizabethan audiences: civil war. Just before inciting the mob to action, Mark Antony foresees the
carnage ahead and predicts:
The "foul deed" of regicide unleashes complete civil disorder, the effect of preventing Caesar
from exerting "god-like" control over Rome being anarchy. This theme of civil disorder stemming
from the death of a king is dramatically captured in Act III, scene iii, in which a blood-thirsty mob
kills the poet Cinna even after realizing that he is not the conspirator Cinna. When the head of the
state, be it Caesar or an Elizabethan monarch, is severed from the body of the nation, violent
spasms ripple throughout society. Although Shakespeare is sympathetic toward Brutus and the
cause of liberty, Julius Caesar presents a cautionary message about the wages of regicide, an
act that disturbs the civil order and undermines the natural order.
Disease
Disease is a complementary motif in Julius Caesar. Brutus complains of being sick before the
assassination and after learning of Portia's suicide. Other conspirators, Cinna for example, see
the death of Caesar as the cure that will heal them and Rome at large. Insomnia is rampant
throughout the play. Caesar ironically complains about sleepless men like Cassius and finds his
own slumber disturbed by Calphurnia's prescient nightmare. Brutus is unable to sleep on the
cusp of the battle at Philippi, the ghost of Caesar issuing the ominous vow that they will meet
again. Omens, portents, and signs of calamity abound. The act of killing a king has its effects on
the conscious level of political order and at the subconscious level of the human psyche.
Introduction: JULIUS CAESAR is the story of a man's personal dilemma over moral action,
set against a backdrop of strained political drama. Julius Caesar, an able general and a
conqueror returns to Rome amidst immense popularity after defeating the sons of Pompey.
(Pompey the Great, was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic) The
people celebrate his victorious return and Mark Antony offers him the Crown which he
refuses. Jealous of Caesar's growing power and afraid he may one day become a dictator,
Cassius instigates a conspiracy to murder Caesar. He realizes that to gain legitimacy in the
eyes of the Romans, he must win over the noble Brutus to his side for Brutus is the most
trusted and respected in Rome. Brutus, the idealist, joins the conspiracy feeling that
everyone is driven by motives as honourable as his own. Ironically, Caesar is murdered at
the foot of Pompey's statue.
Important Characters
Julius Caesar- The greatest and most powerful of the Romans. Assassinated by Brutus,
Cassius and a band of conspirators who feel Caesar is very ambitious and wants the crown.
A great Roman general and senator who returned to Rome in triumph after a successful
military campaign. While his good friend Brutus worries that Caesar may aspire to
dictatorship over the Roman republic, Caesar seems to show no such inclination, declining
the crown several times.
Calpurnia- Caesar's wife
Calpurnia, the wife of Julius Caesar invests great authority in omens and portents. She
warns Caesar against going to the Senate on the Ides of March, since she has had terrible
nightmares and heard reports of many bad omens. Nevertheless, Caesar’s ambition
ultimately causes him to disregard her advice.
Mark Antony- Caesar's most loyal friend.
Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in order to save
his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he
spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead
condemn him as a traitor.
Marcus Brutus-Caesar's great friend who joins the conspiracy because of his great love for
Rome and for democracy.
A supporter of the republic who believes strongly in a government guided by the votes of
senators. While Brutus loves Caesar as a friend, he opposes the ascension of any single
man to the position of dictator, and he fears that Caesar aspires to such power.
Cassius- Inspirer and organizer of the conspiracy
A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius dislikes the fact that
Caesar has become godlike in the eyes of the Romans. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that
Caesar has become too powerful and must die, finally converting Brutus to his cause by
sending him forged letters claiming that the Roman people support the death of Caesar.
Decius Brutus- Co-conspirator in Caesar's assassination
A member of the conspiracy. Decius convinces Caesar that Calpurnia misinterpreted her dire
nightmares and that, in fact, no danger awaits him at the Senate. Decius leads Caesar right
into the hands of the conspirators.
Dictatorship - a country governed by a dictator
Inclination - the tendency to act in a particular way
Ides of March - Roman calendar day which corresponds to March 15, the date on which
Julius Caesar was assassinated
Bad omens - an event regarded as a portent of good or evil
Allegiance - loyalty or commitment to a superior or to a group or cause
Spectacularly – absorbing
Condemn - express complete disapproval
Traitor - a person who betrays someone or something
Ascension - the action of rising to an important position or a higher level
Slyly - cunning or wily
Explanation
Act II Scene II - Caesar's house.
The scene opened at Caesar’s house.
Thunder and lightning. Enter CAESAR in his night-gown.
There was thunder and lightning in the sky. Caesar entered wearing his night gown.
CAESAR: Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:
Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,
'Help, ho! they murder Caesar!' Who's within?
Hath – has
Caesar said that the heaven and the Earth had been restless all night. His wife Calpurnia
had been seeing nightmares. She had cried thrice in her sleep and sought help as she
dreamt that Caesar was being murdered. Caesar called out that who was there inside the
room.
Enter a servant
A servant appeared.
SERVANT: My lord?
The servant addressed Caesar as ‘My Lord’ and asked for orders.
CAESAR: Go bid the priest do present sacrifice and bring me their opinions of
success.
Bid – call
Caesar ordered him to call the priest and ask him to offer sacrifices to God to get
their opinions regarding his future based upon the nightmares seen by Calpurnia.
SERVANT: I will, my lord
Servant went out to do the needful.
Enter CALPURNIA
Calpurnia appeared.
CALPURNIA: What mean you, Caesar? Think you to walk forth?
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.
Forth – ahead
Stir – move
Calpurnia asked Caesar that what did he mean by walking ahead out of the
house despite the nightmares seen by her. She asked him not to move out of the
house that day as she feared him being murdered.
CAESAR: Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me
Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see
The face of Caesar, they are vanished.
Caesar replied that he shall walk ahead. He added that the enemies who
threatened to kill him only planned to do so behind his back, but they did not
have the courage to face him. When they would see Caesar’s face, they would
disappear due to fright.
CALPURNIA: Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets;
And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
O Caesar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.
stood on ceremonies - paid much attention to omens and forecasts
whelped – give birth to
right form of war - correct battle order
hurtled - clashed
beyond all use - most unnatural
Calpurnia replied that she never believed in omens and forecasts, but this
nightmare had scared her. Now she was afraid as she had seen and heard
horrible things in the dream. She describes the nightmare where she saw a
lioness give birth to its young ones in the street. She saw that the graves had
opened, and the dead persons walked out of them. She saw all the brave
soldiers in the order of their ranks fight in a bloody war and the noises could be
heard all around. There were sounds of the horses neighing and the soldiers who
were dying in pain. She said that all of them were unnatural and, so she was in
fear.
CAESAR: What can be avoided
Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?
Yet Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Caesar.
Caesar said that all the happenings had been pre – destined by God and what
had to happen would happen. So, he shall also continue his work and go ahead
with it. He said that Calpurnia’s nightmare applied to Caesar as it applied to the
world in general and it did not have any cause for him to fear of.
CALPURNIA When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
Comets – a heavenly object with a tail of fire
Blaze – set on fire
Calpurnia said that when a common man (referred as a ‘beggar’) died, there
were no heavenly predictions to indicate that but when a brave prince died, the
heavens who made such predictions got so disturbed that they set themselves
on fire to announce such great tragedies. She wanted to say that the nightmare
that she saw was so intense as if the heavens had set themselves on fire to
forewarn of a great tragedy – the murder of Caesar.
CAESAR: Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
Coward- a person who lacks courage
Valiant – the brave
necessary – inevitable
Caesar said that cowards die many times before their death – any act of
cowardice equaled to being dead. The brave men died only once in their lifetime.
He further added that out of all the amazing things that he had heard, it was
strange that men feared death. As death was unavoidable and had to come one
day, it would come when it had to. So, he did not fear death.
Re-enter Servant
The servant re – appeared.
What say the augurers?
Augurers – soothsayers, foretellers
Caesar asked the servant about the forecast made by the priests.
Servant: They would not have you to stir forth to-day.
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
They could not find a heart within the beast.
Entrails – inner organs of a person or animal.
The servant said that the priests had advised that Caesar should not go out of
the house that day. When the inner organs of the animal that had been offered
as a sacrifice were plucked open, they found that the animal’s heart was not
there.
CAESAR: The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.
No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well
That Caesar is more dangerous than he:
We are two lions litter'd in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible:
And Caesar shall go forth.
Litter’d – to be born
Caesar replied that the God’s reacted by removing the animal’s heart as they
looked down upon the cowardly act of Caesar to fear death. He added that he
would be that animal without the heart if he stayed back at home that day. He
refused to stay back and said that danger knew that Caesar was more
dangerous than it. He added that he and danger were like two lions who had
been born on the same day and as he was the elder one, was more terrible than
danger. So, he announced that he shall go out of the house.
CALPURNIA Alas, my lord,
Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
Do not go forth to-day: call it my fear
That keeps you in the house, and not your own.
We'll send Mark Antony to the senate-house:
And he shall say you are not well to-day:
Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.
Calpurnia expressed sadness as Caesar’s wisdom had been shadowed by over
confidence. She asked him not to go out because her fear, for her sake and not
due to his fear. She offered to send Mark Antony in his place to the senate. She
suggested that Mark would say that Caesar was absent as he was unwell. She
begged on her knees and asked him to give permission for it.
CAESAR: Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.
Caesar feels humiliated by Calpurnia’s idea. He did not approve that for her sake
that he would stay back at home and that Mark Antony would say in the senate
that he was unwell.
Enter DECIUS BRUTUS
Decius Brutus appeared.
Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.
Caesar said that Decius Brutus would say so in the senate.
DECIUS BRUTUS: Caesar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Caesar:
I come to fetch you to the senate-house.
Hail – a greeting
Decius greeted Caesar and said that he had come to take him for the meeting at
the senate.
CAESAR: And you are come in very happy time,
To bear my greeting to the senators
And tell them that I will not come to-day:
Cannot, is false, and that I dare not, falser:
I will not come to-day: tell them so, Decius.
in very happy time- at the right moment
Caesar said that Decius had appeared at the right time. He asked him to greet
the senators on his behalf and to tell them that he would not come to the senate
that day. He added that saying that he ‘cannot’ come was untrue and that he
‘dare not’ to come was more untrue. He said this because it was not that he was
unable to go or that he feared going out of the house. He was not going for some
other reason (his wife Calpurnia’s fear and subsequent request). He asked
Decius to tell the senate that he would be absent that day.
CALPURNIA: Say he is sick.
Calpurnia asked Decius to say that Caesar was sick.
CAESAR: Shall Caesar send a lie?
Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,
To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth?
Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.
graybeards- old men (contemptuously dismissing the senators)
Caesar asked Calpurnia that should he tell a lie to the senators. He further asked
her that in the battles, had he killed so many innocent people that he should feel
guilty and not be able to tell the truth to the group of hateful old men. He asked
Decius to go and tell them that he would not come that day.
DECIUS BRUTUS: Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.
Decius who was a part of the conspiracy to kill Caesar asked him for a reason to
give for his absence lest he should be laughed upon by the senators.
CAESAR: Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt to-night she saw my statue,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it:
And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day.
Spout – nozzle
lusty- strong; vigorous
Caesar told him the reason for not going out of the house was that his wife
Calpurnia saw a nightmare in which Caesar’s statue was immersed in a fountain
of blood that flowed from a hundred spouts. Many great men of Rome came
smiling towards it and washed their hands with his blood. She treated it as a
forewarning of a tragedy and so had begged on her knees for him to stay at
home that day.
DECIUS BRUTUS: This dream is all amiss interpreted;
It was a vision fair and fortunate:
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bathed,
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.
This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.
blood- In Decius' explanation the use of the term "blood" is metaphoric. It
symbolizes Caesar's spirit or influence
great men shall press… cognizance - great men shall gather around Caesar and
stain their handkerchiefs in his blood which will serve as colours added to a coat
of arms, an object of reverence, mementos and a badge of service
Decius said that they had interpreted the dream incorrectly. It was a fair dream
and signified good fortune. Caesar’s blood symbolized his spirit and love for
Rome and that the great men shall soak their handkerchiefs with his spirit and
patriotism to retain as mementoes.
CAESAR: And this way have you well expounded it.
Expounded – explained
Caesar was convinced with Decius’s words and said that he had explained it
well.
DECIUS BRUTUS: I have, when you have heard what I can say:
And know it now: the senate have concluded
To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change.
Decius said that he had explained well as Caesar understood what he said. He
added that the senate was due to crown him as the ruler that day and that if he
did not go, they might change their mind. (He wanted to take Caesar to the
senate so that the senators along with him could murder Caesar).
CAESAR: How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!
I am ashamed I did yield to them.
Give me my robe, for I will go.
yield to – give in to
robe – a long, loose outer garment
Caesar said that Calpurnia’s fear was foolish and that he was ashamed to have
accepted it and decided to remain at home that day. He asked for his robe as he
decided to go to the senate.
Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA, TREBONIUS, and
CINNA
CASCA: Speak, hands for me!
Casca said that his hands would speak for him.
CASCA first, then the other Conspirators and BRUTUS stab CAESAR
Stab - to injure someone with a sharp pointed object such as a knife
He and the other senators injure Caesar with a knife. Even Brutus who was a friend of
Caesar stabbed him.
CAESAR: Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar.
Dies
Et tu, Brute - even you, Brutus
Caesar was shocked to see that his friend Brutus was a part of the conspiracy to
kill him, his dying words were that even Brutus wanted to kill him.
CINNA: Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the
streets.
Tyranny – dictatorship, rule of terror
Proclaim – to announce officially
Cinna shouted that with Caesar’s death, the Romans got freedom from his
dictatorship. He ordered his men to run around the kingdom and announce that
Rome had got freedom.
CASSIUS: Some to the common pulpits, and cry out
'Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!'
Pulpits – raised platform, stage
Cassius asked the senators to stand on the stage and announce that they had
gained freedom from slavery.
BRUTUS: But here comes Antony.
Brutus announced the entry of Mark Antony who was a true friend of Caesar.
Re-enter ANTONY
Antony re – entered the senate.
Welcome, Mark Antony.
Brutus welcomed Antony.
ANTONY: O mighty Caesar! dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Caesar's death hour, nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die:
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.
spoils - trophies of war
shrunk – reduced in size
little measure - small piece of ground on which your body lies
beseech – beg
bear me hard - bear a grudge against me
purpled hands – the colour of the hands turned purple as they were soaked in
Caesar’s blood which had dried and turned purple in colour
reek - stench
master - powerful
Antony was heartbroken to see his dear friend Caesar’s dead body. He said that
the powerful Caesar was lying so low on the ground and that all his
achievements, victories and trophies of wars were insignificant because such a
noble man had been betrayed and murdered by his own men. He bid him
farewell. He addressed the senators and said that he did not know the reason
behind killing Caesar who was the most noble Roman. He said that for him, there
was none other better time to get killed than the time when the great Caesar had
been killed, none other better sword to get killed with than the sword with which
Caesar had been killed. The sword which had killed Caesar was rich as it was
smeared with the blood of the most noble man in the world. He begged the
senators that if they hated him, now when their hands were smeared with
Caesar’s blood, they smelled of it, they should fulfil their desire of killing him too.
If he lived for a thousand more years, he shall not find a better time to die than
that time, no better place to die than there and no better person to die at the
hands of than those who had murdered Caesar. He addressed the conspirators
as the masters of the age as they were the rulers of Rome and would destine the
future of the Romans.
BRUTUS: O Antony, beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
Yet see you but our hands
And this the bleeding business they have done:
Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome--
As fire drives out fire, so pity pity--
Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony:
Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.
Hath – has
Leaden points – here, blunt edges
in strength of malice - which may appear to be hostile
reverence - respect
Brutus tried to justify the act of the senators. He asked Antony not to beg for
death. He said that they appeared to be cruel as he saw their hands which were
full of Caesar’s blood. He could not see their hearts which were full of pity for the
people of Rome. Their hearts had pity for Caesar also but as fire drives out fire,
so did their pity for the Romans drove out their pity for Caesar and so, they killed
him. For Antony, their swords were blunt, their arms may appear to be full of
hatred, but their hearts considered him to be their brother. They welcomed him to
the senate with love and respect.
CASSIUS: Your voice shall be as strong as any man's
In the disposing of new dignities.
dignities – honours
Cassius said to Antony that his opinions would be considered while appointing
new officers.
ANTONY: I doubt not of your wisdom.
Let each man render me his bloody hand:
Gentlemen all, --alas, what shall I say?
My credit now stands on such slippery ground,
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.
That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 'tis true:
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! in the presence of thy corse?
conceit - consider
foes - enemies
corse - corpse
Antony said that all the senators were wise, and he had no doubt about it. He
asked all the conspirators to shake their hands soaked with Caesar’s blood with
him. He added that the senators may consider him to be either a coward or a
flatterer. He could not justify himself, but the fact was that he loved Caesar.
Caesar’s soul would be watching them and would be saddened to see that
Caesar’s friend Antony was befriending and shaking hands with his enemies in
the presence of his dead body.
CASSIUS: Mark Antony,--
Cassius reacts and calls Antony.
ANTONY: Pardon me, Caius Cassius:
The enemies of Caesar shall say this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.
modesty – understatement
Antony begged Cassius to excuse him. He added that even Caesar’s enemies
would feel like that for him because Caesar was such a good man. He, being a
friend of Caesar was being modest and reasonable in saying such things for him.
CASSIUS: I blame you not for praising Caesar so;
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends;
Or shall we on, and not depend on you?
compact – agreement
Cassius said to Antony that he did not blame him for praising Caesar. He asked
that what agreement did he have with the conspirators – was he a friend of theirs
or should they proceed without him.
ANTONY: Therefore I took your hands, but was, indeed,
Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Caesar.
Friends am I with you all and love you all,
Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons
Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous.
Antony replied that he shook hands with them because he considered them to be
a friend. He was swayed by emotions as he saw Caesar’s dead body, but he was
their friend and loved them. He asked them that now that they were friends, they
would explain that how and why was Caesar dangerous for Rome that they
murdered him. He hoped that they would reply to his question.
BRUTUS: Our reasons are so full of good regard
That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar,
You should be satisfied.
good regard - serious consideration
Brutus replied to his question and said that their hearts were so full of serious
consideration and reason that if Antony was Caesar’s son, he too would be
satisfied with it.
ANTONY: That's all I seek:
And am moreover suitor that I may
Produce his body to the market-place;
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.
Suitor – a person who makes a petition or request
order- ceremony
Mark Antony was satisfied with their reasoning. (He pretended to be satisfied so
that he could take revenge else, he feared that they would murder him too). He
requested the senators to allow him to take Caesar’s body to the stage in the
market place and give a speech at Caesar’s funeral.
BRUTUS: You shall, Mark Antony.
Brutus allowed Mark Antony to do that.
CASSIUS: Brutus, a word with you.
Aside to BRUTUS
You know not what you do: do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral:
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?
Cassius called Brutus to a side and talked to him. He said that Brutus did not
realize the consequence of what he was doing. He asked him not to allow Antony
from giving the speech at Caesar’s funeral as his speech would make the
Romans sympathize with Caesar.
BRUTUS: By your pardon;
I will myself into the pulpit first,
And show the reason of our Caesar's death:
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission.
Pardon – to excuse
will- will go
protest- announce
Brutus said that he sought permission to be the first one to give a speech and tell
the Romans the reason for Caesar’s death. Then he would announce that Antony
would give a speech and that he had the permission to do so.
CASSIUS: I know not what may fall; I like it not.
Cassius was not convinced with this idea of Brutus.
BRUTUS: Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar's body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Caesar,
And say you do it by our permission;
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral: and you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.
devise of- think of
Brutus said to Antony to take Caesar’s body. He directed him that he was not
allowed to blame them for killing Caesar, but he could only praise Caesar in his
speech. If he did not obey them then they would not be his friends and they
would not allow him to participate in Caesar’s funeral. He shall speak from the
same stage from where Brutus would give the opening speech.
ANTONY: Be it so.
I do desire no more.
Antony replied that he did not want anything more than the chance to give a
speech in praise of Caesar.
BRUTUS: Prepare the body then, and follow us.
Brutus ordered him to prepare the body for funeral and then come to the stage.
Exeunt all but ANTONY
The conspirators exit, and Antony is alone with Caesar’s body.
ANTONY: O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever lived in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy, --
Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue--
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;
Blood and destruction shall be so in use
And dreadful objects so familiar
That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war;
All pity choked with custom of fell deeds:
And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.
Exeunt with CAESAR's body
Prophesy – predict the future
Dumb mouths – refers to the wounds which cannot speak
Ope – open
Ruby lips – refers to the wounds smeared in blood. They look like lips which are
Ruby – red in colour.
light - fall
cumber - burden
in use - common
quarter'd with the hands of war – cut into pieces in the war
custom of fell deeds-terrible deeds shall become so familiar
Ate- Greek goddess of revenge
carrion men – decaying flesh of animals
Antony said that Caesar’s body was bleeding and was like a piece of Earth as it
had been rendered lifeless. Antony sought pardon from Caesar as he was being
gentle with his murderers. He added that Caesar was the noblest man that would
ever be born on the Earth. He took an oath over Caesar’s blood and the wounds
on his body which were unable to speak and looked like ruby – red coloured lips.
He took an oath that his voice and the words that he spoke would bring a curse
upon the limbs of those men who had murdered Caesar. He vowed that there
shall be anger, war, blood, destruction all over Italy. Mothers shall see that their
newborn children have been cut into pieces at the hands of the war which will
ensue. No one shall have pity in their hearts any longer as they will become used
to such sights of terrible deeds. Caesar’s soul will be accompanied by the
Goddess of revenge – Ate who will descend from hell. They shall create havoc
and shall let loose fierce dogs of war. The smell of the decaying dead bodies will
be filled in the sky as the dead men will cry and beg for a burial.
The Forum. Act III -Scene II
Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens
The next scene is set at the Forum. Brutus and Cassius enter along with a huge crowd of
Romans
Citizens: We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.
The Romans sought for an explanation for Caesar’s murder.
BRUTUS: Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.
Brutus said that if they wanted one, they must listen to him.
First Citizen: I will hear Brutus speak.
A man said that he would hear Brutus speak.
BRUTUS goes into the pulpit
Brutus appeared on the stage.
Second Citizen: The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!
Second man said that the noble Brutus had arrived, so everyone should remain silent.
BRUTUS: Be patient till the last.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear:
believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe: censure
me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.
If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to
Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this
is my answer: --Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather
Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As
Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I
honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his
fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be
a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a
Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his
country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.
my cause- the cause that I represent
believe me for mine honour- believe me because you know I am honourable
censure- judge, criticize me harshly
senses- understanding
rude- uncivilized
vile – wicked
Brutus asked the crowd to be patient till he ended his speech. He said that if they respected
him, considered him to be a wise man, then they must believe him too. He added that if there
was any close friend of Caesar then he should know that Caesar was a dear friend of Brutus
also. Then he gave the reason for him to go against Caesar and be a part of the conspiracy
to murder him. He said that he loved Rome more than he loved Caesar. He said that rather
than have Caesar live and all the people of Rome be his slaves, it was better that Caesar
was dead and all the people lived with freedom. Brutus was sad that Caesar was dead as he
was a beloved, he was happy that Caesar had been a fortunate man, he honoured his
bravery but he slayed him due to his ambitious nature. He called out if there was a slave or
who did not love Rome in the gathering who had been offended by their act. He waited for a
reply from the gathering.
stood against - overcome the opposition of
poor- humble
wrong the dead- be unjust to Caesar, who has been assassinated, by calling him ambitious
to wrong myself- by not speaking what I know
you- by allowing you to be deceived by Brutus
napkins- handkerchiefs
Antony said that till the time Caesar was alive, his words were heard but now his speechless
body was lying there. There was no one in Rome who was so poor that he could not pay
respect to Caesar. If Antony enraged the crowd and guided them to revolt against Caesar’s
killers then he would do wrong to Brutus and Cassius as he had promised them that he
would not speak bad about them. As they were honourable men, he would not speak bad
about them rather he would speak bad about the dead Caesar, about himself and about the
people of Rome. Antony presented a document with Caesar’s seal on it which was in
Caesar’s cupboard. It was his will. He was reluctant to read it as the people would be stirred
with emotions upon hearing it. They would react by kissing Caesar’s wounds, dipping their
handkerchiefs in his blood to keep as mementoes, begging for a strand of his hair as a
memoir and would pass these things on to their next generations to be kept as a rich
heritage as the memoir of the noblest Roman – Caesar.
Fourth Citizen: We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony.
The fourth citizen said that they wanted to listen what was written in the will.
All: The will, the will! we will hear Caesar's will.