BRIEF SUMMARY OF JULIUS CAESAR BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

The tribunes, Marullus and Flavius, break up a gathering of Roman

citizens who seek to celebrate Julius Caesar’s triumphant return from war.
The victory is marked by public games in which Caesar’s friend, Mark
Antony, takes part. On his way to the arena Caesar is stopped by a stranger
who warns that he should ‘beware the ides of March’ (find out more about
the ides of March).
Fellow senators, Caius Cassius and Marcus Brutus are suspicious of Caesar’s
reactions to the power he holds in the Republic. They fear he will accept
offers to become Emperor. Cassius, a successful general himself, is jealous,
while Brutus has a more balanced view of the political position. Cassius,
Casca, and their allies visit Brutus at night to persuade him of their views,
and they plan Caesar’s death. Brutus is troubled but will not confide in his
devoted wife, Portia.

Brutus and Cassius gather an army in Northern Greece and prepare to fight
the forces led by Mark Antony, who has joined with Caesar’s great-nephew,
Octavius, and Lepidus. Away from Rome, Brutus and Cassius are filled with
doubts about the future and they quarrel bitterly over funds for their
soldiers’ pay. They make up the argument and despite the misgivings of
Cassius over the site they prepare to engage Antony’s army at Philippi.
Brutus stoically receives news of his wife’s suicide in Rome, but he sees
Caesar’s ghost as he rests, unable to sleep on the eve of the conflict.

In the battle, the Republicans at first appear to be winning but when his
messenger’s horse seems to be overtaken by the enemy Cassius fears the
worst and gets his servant, Pindarus, to help him to a quick death. Brutus,
finding Cassius’s body, commits suicide as the only honourable action left to
him. Antony, triumphant on the battlefield, praises Brutus as ‘the noblest
Roman of them all’, and orders a formal funeral before he and Octavius
return to rule in Rome.
3. SUMMARY

This story takes place in ancient Rome in 44BC when Rome was the centre of an empire
stretching from Britain to North Africa and from Persia to Spain.

Two tribunes, Flavius and Murelius, find scores of Roman citizens wandering the streets,
neglecting their work in order to watch Julius Caesar’s triumphal(victory) parade.Caesar has
defeated the sons of the deceased(a dead person) Roman general Pompey, his archival in
battle.The tribunes scold the citizens for abandoning their duties and remove decorations from
Caesar’s statues.Casesar enters with his entourage(attendants) including the military and
political figures Brutus, Cassius and Anthony.

A Soothsayer(truthfull person) calls out to Caesar to beware the Ides of March but Caesar
ignores him and proceeds with his victory celebration.

Cassius,Brutus both longtime intimates(closely,familiar) of Julius Caesar and each other

converse Cassius tells Brutus that he has seemed(to appear) distant lately.Brutus replies that he
has been at war with himself,Caesar states that he wishes Brutus could see himself as others see
him,for then Brutus would realize how honored and respected he is.Brutus says that he fears that
the people want Caesar to become king which would overturn(destroy) the republic.Casca says
that Caesar is treated like a god though he is merely a man, no better than Brutus or
Cassius.Cassius recalls incidents of Caesar’s physical weakness and marvels(miracle) that this
fallible(capable of making mistake) man has become so powerful.He blames him and Brutus ‘s
lack of will for allowing Caesar’s rise to power surely the rise of such a man cannot be the work
of fate.Brutus considers Cassius’s words as Caesar returns.Upon seeing Cassius,Caesar tells
Anthony that he deeply distrusts Cassius.

Caesar departs and another politician,Casca tells Brutus and Cassius that during the celebration,
Anthony offered the crown to Caesar three times and the people cheered but Caesar refused it
each time. He reports that Caesar then fell to the ground and had some kind of seizure(medical
condition) before the crowd, his demonstration of weakness, however did not alter the plebeians
devotion(worship) to him.Brutus goes home to consider Caesar’s words regarding Caesar’s poor
qualifications to rule while Cassius hatches a plot to draw Brutus into a conspiracy against
Caesar.
That night Rome is plagued(attacked by pandemic) with violent weather and a variety of bad
omens and portents.Brutus finds letters in his house apparently written by Roman citizens
worried that Caesar has become too powerful.The letters have in fact been forged and planted by
Cassius, who knows that if Brutus believes it is the people’s will, he will support a plot to
remove Caesar from power.A committed supporter of the republic,Brutus fears the possibility of
a dictator-led empire,worrying that the populace(lower class people) would lose its voice.
Cassius arrives at Brutus’s home with his conspirators and Brutus who has already been won
over by the letters, takes control of the meeting.The men agree to lure(sth that tempts or attracts)
Caesar from his house and kill him.

Cassius wants to kill Anthony too, for Anthony will surely try to hinder their plans, but Brutus
disagrees,believing that too many deaths will render(cause) their plot(a secret plan) too bloody
and dishonor them.Having agreed to spare(to stop) Anthony,the conspirators
depart.Portia,Brutus’s wife,observes that Brutus appears preoccupied. She pleads(to beg,to
beseech) with him to confide(trust) in her, but he rebuffs(resist,refuse) her.

Caesar prepares to go to the Senate.His wife,Calpurnia begs him not to go,describing

recent(while ago) nightmares(a very bad or frightening dreams) she has had in which a statue
of Caesar streamed with blood and smiling men bathed their hands in the blood.Caesar refuses to
yield(surrender) to fear and insists on going about his daily business.Finally, Calpurnia
convinces him to stay home-if not out of caution, then as a favor to her.But,Decius one of the
conspirators, then arrives and convinces Caesar that Calpurnia has misinterpreted her dreams and
the recent omens.Caesar departs for the Senate in the company of(a group of) the conspirators.

As Caesar proceeds through the streets towards the Senate,the Soothsayer again tries but fails to
get his attention.The citizen Artemidorous hands him a letter warning him about the conspirators
but Caesar refuses to read it,saying that his closest personal concerns are his last priority.At the
Senate,the conspirators speak to Caesar bowing(bending down by showing respect) at his feet
and encircling him.One by one they stab him to death.When Caesar sees his dear friend Brutus
among his murderers ,he gives up his struggles and dies.

The murderers bathe their hands and swords in Caesar’s blood, thus bringing Calpurnia’s
premonition(bad feeling) to fruition(fulfillment).Anthony having been led away on a false
pretext returns and pledges(promise) allegiance(loyality) to Brutus but weeps over Caesar’s
blood.He shakes hands with the conspirators, thus making them all as guilty while appearing to
make a gesture of conciliation.When Anthony asks why they killed Caesar,Brutus replies that he
will explain their purpose in a funeral oration(ceremonial speech).Anthony asks to be allowed to
speak over the body as well.Brutus grants his permission,though Cassius remains
suspicious(doubtfull,distrustful) of Anthony.The conspirators depart and Anthony alone
now,swears that Caesar’s death shall be avenged.(revenged)

Brutus and Cassius go to the Forum to speak to the public.Cassius exits to address another part
of the crowd.Brutus declares to the masses that though he loved Caesar ,he loves Rome more,
and Caesar’s ambition posed a danger to Roman liberty.The speech placates(calm,to bring
peace) the crowd.Anthony appears with Caesar’s body and Brutus departs after turning the
pulpit(stage) over to Anthony. Repeatedly referring to Brutus as an Honorable Man. Anthony’s
speech becomes increasingly sarcastic questioning the claims that Brutus made in his speech
that Caesar acted only out of ambition, Anthony points out that Caesar brought much wealth and
glory to Rome. And three times turned down offers of the crown. Anthony then produces
Caesar’s will but announces that he will not read it for it would upset the people inordinately.The
crowd nevertheless begs him to read the will, so he descends from the pulpit to stand next to
Caesar’s body.He describes Caesar’s horrible death and shows Caesar’s wounded body to the
crowd.He then reads Caesar’s will, which bequeaths(give,offer) a sum of money to every citizen
and orders that his private gardens be made public.The crowd becomes enraged(angered) that
his generous man lies dead; calling Brutus and Cassius traitors(who betray or violate), the
masses set off to drive them from the city.

Meanwhile, Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor, Octavius arrives in Rome and forms
a three-person coalition with Anthony and Lepidus.

They prepare to fight Cassius and Brutus who have been driven into exile and are raising armies
outside the city.At the conspirator’s camp,Brutus and Cassius have a heated argument regarding
matters of money and honor but they ultimately reconcile.Brutus reveals that he is sick with
grief(pain) for in his absence Portia has killed herself. The two continue to prepare for battle
with Anthony and Octavius.That night , the Ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus, announcing that
Brutus will meet him again on the Battlefield.
Octavius and Anthony march their army toward Brutus and Cassius.Anthony tells Octavius
where to attack but Octavius says that he will make his own orders;he is already
asserting(defending) his authority as heir of Caesar and the next ruler of Rome.The opposing
generals meet on the battlefield and exchange insults before beginning combat.

Cassius witnesses his own men fleeing and hears that Brutus’s men are not performing
effectively.Cassius sends one of his men,Pindarus to see how matters are progressing.From a
far,Pindarus sees one of their leaders,Cassius’s best friend,Titinus being surrounded by cheering
troops and concludes that he has been captured.Cassius despairs(gives up) and orders Pindarus
to kill him with his own sword.He dies proclaiming that Caesar is avenged.Titinus himself then
arrives-the men encircling him were actually his comrades, cheering a victory he had earned.
Titinus sees Cassius’s corpse(a dead body) and , mourning the death of his friend ,kills himself.

Brutus learns of the deaths of Cassius and Titinus with a heavy heart and prepares to take on the
Romans again.When his army loses, doom(death,danger) appears imminent(about to
happen,occur,take place).Brutus asks one of his men to hold his sword while he impales(to
pierce with a pale,)himself on it.Finally, Caesar can rest satisfied, he says as he dies,Octavius and
Anthony arrive.Anthony speaks over Brutus’s body, calling him the noblest Roman of all.While
the other conspirators acted out of envy(jalousie) and ambition, he observes,Brutus genuinely
believed that he acted for the benefit of Rome,Octavius orders that Brutus be buried in the most
honorable way.The men then depart to celebrate their victory.
Characters in the tragedy of JULIUS CAESAR
1. BRUTUS - 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. Brutus’s inflexible sense of honor
makes it easy for Caesar’s enemies to manipulate him into believing that Caesar must die in order to
preserve the republic. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believes
that Caesar’s death will benefit Rome. Unlike Caesar, Brutus is able to separate completely his public life
from his private life; by giving priority to matters of state, he epitomizes Roman virtue. Torn between his
loyalty to Caesar and his allegiance to the state, Brutus becomes the tragic hero of the play.
2. JULIUS CAESAR - A great Roman general and senator, recently 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.
Yet while Caesar may not be unduly power-hungry, he does possess his share of flaws. He is unable to
separate his public life from his private life, and, seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization and
idolization of his image, he ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing himself as eternal as
the North Star.
3. ANTONY - A friend of Caesar. 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. With tears on his cheeks and Caesar’s will in his hand, Antony engages masterful rhetoric to stir
the crowd to revolt against the conspirators. Antony’s desire to exclude Lepidus from the power that
Antony and Octavius intend to share hints at his own ambitious nature.
4. CASSIUS - 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. Impulsive and unscrupulous, Cassius
harbors no illusions about the way the political world works. A shrewd opportunist, he proves successful
but lacks integrity.
5. OCTAVIUS - Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor. Octavius, who had been traveling
abroad, returns after Caesar’s death; he then joins with Antony and sets off to fight Cassius and Brutus.
Antony tries to control Octavius’s movements, but Octavius follows his adopted father’s example and
emerges as the authoritative figure, paving the way for his eventual seizure of the reins of Roman
government.
6. CASCA - A public figure opposed to Caesar’s rise to power. Casca relates to Cassius and Brutus how
Antony offered the crown to Caesar three times and how each time Caesar declined it. He believes,
however, that Caesar is the consummate actor, lulling the populace into believing that he has no personal
ambition.
7. CALPURNIA - Caesar’s wife. Calpurnia 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.
8. PORTIA - Brutus’s wife; the daughter of a noble Roman who took sides against Caesar. Portia,
accustomed to being Brutus’s confidante, is upset to find him so reluctant to speak his mind when she
finds him troubled. Brutus later hears that Portia has killed herself out of grief that Antony and Octavius
have become so powerful.
9. FLAVIUS - A tribune (an official elected by the people to protect their rights). Flavius condemns the
plebeians for their fickleness in cheering Caesar, when once they cheered for Caesar’s enemy Pompey.
Flavius is punished along with Murellus for removing the decorations from Caesar’s statues during
Caesar’s triumphal parade.
10. CICERO - A Roman senator renowned for his oratorical skill. Cicero speaks at Caesar’s triumphal
parade. He later dies at the order of Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus.
11. LEPIDUS - The third member of Antony and Octavius’s coalition. Though Antony has a low opinion
of Lepidus, Octavius trusts his loyalty.
12. MURELLUS - Like Flavius, a tribune who condemns the plebeians for their fickleness in cheering
Caesar, when once they cheered for Caesar’s enemy Pompey. Murellus and Flavius are punished for
removing the decorations from Caesar’s statues during Caesar’s triumphal parade.
13. DECIUS - 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.
14. CINNA In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Cinna is one of the conspirators. He has a role in
convincing the men to get Brutus, Caesar's close friend, on board. He also helps deliver fake letters to
Brutus to help gain his support. Cinna is mentioned in Artimedorus's letter warning Caesar to keep an on
him.
15. ARTEMIDORUS :He is now best known as a minor character in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar
where, aware of the plot against Caesar's life, he attempts to warn him with a written note.
Artemidorus is a diviner - someone who can predict the future. In real life, there was a man named
Artemidorus who lived far after Caesar's time. Artemidorus writes a letter to Caesar to warn him of his
upcoming assassination.
16. The SOOTHSAYER, or fortune-teller, in the play is a minor character with only nine lines in the
play, yet he has an important role. He warns Julius Caesar to ''Beware the Ides of March''. The Ides of
March refers to March 15, the day Julius Caesar was assassinated.
18. METELLUS CIMBER: is one of the conspirators against Caesar. He suggests Ligarius as another
possible member of their cause. He is charged with begging Caesar for his brother's repeal, thereby giving
the conspirators the opportunity to surround Caesar before killing him. Metellus is the one who
approached Caesar to request that his brother, Publius Cimber, who has been banished from
Rome, be granted permission to return.
19. STRATO: is a soldier in Brutus’s army. He accepts to hold the sword Brutus throws himself on.
This sign of obedience convinces Octavius to take him into his service, which he accepts on condition
that Messala give him a reference.
20. CATO : is the son of the great Marcus Cato, the brother of Portia and the the brother-in-law of
Brutus. In the play he is also a solider in the army of Brutus and Cassius. He has a very short role in the
play as he dies fighting for what he...
21. PINDARUS: is a slave who helps his master Cassius kill himself to avoid being taken prisoner by
Mark Anthony. He is loyal to his master to the end, saying he would trade his freedom for Cassius to still
be alive.
22. TITINIUS: one of the conspirators and a friend of Cassius. He kills himself after he sees Cassius
is dead.

Julius Caesar Character List

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Julius Caesar
the titular character. When the play starts, he is the only man capable of giving orders and
ensuring they are carried out. Caesar fails to understand the many signs indicating a plot against
him and is killed by a conspiracy led by Cassius and Brutus. His ghost haunts the remainder of
the play, and his name is invoked by both Cassius and Brutus before they commit suicide in the
final act.

Calpurnia
the wife of Caesar. She has a dream in which she sees a statue of Caesar bleeding from multiple
wounds, and begs him to stay at home the day he is killed. Caesar ignores her and goes to the
Senate House anyway.

Marcus Brutus
a noble Roman opposed to Caesar. He is an idealist who upholds honor above everything else.
Brutus only agrees to kill Caesar after becoming convinced that it is necessary for the Roman
Republic. He dies on the battlefield by impaling himself on his own sword.

Portia
the wife of Brutus. She proves her courage and strength by stabbing her thigh with a dagger in
order to force Brutus to tell her about the plot to kill Caesar. She kills herself by swallowing hot
coals from the fire after Mark Antony and Octavius assume power in Rome.

Lucius
a servant to Brutus.

Caius Cassius
a man opposed to Caesar. He assembles the conspirators and is the man who convinces Brutus to
kill Caesar. He commits suicide at the battle of Philippi after falsely thinking his army has been
defeated.

Casca
a man opposed to Caesar.

Trebonius
a man opposed to Caesar.
Decius Brutus
a man opposed to Caesar. He misinterprets Calpurnia's dream in order to convince Caesar to go
to the Senate House on the ides of March.

Metellus Cimber
a man opposed to Caesar.

Cinna
a man opposed to Caesar.

Caius Ligarius
a man opposed to Caesar.

Mark Antony
a ruler of Rome after Caesar's death. Antony is Caesar's friend from the beginning and he gives a
rousing speech to the masses which causes riots in Rome. Brutus and Cassius are chased out of
the city in the ensuing chaos, and Antony forms the second triumvirate with Octavius and
Lepidus.

Octavius Caesar
a ruler of Rome after Caesar's death. Octavius is a young general who joins the second
triumvirate. He and Antony fight against Brutus and Cassius; he historically becomes the future
emperor of Rome.

Lepidus
a ruler of Rome after Caesar's death.

Flavius
a tribune of the people. He is removed from office after derobing the statues of Caesar.

Murellus
a tribune of the people. He is removed from office after derobing the statues of Caesar.
Cicero
a senator. He tells Casca that men construe omens the way they want to. He is later killed by
Antony and Octavius when they purge the Senate.

Publius
a senator.

Popillius Laena
a senator.

A Soothsayer
a man who tells Caesar to beware the ides of March (March 15) but who is ignored.

Artemidorus
a man who tries to give Caesar a letter in which he describes the plot against him. Caesar ignores
his letter.

Cinna the Poet

a poet who is beaten and possibly killed because he has the same name as one of the
conspirators.

Pindarus
the bondsman to Cassius.

Titinius
an officer in Cassius' army. He kills himself when he finds Cassius dead on the battlefield.

Lucillius
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Messala
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Varrus
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Claudio
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Young Cato
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Strato
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Volumnius
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Dardanius
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Clitus
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

A Poet
a man who bursts into Brutus' tent and tries to warn the army that Brutus and Cassius are angry
with each other. Brutus orders him to be taken away.

The Ghost of Caesar

a ghost of Julius Caesar who speaks to Brutus at Sardis.

A Cobbler
A Carpenter
Plebeians
Commoners

A Messenger
Servants, senators, soldiers, and attendants
The main themes in the Play “JULIUS CAESAR”
●The themes in the tragedy of Julius Caesar are as follows:
-Fate versus free will
-Public self-versus private self
-Misinterpretation and misunderstanding
-Ambition of Julius Caesar
-Questions of military and political authority features
-Illness (important theme as the play progresses).

Themes with illustrations

►Fate versus free will
Julius Caesar raises many questions about the force of fate in life versus the capacity for free will.
Cassius refuses to accept Caesar’s rising power and deems a belief in fate to be nothing more than a form
of passivity or cowardice. He says to Brutus: “Men at some time were masters of their fates. / The fault,
dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings” (I.ii. 140–142). Cassius urges a
return to a more noble, self-possessed attitude toward life, blaming his and Brutus’s submissive stance not
on a predestined plan but on their failure to assert themselves.
Ultimately, the play seems to support a philosophy in which fate and freedom maintain a delicate
coexistence. Thus Caesar declares: “It seems to me most strange that men should fear, / Seeing that death,
a necessary end, / Will come when it will come” (II.ii.35–37). In other words, Caesar recognizes that
certain events lie beyond human control; to crouch in fear of them is to enter a paralysis equal to, if not
worse than, death. It is to surrender any capacity for freedom and agency that one might actually possess.
Indeed, perhaps to face death head-on, to die bravely and honorably, is Caesar’s best course: in the end,
Brutus interprets his and Cassius’s defeat as the work of Caesar’s ghost—not just his apparition, but also
the force of the people’s devotion to him, the strong legacy of a man who refused any fear of fate and, in
his disregard of fate, seems to have transcended it.
►Public self versus private self
Much of the play’s tragedy stems from the characters’ neglect of private feelings and loyalties in favor of
what they believe to be the public good. Similarly, characters confuse their private selves with their
public selves, hardening and dehumanizing themselves or transforming themselves into ruthless political
machines. Brutus rebuffs his wife, Portia, when she pleads with him to confide in her; believing himself
to be acting on the people’s will, he forges ahead with the murder of Caesar, despite their close
friendship. Brutus puts aside his personal loyalties and shuns thoughts of Caesar the man, his friend;
instead, he acts on what he believes to be the public’s wishes and kills Caesar the leader, the imminent
dictator. Cassius can be seen as a man who has gone to the extreme in cultivating his public persona.
Caesar, describing his distrust of Cassius, tells Antony that the problem with Cassius is his lack of a
private life—his seeming refusal to acknowledge his own sensibilities or to nurture his own spirit. Such a
man, Caesar fears, will let nothing interfere with his ambition. Indeed, Cassius lacks all sense of personal
honor and shows himself to be a ruthless schemer.
Ultimately, neglecting private sentiments to follow public concerns brings Caesar to his death. Although
Caesar does briefly agree to stay home from the Senate in order to please Calpurnia, who has dreamed of
his murder, he gives way to ambition when Decius tells him that the senators plan to offer him the crown.
-Caesar’s public self again takes precedence. Tragically, he no longer sees the difference between his
omnipotent, immortal public image and his vulnerable human body. Just preceding his death, Caesar
refuses Artemidorus’s pleas to speak with him, saying that he gives last priority to his most personal
concerns. He thus endangers himself by believing that the strength of his public self will protect his
private self.
►Misinterpretations and misreadings
Much of the play deals with the characters’ failures to interpret correctly the omens that they encounter.
As Cicero says, “Men may construe things after their fashion, / Clean from the purpose of the things
themselves” (I.iii.34–35). Thus, the night preceding Caesar’s appearance at the Senate is full of portents,
but no one reads them accurately: Cassius takes them to signify the danger that Caesar’s impending
coronation would bring to the state, when, if anything, they warn of the destruction that Cassius himself
threatens. There are calculated misreadings as well: Cassius manipulates Brutus into joining the
conspiracy by means of forged letters, knowing that Brutus’s trusting nature will cause him to accept the
letters as authentic pleas from the Roman people.
The circumstances of Cassius’s death represent another instance of misinterpretation. Pindarus’s
erroneous conclusion that Titinius has been captured by the enemy, when in fact Titinius has reunited
with friendly forces, is the piece of misinformation that prompts Cassius to seek death. Thus, in the world
of politics portrayed in Julius Caesar, the inability to read people and events leads to downfall;
conversely, the ability to do so is the key to survival. With so much ambition and rivalry, the ability to
gauge the public’s opinion as well as the resentment or loyalty of one’s fellow politicians can guide one
to success. Antony proves masterful at recognizing his situation, and his accurate reading of the crowd’s
emotions during his funeral oration for Caesar allows him to win the masses over to his side.
►Inflexibility versus Compromise

Both Brutus and Caesar are stubborn, rather inflexible people who ultimately suffer
fatally for it. In the play’s aggressive political landscape, individuals succeed
through adaptability, bargaining, and compromise. Brutus’s rigid though honorable
ideals leave him open for manipulation by Cassius. He believes so thoroughly in the
purpose of the assassination that he does not perceive the need for excessive
political maneuvering to justify the murder. Equally resolute, Caesar prides himself
on his steadfastness; yet this constancy helps bring about his death, as he refuses
to heed ill omens and goes willingly to the Senate, into the hands of his murderers.

Antony proves perhaps the most adaptable of all of the politicians: while his speech
to the Roman citizens centers on Caesar’s generosity toward each citizen, he later
searches for ways to turn these funds into cash in order to raise an army against
Brutus and Cassius. Although he gains power by offering to honor Caesar’s will and
provide the citizens their rightful money, it becomes clear that ethical concerns will
not prevent him from using the funds in a more politically expedient manner.
Antony is a successful politician—yet the question of morality remains. There seems
to be no way to reconcile firm moral principles with success in politics in
Shakespeare’s rendition of ancient Rome; thus each character struggles toward a
different solution.

►Rhetoric(meaningless language in public speaking as mean to persuade) and Power.

Julius Caesar gives detailed consideration to the relationship between rhetoric and
power. The ability to make things happen by words alone is the most powerful type
of authority. Early in the play, it is established that Caesar has this type of absolute
authority: “When Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is performed,” says Antony, who attaches
a similar weight to Octavius’s words toward the end of the play (I.ii.12). Words also
serve to move hearts and minds, as Act III evidences. Antony cleverly convinces the
conspirators of his desire to side with them: “Let each man render me with his
bloody hand” (III.i.185). Under the guise of a gesture of friendship, Antony actually
marks the conspirators for vengeance. In the Forum, Brutus speaks to the crowd
and appeals to its love of liberty in order to justify the killing of Caesar. He also
makes ample reference to the honor in which he is generally esteemed so as to
validate further his explanation of the deed. Antony likewise wins the crowd’s favor,
using persuasive rhetoric to whip the masses into a frenzy so great that they don’t
even realize the fickleness of their favor.
►Ethics vs Politics

The tension in Julius Caesar comes from the question of whether Caesar’s position
in power is ethically acceptable or not, and whether men of good conscience can
allow a man like Caesar to hold such power over the Roman citizens. Caesar wins
victories for Rome and becomes popular both with the common masses and the
wealthy families.
Politically, Caesar’s position appears beyond reproach, but the conspirators in the
play—namely, Brutus—conclude that they are ethically impelled to stop Caesar
before his ambition grows and he becomes unstoppable.
The play directly addresses the conflict between ethics and politics when Brutus
and Antony deliver speeches after Caesar’s assassination. Brutus has one
opportunity to explain to the Romans that the murder of Caesar was ethically
necessary. Tellingly, while Brutus convinces the crowd that he was ethically correct
in killing Caesar before he enslaved the people, Antony is able to instantaneously
undo Brutus’s claims with his own speech. For Brutus, inviting Antony to speak at
Caesar’s funeral was the right and honorable gesture, but he grossly overestimates
the public’s respect for these sorts of ethical decisions. In this instance, Antony
proves to be the better politician, capable of swaying the crowd with his rhetoric
and passion, while Brutus’s rigid morality limits his ability to be a powerful politician
and understand the fickle nature of the Roman citizens.

►Tyranny(monarchy)

Julius Caesar revolves around the question of what constitutes a tyrant. Before
Brutus can convince himself to kill Caesar, he must believe that Caesar is either a
tyrant, or that he will inevitably become one. For Brutus, this question depends on
whether Caesar wants power for himself or whether the senators and citizens are
thrusting that power upon him.
In Act I, Casca tells Brutus and Cassius that Antony offered Caesar a crown three
times and that three times Caesar refused to accept it. Caesar’s initial refusal of
the crown suggests he doesn’t want total power for himself, but the
people are trying to thrust power upon him. However, Cassius suggests
Caesar will become a tyrant if he’s given absolute power, even if he doesn’t start
out as a tyrant: “I know he would not be a wolf / but that he sees the Romans are
but sheep” (I.iii).

The question of tyranny is also at the heart of the crucial scene in Act IV when
Brutus and Antony speak over Caesar’s dead body. Brutus claims that he was
justified in killing Caesar, and Antony claims that Brutus was not justified. The two
men disagree about whether Caesar was a tyrant or not. Ultimately, Antony is able
to demonstrate how Caesar rejected opportunities to seize personal power, shared
his victories with the Roman people, and included all the citizens of Rome in his will.

For the public, these assertions establish that Caesar was not a tyrant, and
therefore Brutus and the other conspirators are not only murderers, but enemies of
Rome. The success of Antony’s speech suggests that tyranny must, in some
respect, be in the eye of the beholder. The Caesar that Brutus describes in his
speech and the Caesar that Antony describes are the same man, but Antony is
better able to make the audience see Caesar as someone who would never have
resorted to tyranny.

►Honor
In the Roman world of Julius Caesar, honor is a matter of selflessness, rationality,
and pride. No character in the play more clearly embodies the virtue of honor than
Brutus. Nearly every character recognizes Brutus’s reputation for honor. For
instance, Cassius exploits this reputation when he recruits Brutus into the
assassination conspiracy, hoping that Brutus’s renowned honor will legitimize the
conspiracy. Even at the end of the play, after he has caused so much strife, Brutus
retains his honorable reputation. As Antony explains, “All the conspirators save only
he / Did that they did in envy of great Caesar.” Brutus acted honorably because he
killed Caesar for the greater benefit of Rome, not because of his own jealousy.
Brutus further demonstrates honor through his commitment to rationality. Although
initially horrified by the idea of killing Caesar, Brutus weighs the matter and
concludes that, despite his emotional revulsion at the idea, assassination is
nevertheless justified. Finally, Brutus exhibits honor when he chooses to take his
own life rather than let himself be captured. Capture would imply weakness, and
Brutus’s desire to appear strong and preserve his pride leads him to die on his own
terms.

Another key element of honor in Julius Caesar relates to loyalty, a matter that
proves somewhat complicated in a play where excessive loyalty leads to much
political strife. Shakespeare constructed his play around two central friendships: one
between Brutus and Cassius, and another between Caesar and Antony. Although
the profound loyalty that defines each of these friendships is touching, that same
loyalty also proves dangerous. For example, Cassius leverages his devotion to
Brutus to convince his friend to join the assassination plot. Brutus in turn allows his
love for Cassius to lead him into errors of judgment that ultimately result in both of
their deaths. Just as Cassius and Brutus act out of mutual loyalty, Antony also acts
out of a deep devotion to Caesar and, later, to Octavius. Although Antony initially
claims the justness of the conspirators’ cause, he demonstrates his ongoing loyalty
to Caesar when he turns the Roman public against the conspirators at Caesar’s
funeral—an act that instigates rioting and war. These characters demonstrate honor
through friendship, and yet their loyalty also destroys the Republic.

►Omens (sign of what is predicted to happen in the future)

The significance of omens in Roman society at the time portrayed in the play is another major theme.
Shakespeare has shown Romans believing strongly in omens and interpreting their fates through those
signs and symbols. However, the elite class often ignores such signs and berates the plebeians for this
ignorance. When the soothsayer tells Caesar that he should beware the Ides of March, Caesar not only
ignores him but also forgets it until Calpurnia, his wife, reminds him that she has had a very bad dream
about him. However, Caesar defers his visit to the Senate, choosing not to completely ignore his wife.
Even Casca sees various omens and believes that these are the warning signs about the likely dictatorship
of Caesar.

►Identity
Identity is another secondary theme of the play. A person has a public identity as well as a private
identity, while another identity is formed by the people through manipulation of public and private
perceptions. Cassius shapes Caesar into a tyrant on account of his swift rise to power. This helps other
conspirators to include Brutus and make their work easy. Similarly, Brutus, too, shapes Caesar’s identity
as a tyrant, while Mark Antony presents him as a common human being, replacing his tyrannical image
with the identity of a good ruler.

►War and Ambition

War fuels ambitions and ambitions bring wars. This thematic strand also runs parallel to peace and honor.
Caesar has fueled war hysteria in the nation through his battle strategies. He has won so many battles and
has shown heroism on so many fronts that every other Roman soldier is as ambitious as Caesar. That is
why more wars are becoming necessary to win more honor. This is the same ambition that leads the
conspirators to weave a plan against Caesar.

►Limits of Human Understanding

Despite honor, courage, boldness, and knowledge of things, the limits of human knowledge become an
evident theme when a person like Caesar ignores omens and warnings about threats to his life. First, he
ignores the soothsayer’s warning to beware, the Ides of March. Then he largely ignores the pleas of his
wife. Even Brutus misunderstands the future as well as Mark Antony; a mistake that costs him heavily.

● Messages in Julius Caesar are the following:

-To avoid being arrogant
-Never make important decisions based on mere assumptions.
-To learn from the mistakes that others made previously.
-Avoid tyranny, dictatorship, while leading people.

NB: Be aware of the following:

i.Ides of March:
►It is on 15th March. This is the day The Romans considered as the deadline for settling the debts. It is
the 74th day in the Roman calendar, corresponding to 15th March a day Julius Caesar was
assassinated in capitol by senators headed by Marcus Brutus and Cassius.
►Ides simply referred to the first new moon of a given month, which usually fell between the 13th and
15th. In fact, the Ides of March once signified the new year, which meant celebrations and rejoicing. Yet
when heroes in movies, books and television shows are faced with the Ides of March, it's always a bad
omen.

Julius Caesar Summary and

Analysis of Act 1
Act One, Scene One
Two Roman tribunes, Flavius and Murellus, see the common
people parading in the streets instead of working in their
shops. They demand to know why the men are not working. A
cobbler informs them that the people are celebrating
Caesar's victory. Murellus is infuriated by this information,
and calls the workers, "you blocks, you stones" (1.1.34). He
then tells them that Caesar has not defeated an enemy, but
rather that Ceasar has killed the sons of Pompey the Great.
Pompey previously ruled Rome along with Caesar until their
alliance fell apart, at which point they went to battle over the
right to rule.
Flavius's speech then causes the commoners to be ashamed
of celebrating Caesar's victory. They depart in a more sober
mood. Flavius and Murellus then prepare to remove the
imperial crowns placed on all the statues of Caesar and next
decide to drive the commoners back into their houses in an
effort to prevent Rome from celebrating Caesar's victory.
Act One, Scene Two
Julius Caesar triumphantly returns to Rome on the festival of
Lupercalia, celebrated on February 15. He is followed by
Antony and Brutus, their wives, and many followers. Caesar
tells Antony to strike his wife Calpurnia during the festival
(during which two men, including Antony, run through the
street of Rome and hit those they meet with goatskin thongs)
to rid her of her sterility. Antony responds with, "When
Caesar says 'Do this', it is performed" (1.2.12).
A soothsayer approaches Caesar and calls out for attention.
Caesar allows him to speak, and the man tells Caesar,
"Beware the ides of March" (1.2.25). Caesar ignores this
warning and calls the man a dreamer. Caesar then leaves
with his assembled men.

Brutus and Cassius remain on the stage. Cassius tells Brutus

that he has noticed Brutus acting more serious lately. Brutus
tells him that he is "with himself at war" (1.2.48) and that
Cassius should not worry about it. After a shout and cheering
from offstage, Brutus remarks he is afraid the people will
crown Caesar king. Cassius is thrilled to hear this, and tells
Brutus that they were both born as free men the same way
Caesar was. He tells Brutus a story in which he and Caesar
were holding a swimming contest across the Tiber river, and
Caesar started to drown. Cassius claims that he rescued
Caesar and carried him to the shore. He then complains that
Caesar has become so powerful that even though he once
saved Caesar's life, he must now bow before him.
Cassius then tells Brutus that "Brutus" is just as good a name
as "Caesar", and that both names could just as easily rule
Rome. He invokes the image of Brutus' ancestor who founded
the Roman Republic and expelled the former kings. Brutus,
afraid that Caesar will become a king, struggles to decide
whether to join Cassius in taking action against Caesar, but
ultimately decides against it.

Caesar returns, accompanied by his followers. He turns to

Antony and remarks, "Let me have men about me that are
fat, / Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights. / Yon
Cassius has a lean and hungry look. / He thinks too much.
Such men are dangerous" (1.2.193-196). Antony dismisses
Caesar's concern, but Caesar is not convinced that Cassius is
completely trustworthy. He tells Antony to come with him and
let him know if there is anything to be worried about.

Casca remains on stage with Brutus and Cassius and tells

them that the three shouts they heard were because Antony
offered Caesar the crown three times, but he turned it down
each time. Casca then says that Caesar swooned and fell
down with his mouth foaming at the lips. (Caesar was
considered to be epileptic, called the "falling sickness".)
When Caesar awoke, he begged to be forgiven for his
infirmary. Casca adds that the people forgave Caesar and
worshipped him even more for turning away the crown. He
also explains that Murellus and Flavius, the public tribunes,
were removed from office for pulling the decorations off of
Caesar's statues. Cassius, hoping to lure him into the
conspiracy against Caesar, invites Casca to dinner the next
night. Brutus also takes his leave, but agrees to meet with
Cassius the next night as well. In a soliloquy, Cassius informs
the audience that he will fake several handwritten notes and
throw them into Brutus' room in an attempt to make Brutus
think the common people want him to take action against
Caesar.

Act One, Scene Three

Casca meets with Cicero, one of the great Roman orators,
and tells him he has seen many strange things on the streets
of Rome that night including a slave with a burning yet
uninjured left hand, a lion loose in the streets, and an owl
hooting in the daytime. Cicero tells him men interpret things
in their own way, and takes his leave.
Cassius then arrives and tells Casca that there is a reason
behind all of the strange events taking place in Rome. Casca
asks him, "'Tis Caesar that you mean, is it not, Cassius?"
(1.3.78). Casca tells him that the senators are planning to
make Caesar a king the next morning. At this news, Cassius
draws his dagger and threatens to die before ever allowing
Caesar to achieve so much power. Casca shakes hands with
Cassius and they agree to work together to prevent Caesar
from seizing power.

Cinna, a co-conspirator, arrives and takes a piece of paper

from Cassius. Together they then leave to go throw Cassius'
handwritten notes through Brutus' window. Cassius indicates
that he is quite sure Brutus will join them within the next day.

Analysis
Julius Caesar opens with the tribunes of the people chastising
the plebeians for being fickle. They refer to the masses as
"You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless
things!"(1.1.34). This imagery of the masses as stones will
continue throughout the play. They are in fact a fickle group
of people, easily swayed by whoever is speaking to them, as
evidenced later in the play when Antony turns a hostile crowd
into a mob against Brutus and Cassius.
The play also holds much contemporary appeal. Calpurnia's
means Caesar does not have an heir, something many
English worried about as Queen Elizabeth also had no heir.
However, in the play, Caesar's desire for an heir has a darker
meaning. He tells Antony, "Forget not your speed, Antonio, /
To touch Calpurnia, for our elders say / The barren, touched
in this holy chase, / Shake off their sterile curse" (1.2.8-11).
Brutus interprets the importance Caesar places on this issue
as evidence Caesar hopes to create a dynasty, thus fueling
Brutus' reasons for destroy Caesar.

In these opening scenes, a great deal of interpretation and

misinterpretation occurs. Cicero refers to this concept, telling
Cassius, "Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time; / But men
may construe things after their fashion, / Clean from the
purpose of the things themselves" (1.3.33-35). With this
statement, he implies that each man will interpret signs
according to what he believes, and will thus ignore the signs'
true menaings. Caesar proves Cicero correct by dismissing
the soothsayer's warning and later ignoring Calpurnia's
dream of his death. Omens abound during these scenes, with
the tempestuous weather, an owl screeching during the day,
and a lion is loose in the streets.

The mirror, so often invoked in other Shakespearean plays, is

also a significant image in Julius Caesar. For example, Cassius
asks Brutus, "Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?"
(1.2.53). He continues, "That you have no such mirrors as will
turn / Your hidden worthiness into your eye / That you might
see your shadow...I, your glass" (1.2.58-60, 70). Essentially
Cassius tells Brutus that he will be the mirror who reflects
back to Brutus his true feelings and nature. At this moment,
the reader recognizes Cassius has a private agenda and is
providing Brutus with a fals mirror.

Cassius continues to manipulate Brutus by comparing him to

Caesar, asking "Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that
'Caesar'? / Why should that name be sounded more than
yours? / Write them together: yours is as fair a
name...Conjure with 'em: / 'Brutus' will start a spirit as soon
as 'Caesar'" (1.2.143-148). Cassius hopes to incite jealousy
and a desire for power in Brutus, and also reveals that he
believes Caesar is their equal. Furthermore, Cassius invokes
Brutus' ancestor, Lucius Junius Brutus, a man famous for
expelling the former kings of Rome, in his attempt to sway
Brutus. Brutus accepts this flattery and in fact refers to it
later on when deciding whether or not to join the
conspirators.
Caesar's description of Cassius is clearly disapproving, and at
once shows the reader that he will be a source of conflict:
"Let me have men about me that are fat, / Sleek-headed
men, and such as sleep a-nights. / Yon Cassius has a lean and
hungry look. / He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous"
(1.2.193-196). Caesar continues, "He [Cassius] reads much, /
He is a great observer, and he looks / Quite through the
deeds of men. He loves no plays, / As thou dost, Antony; he
hears no music. (1.2.202-205). Generally, Shakespearean
characters that do not enjoy music or plays are inherently
evil. Caesar fears Cassius because he does not enjoy life,
whereas he trusts Antony who is almost famous for his ability
to have a good time.

Two sides of Caesar exist in the play: Caesar as a concept

and as a human being. The human in Caesar is weak, needs
Cassius to save him from drowning and has epileptic fits.
However, the concept of Caesar, the great general and leader
is all powerful and noble. His every word is a command, and
the people follow him.

Throughout the play, Caesar demonstrates an inability to

effectively communicate, a theme reflected in much of the
plays action. For example, in the first act the tribunes and
plebeians talk across each other rather than to one another.
Later on, Brutus and Cassius are constantly interrupted by
shouts offstage, breaking their conversion and distracting
Brutus. Caesar's particular weakness in communication stems
from his being deaf in his left ear. At one point he requests,
"Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf, / And tell me
truly what thou think'st of him" (1.2.214-215). Caesar's
deafness is in fact symbolic of his unwillingness to see danger
in the world around him. As such, he dismisses the
soothsayer and his wife Calpurnia's dream rather than
accepting their morbid predictions.

In Richard II, the fall of Richard is represented by his constant

descent from the throne. Similarly, Shakespeare foreshadows
Caesar's fall in Julius Caesar when Caesar has an epileptic fit
in the public square. This imagery of falling also coincides
with the decline of language comprehension immediately
thereafter. For example, Casca describes Cicero's speech
saying, "It was Greek to me" (1.2.178), an expression that
has since become cliche.
The action of the play is mostly focused on Brutus, a man
who dominates the plot and speaks the most lines. Thus,
some might wonder why the play is titled after Julius Caesar.
Traditionally, Shakespeare named his plays after rulers
(Henry VIII, Richard III, etc.). However, upon a close read,
Julius Caesar does truly revolve around Caesar. Brutus'
internal conflict is a struggle between his friendship for
Caesar and his loyalty to the Roman Republic. Indeed,
Caesar's influence on the plot continues even after his death,
specifically when his ghost appears to Brutus, indicating the
memory and myth of Caesar will never die.
Julius Caesar Summary and
Analysis of Act 2
Act Two, Scene One
Brutus is in his garden and has decided that Caesar must be
killed. His reasons for reaching this conclusion are that
Caesar is abusing his power and that has ascended far too
quickly. Lucius, Brutus' servant, brings him a letter (planted
by Cassius) he has found in Brutus' private room. The first
line of the letter reads, "Brutus, thou sleep'st. Awake, and see
thyself" (2.1.46). Brutus interprets the letter as if it were a
request from all of Rome to slay Caesar and restore the
republic.
Brutus then asks Lucius what day it is, and he informs his
master that it is the ides of March, or March 15th. A knock
sounds on the door and Lucius leaves to answer it. Alone,
Brutus states he has not slept since Cassius first incited him
against Caesar.

Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus and Trebonius, all of

them conspirators against Caesar, have arrived at Brutus'
home. Brutus invites them in and Cassius takes him aside.
Soon Brutus rejoins the group of men and shakes all their
hands, agreeing to join them in their murderous quest. The
men then discuss whether they should invite Cicero, the
great orator, to join their plot, but Brutus convinces them
against it. Cassius states Mark Antony should be killed along
with Caesar, but again Brutus is against the plan, fearing they
will be perceived as too bloody.
The group plans to commit Caesar's murder at the Senate at
eight o'clock that morning (it is only three in the morning at
this point). However, they are worried that Caesar will not
attend the Senate because he has become increasingly
superstitious over the past few months. Decius tells the
group that he knows how to flatter Caesar, and assures them
he will convince Caesar to go to the Senate. Cassius and his
followers then depart, leaving Brutus alone.

Brutus' wife Portia arrives and tells him he has left her bed
and given her unkind looks. She begs him to tell her why he
is so upset. He lies, telling her he is sick, to which she
responds that it appears to be a sickness of the mind, not of
the body. A strong woman of brave lineage, she again begs
him to tell her what is wrong, asking him, "Think you I am no
stronger than my sex, / Being so fathered and so
husbanded?" (2.1.295-6). She then stabs herself in the thigh
as proof of her courage. Brutus finally agrees to tell her what
is concerning him, but sends her away before he is able to
explain, because there is another knock on the door.
Ligarius enters, pretending to be sick. He tells Brutus that he
could be cured if only Brutus had a noble undertaking in
mind. Brutus tells him that he does, and Ligarius pledges to
follow Brutus on whatever task he leads him to.

Act Two, Scene Two

Caesar, still in his nightgown, is terrified by a dream his wife
Calpurnia has had in which she cried out, "Help, ho! They
murder Caesar!" He orders a servant to go to the priests and
have them sacrifice an animal in order to read the entrails for
predictions of the future. Calpurnia arrives and tells him that
he dare not leave the house that day. Caesar acts brave and
tells her that he fears nothing, and that he will die when it is
necessary for him to die. The servant returns and tells him
that the sacrificed animal did not have a heart, a very bad
omen. Caesar insists on misinterpreting the omens, but
Calpurnia begs him to blame her for his absence from the
Senate, to which he finally agrees.
However, Decius soon arrives to fetch Caesar to the Senate
House. Caesar tells him to inform the Senate that he will not
come this day. Decius claims that he will be mocked if he
cannot provide a good reason for Caesar's absence. Caesar
then tells Decius about Calpurnia's dream, to which Decius
replies that the dream was misinterpreted. The fountains of
blood pouring from Caesar's body that Calpurnia saw
reflected the new life Caesar is giving to Rome, not his death.
Decius overwhelms Caesar's resistance by asking him if the
Senate should dissolve until a better time when Calpurnia has
more favorable dreams. Caesar tells Calpurnia that he was
acting foolishly, and agrees to go to the Senate. Cassius and
the other conspirators then arrive to accompany him to the
Senate. Antony also appears and joins the group of men who
then escort Caesar out of his house.
Act Two, Scene Three
Artemidorus has written Caesar a letter in which he names all
of the conspirators against Caesar. He stands on a street
near the Capitol and waits for Caesar to pass by on his way to
the Senate so that he can hand Caesar the note.

Act Two, Scene Four

Portia orders the servant Lucius to go to the Senate House.
He asks her what he should do there, but she is so distracted
that she is unable to tell him the purpose. She remarks to the
audience, "I have a man's mind, but a woman's might. / How
hard it is for women to keep counsel!" (2.4.7-8). She is
alluding to the fact that she knows what Brutus is planning to
do to Caesar, and is unwilling to keep it a secret. The
soothsayer who previously warned Caesar sees her and
speaks with her, informing Portia that he will try to once
again warn Caesar about his fate.

Analysis
Throughout the play, Brutus alone suffers from a lack of
sleep. Brutus says that, "Since Cassius first did whet me
against Caesar / I have not slept" (2.1.61) He adds to this that
his mind, "Like to a little kingdom, suffers then / The nature
of an insurrection" (2.1.68-9). His insomnia represents an
internal struggle over whether to betray his friend or act in
what he believes to be the best interests of Rome. His
personal struggle is a microcosm for the civil war that
eventually occurs. In 4.3 Brutus again suffers from a bout of
insomnia during which he encounters Caesar's ghost.

Women are marginalized in Julius Caesar. Portia and

Calpurnia are the women in the play, and are confined to the
domestic household. However, there are important
differences between them. Portia is the first of the two to
appear, and she struggles to convince Brutus that she is
worthy of his confidence. She first kneels, begging him to
share his secrets, and then stands up dramatically, stating,
"Think you I am no stronger than my sex, / Being so fathered
and so husbanded?" (2.1.295-6), and stabs herself in the
thigh to prove her strength. Brutus capitulates to Portia,
acknowledging her strength. In contrast, Caesar ignores and
spurns his wife Calpurnia's warnings against attending
Senate. At first, her dream of his death keeps him home, but
Decius is able to convince him tha this wife is silly in her
concern. Clearly, Calpurnia is not as powerful a woman as
Portia. However, both women go to extreme actions to
attempt to sway their husbands.
Ironically, Calpurnia's dream of a Caesar statue bleeding from
a hundred holes with which Romans bath their hands, is an
accurate prediction of Caesar's death, which occurs in the Act
3. Decius first mocks the dream, saying, "Bring up the Senate
till another time, / When Caesar's wife shall meet with better
dreams" 2.2.98-99). He then brilliantly creates an alternate
interpretation of the dream, saying, "Your statue spouting
blood in many pipes, / In which so many smiling Romans
bathed, / Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck /
Reviving blood" (2.2.85-88).

Brutus, contrary to the way he tries to present himself, is a

vain man, easily manipulated by Cassius. Cassius first
compares Brutus to Caesar by comparing their names, and
subsequently tells Brutus he represents the best qualities of
Caesar without the flaws. Next, Cassius drafts letters to
Brutus which he has Cinna deliver by tossing them through
the window or leaving them where Brutus will find them.
Brutus' fatal flaw is revealed when he interprets the first
letter he receives according to his personal bias. Thus, like
Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Brutus misconstrues the letter's
meaning to fulfill his desire for power.

Julius Caesar Summary and

Analysis of Act 3
Act Three, Scene One
Caesar is headed to the Senate House with all of the
conspirators surrounding him. He sees the soothsayer and
tells the man that the ides of March have come. The
soothsayer responds with, "Ay, Caesar, but not gone" (3.1.2).
However, Caesar is not concerned and continues to the
Senate. Next Artemidorus attempts to hand Caesar his letter,
explaining its contents affect him personally, but Decius
responds quickly, telling Caesar the Trebonius has a
document for him to read instead. Caesar tells Artemidorus
that, "What touches us ourself shall be last served" (3.1.7).
As they approach the Senate House, Trebonius manages to
pull Mark Antony aside and away from Caesar, thus making
him more vulnerable to attack. Caesar takes his seat in the
Senate and proceeds to allow Metellus Cimber to petition
him. The man throws himself down at Caesar's feet begging
for his brother's release from banishment, but is ordered to
stand. Caesar tells him that fawning will not win him any
favors, and that, "Know Caesar doth not wrong but with just
cause" (3.1.47). At this Brutus comes forward, to Caesar's
great surprise, and pleads for the man's brother. Cassius
soon joins him. Caesar tells them his decision is, "constant as
the Northern Star" and that he will not remove the
banishment. Cinna approaches and Caesar tells him, "Hence!
wilt thou lift up Olympus?" (3.1.73). Decius and Ligarius come
forward and kneel before him as well. Finally Casca also
kneels and says, "Speak hands for me" (3.1.76), and stabs
Caesar. All the conspirators continue to stab him as he falls
saying, "Et tu, Brute? - Then fall Caesar" (3.1.77).
Cinna immediately starts crying out, "Liberty! Freedom!
Tyranny is dead!" (3.1.78) The other senators all run out of
the Senate House in confusion while the conspirators stay
together to protect themselves. Brutus finally tells them to,

"Stoop, Romans, stoop.(bend down,to step)

And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood

 Up to the elbows, and besmear(to spread) our
swords;

Then walk we forth even to the market place,

And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads,

Let's all cry out 'peace, freedom, and liberty!'"

(3.1.106-111).
Cassius continues this exultation(joy of victory) of their deed,
(action) saying, "How many ages hence(from here) / Shall this
our lofty(high,tall) scene be acted over, / In states unborn and
accents yet unknown!" (3.1.112-114). Cassius further adds
that they will be known as, "The men that gave their country
liberty" (3.1.118).

The servant of Mark Antony arrives and falls prostrate(lying

flat,facedown) before Brutus, telling Brutus that Antony
wishes to meet with him to learn why Caesar had to die.
Brutus promises Antony will not be harmed and tells the
servant to bring him. Cassius tells Brutus that he still has
misgivings(suspect) about Antony even though he has
promised to not hurt him.

Antony arrives and laments(expressing sadness) the death of

Caesar, begging the murderers, specifically Brutus, to explain
why Caesar had to be killed. Brutus tells him that Caesar was
destroying the republic and had to be removed from power.
Antony pretends to be convinced by this and asks the
conspirators to, "Let each man render me his bloody hand"
(3.1.185). He then shakes hands with each of them, naming
them as he faces each man. The last hand he takes is that of
Trebonius, who actually did not commit the murder, but
distracted(turn aside) Mark Antony so he would not be able to
protect Caesar.

Antony quickly recants(stop) his agreement with the

murderers, and tells Cassius that he almost joined them after
shaking their hands, was swayed at the sight of Caesar's
body. He asks them if he may have permission to take the
body to the marketplace and show it to the crowds. Brutus
gives him permission to do this, but Cassius warns, "You
know not what you do. Do not consent(to give permission,to
grant,to allow) / That Antony speak in his funeral. / Know you
how much the people may be moved / By that which he will
utter?"(to say,to use the voice) (3.1.234-237). As a
compromise, Brutus decides to give his speech first, and to
allow Antony to speak afterwards, provided that Antony only
says positive things about the conspirators. Antony agrees.

Left alone with the body of Caesar, Antony says, "O pardon
me, thou bleeding piece of earth / That I am meek(humble)
and gentle with these butcher" (3.1.257-258). He continues,
becoming ever more violent in his speech, "Domestic fury
and fierce civil strife / Shall cumber(slow down,to hinder) all
the parts of Italy" (3.1.266-267). A servant sent from Octavius
Caesar arrives and sees the body. Antony tells him to stay for
the funeral eulogies(oration to honor a deceased person) in
the marketplace and report back to Octavius on the state of
affairs in Rome. Together they carry out Caesar's body.

Act Three, Scene Two

Brutus and Cassius tell the plebeians to follow them in order
to hear an explanation for the murder. They split the
multitude into two parties and Cassius leaves to speak to one
group while Brutus speaks to the other. Brutus tells the
masses that he loved Caesar more than any of them, but that
he killed Caesar because he loved Rome more. He says, "As
Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he was fortunate, I
rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I honor him. But as he was
ambitious, I slew(to rotate) him" (3.2.23-25). Brutus then asks
them if they wish him to die for his actions, to which the
crowd replies, "Live, Brutus, live, live!" (3.2.44). Lastly, he
begs them listen to Mark Antony and to let him depart alone.
Thus, he leaves Mark Antony alone to give his oration.

Antony's speech begins with the famous lines, "Friends,

Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" (3.2.70). His
speech continually praises Brutus as "an honourable man"
who has killed Caesar for being ambitious yet also describes
Caesar as the most honorable and generous of men. In this
way, Antony appears to praise his friend while respecting the
men who murdered him, when in fact, Antony is
inciting(encourage) the crowd against Brutus, Cassius and
the conspirators.
The plebeians are easily swayed(controlled) and conclude
that Caesar was not ambitious, and was wrongly murdered.
Next, after the plebeians beg, Antony reads Caesar's will
after descending into the masses and standing next to
Caesar's body. He shows them the stab wounds and names
the conspirators who gave Caesar the wounds. The crowd
starts to surge away in anarchy, crying, "Revenge! About!
Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay!" (3.2.196). Antony stops them
and finally reads the will, in which Caesar has given every
Roman citizen seventy-five drachmas(currency of Greece)
and the freedom to roam(to wander,to travel freely) his land.
The plebeians react in a frenzy of anger against the men who
killed Caesar, and carry away the body. Antony says, "Now let
it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. / Take thou what course thou
wilt" (3.2.248-249). The servant of Octavius arrives and tells
Antony that Octavius is already in Rome and is waiting for
him at Caesar's house.

Act Three, Scene Three

Cinna the poet (not Cinna the conspirator) is unable to sleep
that night and wanders through the streets of Rome. Some
plebeians find him and demand to know who he is and what
he is doing on the street. He tells them that he is going to
Caesar's funeral as a friend of Caesar. When they ask him his
name, he tells them Cinna, at which the plebeians cry, "Tear
him to pieces! He's a conspirator" (3.3.27). Cinna responds
by saying, "I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet"
(3.3.28), but they attack him anyway and carry him away.
Analysis
The images of Caesar throughout the play are those of
constancy and greatness. Caesar himself exclaims, "But I am
constant as the northern star" (3.1.60), "Hence! wilt thou lift
up Olympus?" (3.1.73). Cassius even angrily compares
Caesar to the Colossus, saying, "Why, man, he doth bestride
the narrow world / Like a Colossus, and we petty men / Walk
under his huge legs and peep about" (1.2.136-138). Thus
when Caesar falls, the world falls into chaos. There is no one
able to replace Caesar's power immediately after his death,
and so anarchy reigns until Octavius eventually seizes power
in the final lines of the play.

Caesar's greatest flaw is his refusal to acknowledge his

mortality. Often referring to himself in the third person, he
develops a sense of greatness and godliness that distracts
him from taking appropriate precautions. Artemidorus tries to
hand him a note warning him about the dangers of the
conspirators, but Caesar refuses because Artemidorus
informs him that the note is personal. "What touches us
ourself shall be last served" (3.1.7).

The moments immediately following Caesar's death are

highly ironic, as the murderers cry out, "Liberty! Freedom!
Tyranny is dead!" (3.1.78) They have committed an
extralegal act and yet now cry out in the name of liberty.
Next, they dip their hands in Caesar's blood:

"Stoop, Romans, stoop.

 And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood

Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords;

Then walk we forth even to the marketplace,

And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads,

Let's all cry out 'peace, freedom, and liberty!'"

(3.1.106-111).
Cassius remarks, "How many ages hence / Shall this our lofty
scene be acted over, / In states unborn and accents yet
unknown!" (3.1.112-114). These lines, alluding to
Shakespeare's retelling of Julius Caesar's story, were used
even during the French Revolution, due to their simultaneous
expression of grotesque death and the rallying cry of "peace,
freedom, and liberty!". Brutus and the other conspirators fail
to grasp the hypocrisy of their actions.
Mark Antony does not believe the conspirators are justified in
crying "peace", and is the first to condemn their actions.
When Antony states, "Let each man render me his bloody
hand" (3.1.185), he is marking them for revenge rather than
celebrating their actions. Even Trebonius, who did not stab
Caesar, but prevented Antony from protecting him, is marked
by Antony. Antony shakes hands with Trebonius last,
transferring Caesar's blood, collected from his previous
handshakes, to his clean hands.
At this moment, Antony symbolizes anarchy, blaming the
conspirators and marking them for revenge. He shows his
taste for chaos when finally left alone with Caesar, saying, "O
pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth / That I am meek
and gentle with these butchers" (3.1.257-258). His final
words indicate his goals, stating, "Domestic fury and fierce
civil strife / Shall cumber all the parts of Italy" (3.1.266-267).

Indeed, Anarchy does rule by the final scene of Act III, in

which innocent Cinna the poet is killed because his namesake
was one of the murderers. This scene, in which the plebeians
are unwilling to listen to Cinna, expresses the death of not
only order but also of literature and reason. Cinna cries out, "I
am Cinna the Poet" (3.3.28), at which the crowd simply
changes its charges against him to, "Tear him for his bad
verses" (3.3.29). The death of Cinna is an attack on men of
words and literature, and marks the first time a poet, often
an icon of political rebellion, is ignored. Later on in the play, a
poet tries to separate Brutus and Cassius during a great
argument, but is ignored and sent away. Perhaps, with these
examples, Shakespeare is asking the audience to give more
weight to the work of poets and writers in the affairs of the
world.
Critics often point out Brutus' tactical errors which lead to his
eventual loss. Brutus' first grave mistake is allowing Mark
Antony to live. However, his greatest mistake is allowing
Antony to speak to the crowds. Cassius' fears are justified
when Antony turns the crowd against the conspirators.
Furthermore, Brutus leaves Antony alone with the crowd,
thereby losing all control of the situation.

Antony realizes the nature of the people he is dealing with,

and tells the crowd, "You are not wood, you are not stones,
but men" (3.2.139). This contrasts with Murellus in the very
first scene who calls the crowd, "You blocks, you stones, you
worse than senseless things" (1.1.34). Antony is able to
influence the crowd because he flatters them and uses
repetition and poetry to drive his points home. With this
careful manipulation, Antony overcomes Brutus, who instead
addressed the crowd in prose, syllogisms and logic. However,
although a powerful speaker, Antony relies on Caesar's body
and will to win the crowd over. Thus, the audience sees the
continual influence Caesar maintains over events, even after
his death. Antony says that he would, "put a tongue / In every
wound of Caesar that should move / The stones of Rome to
rise and mutiny" (3.2.219-22

Julius Caesar Summary and

Analysis of Act 4
Act Four, Scene One
Antony, Octavius and Lepidus have banded together in a
counter-conspiracy to destroy the men who killed Caesar.
Antony has a paper with names on it and he says, "These
many, then, shall die; their names are pricked" (hole)(4.1.1).
The men then mark more names of people who must die,
including the brother of Lepidus and the son of Mark Antony's
sister. Antony states that, "He shall not live. Look, with a spot
I damn(to ruin) him" (4.1.6).
Antony then sends Lepidus to Caesar's house to fetch the
will. He hopes to somehow reduce the amount of money that
needs to be paid to the beneficiaries. After Lepidus leaves,
Antony tells Octavius that Lepidus was a poor choice to form
the second triumvirate with.(trio,trinity) Octavius says, "You
may do your will; / But he's a tried and valiant soldier"
(4.1.28). Antony implies in his speech that he will eventually
remove Lepidus from rule, but that they should keep him a
while longer.

Act Four, Scene Two

Brutus has brought his armies to Sardis (now Western
Turkey) and has set up camp. A messenger whom he sent to
Cassius informs him that Cassius is not as friendly anymore.
Brutus remarks, "Thou hast(have) described / A hot friend
cooling" (4.2.18-19). At that moment Cassius' army arrives
and Cassius himself appears. He is angry with Brutus and
starts to accuse him of wronging(an act by which somebody
is wronged) him, but Brutus makes him enter the tent so that
they do not appear to be fighting in front of their men.

Cassius is upset that Brutus publicly disgraced(out of favor) a

friend of his for taking bribes from the Sardinians. Apparently
Cassius had sent several letter to Brutus urging(desire) for
the man's release, but Brutus refused. Brutus is furious that
Cassius would even consider defending a man for taking
bribes, arguing that Caesar was killed for exactly such
behavior. He states, "What, shall one of us, / That struck the
foremost man of all this world / But for supporting robbers,
shall we now / Contaminate our fingers with base bribes"
(4.2.73-76). Cassius and Brutus end up threatening each
other, with each man convinced he is better able to lead the
armies than the other.

The two men continue arguing,(discussion opposing) and

Brutus finally tells Cassius that he is upset that Cassius
refused to send him gold with which to pay his soldiers.
Brutus says, "I did send / To you for gold to pay my legions,
(large number of people,mass) / Which you denied me"
(4.2.130-132). Cassius denies it, and in
exasperation(bitter,anger) pulls out his dagger(stabbing
weapon) and offers it to Brutus. He tells Brutus to kill him if
he is such an terrible man, but Brutus recants and they finally
embrace in friendship.

A poet forces his way into the tent and demands that the
generals (Cassius and Brutus) not be left alone. He argues
that there is a grudge(hatred) between them. However,
having already resumed their friendship, they order him
away.

Brutus finally informs Cassius that Portia is dead. Cassius, is

surprised by the news and asks how she died. Brutus explains
that Portia, left alone in the city after he fled, was upset that
Octavius and Antony had seized control of Rome. She
therefore took live embers(solid remains of a fire)and
swallowed them, killing herself. Titinius and Messala arrive
and Brutus immediately changes the subject. Cassius takes
him aside and asks, "Portia, art thou gone?" (4.2.218). Brutus
tells him not to speak of her anymore.
Brutus and Messala compare letters they have received
informing them that Antony and Octavius are marching
towards them from Greece. Messala tells Brutus that over
one hundred senators have been put to death, but Brutus
says his letter only mentioned seventy, including the orator
Cicero. Messala then asks Brutus if he has heard anything
about Portia, to which Brutus replies, "Nothing, Messala"
(4.2.236), and asks Messala for news of her, pretending to
hear of her death for the first time.
Brutus and Cassius then decide whether to wait for Antony
and Octavius in Sardis(ancient capital of Lydia in western
asia) or march to meet the opposing army in Philippi. Cassius
prefers to wait and keep his men fresh, but Brutus thinks that
the enemy is gaining in power every day and therefore must
be stopped as soon as possible. Cassius finally agrees with
him and leaves for his tent to rest before leaving in the
morning.

Brutus remains awake with his servant Lucius. He orders two

men, Claudio and Varrus, to enter his tent and sleep there in
case he needs to send them on an errand(trip to accomplish
a small mission) during the night. Brutus then asks Lucius to
play him a song on his stringed instrument, which he does
until he falls asleep with his instrument in his hands.
Brutus starts reading a book, but the ghost of Julius Caesar
appears, causing the flame to dim(not bright). Brutus
demands to know who has entered the room, and the ghost
tells him, "Thy evil spirit, Brutus" (4.2.333). Brutus then asks
the ghost why he has come, and is told that the ghost will see
him again at Philippi. The ghost leaves, and Brutus
immediately wakes up everyone else in the room. He orders
Lucius to go back to sleep, and tells Varrus and Claudio to
inform Cassius that he should take his army and march
ahead.

Analysis
Antony, Octavius and Lepidus differ significantly from the
original conspirators. They wish only to avenge Caesar's
death and are willing to murder each of them, stating "These
many, then, shall die; their names are pricked" (4.1.1). In
their counter-conspiracy, they are willing to include relatives
and friends on the list of those to die, demonstrating they are
most serious and dedicated to the task of eradicating those
who conspired against Caesar. Antony's statement, "He shall
not live. Look, with a spot I damn him" (4.1.6) brings to the
forefront the calculating nature of the new rulers.

Brutus stands out as an example of Republican stoicism on

the battlefield. He describes the cause of Portia's death as,
"Impatience of my absence" (4.2.204). His calmness when
speaking about his wife's death frightens even Cassius, who
remarks that, "How scaped I killing when I crossed you so?"
(4.2.202). He is further taken aback by the ease with which
Brutus dismisses the topic when Titinius and Messala arrive.
Brutus immediately changes the subject, forcing Cassius to
take him aside and ask, "Portia, art thou gone?" (4.2.218).
Brutus tells him not to speak of her anymore. Later, when
Messala asks Brutus if he has heard anything about Portia,
Brutus replies, "Nothing, Messala" (4.2.236). Stoicism and
honor mean everything to Brutus, and like Hotspur in Henry
IV, Brutus refuses to show weakness to his troops.

Letters and poetry appear a great deal throughout this play,

possibly more than in any other of Shakespeare's plays. In
the first act, Cassius writes anonymous letters to Brutus to
convince him to joint he conspiracy, Artemidorus writes an
ignored letter warning Caesar of the plot against him, and
Cinna the poet is murdered. In this act, a poet again takes
the stage, but Brutus orders him removed from his tent. In
addition, both Brutus and Messala have letters regarding the
state of Rome after Antony's speech. Brutus states, "Mine [a
letter] speaks of seventy senators that died / By their
proscriptions, Cicero being one" (4.2.229-230). This mention
of perhaps the greatest orator Cicero, a man identified
closely with words, is almost an afterthought. Even Brutus,
when trying to read his book, is unable to continue reading
because the ghost of Caesar interrupts him. We therefore see
first the manipulative power, and then the destruction and
dismissal of literature and poetry after Caesar's death.
Julius Caesar Summary and
Analysis of Act 5
Act Five, Scene One
Octavius and Antony, located on a battlefield in Philippi, have
just learned that Brutus and Cassius are marching towards
them. A messenger arrives and tells both generals that the
enemy is so close that they must do something quickly.
Antony orders Octavius to, "lead your battle softly on / Upon
the left hand of the even field" (5.1.16-17). Octavius
contradicts him, and decides to march on the right hand side.
Antony is annoyed by this, asking, "Why do you cross me in
this exigent?"(immediate action) (5.1.19). Octavius replies, "I
do not cross(opposing,adverse) you, but I will do so" (5.1.20).

Brutus and Cassius arrive at the head of their army. Octavius

asks if he should give the sign of battle, and Antony says,
"No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge" (5.1.24). The
generals all meet and converse, but only to insult each other.
Antony accuses Brutus and Cassius of being "villains,"(bad
person,antagonist) whereas Cassius tells Brutus that they
would not have to listen to Antony now if he had been
allowed to kill him as he originally wanted to. The men refuse
to back down and are forced to return to their armies and
prepare for battle.

Cassius calls Messala over and tells him that this battle is
similar to the one Pompey fought and lost against Caesar. He
points out that although not normally superstitious, he is
upset by the fact that two eagles who accompanied the army
all the way from Sardis have been replaced by crows and
ravens, symbols of bad things to come. He ends his speech
by stating, "Our army lies ready to give the ghost" (5.1.88).
Cassius then talks to Brutus and asks him what he will do if
they should lose the battle. Brutus rejects suicide, but also
tells Cassius that he will never be dragged(move slowly)
through the streets of Rome as a bound(tie,fasten) prisoner.
The two generals say a dramatic farewell and return to their
respective armies to prepare for battle.

Act Five, Scene Two

The battle begins and Brutus gives Messala orders to bring to
Cassius. He tells Messala to inform Cassius that he needs to
advance faster in order to catch Octavius' flank(army) which
is not fighting very well.

Act Five, Scene Three

Cassius is upset because he is afraid his men are running
away from the field of battle. He tells Titinius that he
personally killed his standard-bearer who was trying to run
away and took up the banner himself. Titinius informs him
that Brutus "gave the word too early" (5.3.5) and that his
soldiers quickly started looting(steal as part of war,to
examine the corpse of a fallen enemy) the enemy camp once
they captured it. In the meantime, Antony's army has been
able to surround Cassius.
Pindarus arrives and tells Cassius to run further away. He
informs his general that the tents have been taken and are
burning in the distance. Cassius sends Titinius to check on
some soldiers and find out if they are his men or not, and
simultaneously(occurring at the same time) sends Pindarus
up a hill to watch and see what happens. Pindarus misinforms
him, telling him Titinius is captured and killed by the troops.
Cassius calls Pindarus back down from the hill and hands him
the sword with which he stabbed Caesar. He tells Pindarus to
take the sword and stab him with it. Pindarus obeys, kills
Cassius on the spot, and runs away.

Titinius and Messala return to where Cassius is lying. Titinius

has a wreath of laurels on his head, a sign of victory, and is
telling Messala that Brutus has defeated Octavius but Antony
has conquered Cassius' army. He sees Cassius on the ground
and realizes that Cassius misunderstood what happened on
the battle field. Titinius sends Messala to Brutus to tell him
what has happened. He then turns to Cassius' body and says,
"Alas,(used to express sorrow,regret) thou hast
misconstrued(misunderstand,misinterpret) everything"
(5.3.83). Titinius then picks up Cassius' sword and kills
himself.

Brutus arrives and sees the two dead bodies lying on the
ground. He remarks, "Oh Julius Caesar, thou art
mighty(powefull) yet" (5.3.93). Brutus quickly recovers from
the loss of his confederate and immediately orders the
soldiers to prepare for another battle, this time against
Antony.

Act Five, Scene Four

Brutus appears again, still leading his troops. He tells his men
to continue fighting and leaves them in the midst(middle) of
battle. Cato valiantly(showing courage) fights but is killed.
Lucillius pretends to be Brutus and challenges the soldiers,
but is quickly captured. The soldiers send for Antony, thinking
they have finally captured Brutus. Antony arrives and
recognizes Lucillius and tells his soldiers that although they
did not get Brutus, they still captured a nobleman. He orders
his soldiers to continue fighting.

Act Five, Scene Five

Brutus arrives accompanied by several stragglers from his
defeated army. He first asks Clitus and then Dardanius to kill
him so that he will not be captured. They both refuse and
stand away from him. He then asks Volumnius to kill him as a
friend, but Volumnius tells him, "That's not the office for a
friend, my lord" (5.5.29). At the sound of another call to
battle, Brutus hastily(quickly,hurriedly) gets up and orders his
men to flee ahead of him. He keeps Strato with him, and
finally convinces Strato to hold the sword while he impales
himself on it.
Antony and Octavius arrive with their army. They find Brutus
dead on the ground and Strato nearby. Strato informs them
how Brutus died, and Antony states, "This was the noblest
Roman of them all" (5.5.67). He says that of all the
conspirators only Brutus believed that he was killing Caesar
to uphold the Roman Republic; the others were simply
jealous and power hungry. Antony continues, saying, "his life
was gentle, and the elements / So mixed in him that nature
might stand up / And say to all the world 'This was a man'"
(5.5.74). Octavius orders the body placed in his tent and to
cease(stop) fighting. The play ends with Octavius stating, "So
call the field to rest, and let's away / To part the glories of
this happy day" (5.5.79-80).

Analysis
For the first time in the play Octavius emerges as a new
leader. It has been said that each act of the play belongs to a
different man. Thus the first act belongs to Cassius, the
second to Brutus, the third to Caesar, the fourth to Antony,
and the last act to Octavius. When Antony orders Octavius to,
"lead your battle softly on / Upon the left hand of the even
field" (5.1.16-17), he is contradicted for the first time.
Octavius decides to march on the right hand side instead.
Antony, annoyed by this challenge to his power, asks, "Why
do you cross me in this exigent?" (5.1.19). Octavius replies, "I
do not cross you, but I will do so" (5.1.20). This statement
also foreshadows how Octavius will eventually cross Antony
by removing him from of power. By the end of Act 5, Octavius
rules singly. Unlike Caesar, with whom the audience saw a
personal side, Octavius is depicted as ruthless, barely human,
and a politician without moral scruples or emotional conflict.

This shift in power from Antony to Octavius is signified

through the use of names. Up until the point where Octavius
challenges Antony, he is referred to as "young Octavius".
Only after Octavius asserts his authority is he referred to
without the demeaning modifier. After asking Antony if he
should give the sign of battle, Antony replies to Octavius,
"No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge" (5.1.24). For the
first time, Octavius is called only "Caesar", and for the rest of
the play is referred to similarly, even by Cassius.

The omens first seen in Act 1 reappear here as well. In fact,

Cassius is so overwhelmed by the omens that he compares
this battle to the one that Pompey fought and lost. Cassius
speaks of the noble eagles being replaced by kites and
ravens, a change considered to be a very bad sign. This
superstition leads him to believe that he will lose the battle,
and he remarks, "Our army lies ready to give the ghost"
(5.1.88). The ghost, of course, is that of Caesar, whose
presence and memory is the reason for battle.

The deaths of Cassius and Brutus demonstrate that Caesar,

even in death, is as strong as ever. His spirit dominates in the
battle. Cassius' last words are, "Caesar, thou art revenged, /
Even with the sword that killed thee" (5.3.44-45). Brutus also
invokes the image of Caesar, not only when dying, but also
when he sees Cassius dead on the ground. He says, "Oh
Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet" (5.3.93). As he commits
suicide he again mentions Caesar, saying, "Caesar, now be
still. / I killed not thee with half so good a will." (5.5.50-51).
Titinius, when he discovers Cassius, recalls the words of
Cicero in the beginning about men construing the plot as
they saw fit. He speaks to Cassius and says, "Alas, thou hast
misconstrued everything" (5.3.83). This remark, meant to
imply that Cassius killed himself because he was too quick to
assume defeat, also is a comment on the fact that Cassius
killed Caesar. It can easily be interpreted as stating that
Cassius misconstrued the facts about Caesar, allowing him to
convince Brutus to join the conspirators through his plots.
This further implies that even the necessity of killing Caesar
was misconstrued, thus giving it a literal meaning, "thou hast
misconstrued everything."
At Brutus' death, Strato comments, "For Brutus only
overcame himself" (5.5.56). This represents the fact that for
Brutus this play is a tragedy, a play about dealing with the
internal struggle of whether to support Caesar as a friend or
kill him as a dictator. It is this internal struggle which causes
the civil war between Brutus and Antony, and the deaths of
so many Romans.

Brutus' inability to overcome his internal struggle allows

Antony to say, "This was the noblest Roman of them all"
(5.5.67). He is implying that only Brutus really believed that
he was killing Caesar to uphold the Roman Republic.
However, the audienve must remember how easily Cassius
manipulated Brutus into murdering Caesar. Despite his
seeming eagerness to achieve power, Brutus is the only
conspirator to maintain his humanity and dignity throughout
the play. He stands as a symbol of honor against the
dishonorable Cassius who lies, manipulates, and wishes to
take bribes, and Brutus' rhetoric implies that he would never
have killed Caesar except to defend the Roman Republic.
Thus Antony continues his epilogue for Brutus, saying, "his
life was gentle, and the elements / So mixed in him that
nature might stand up / And say to all the world 'This was a
man'" (5.5.74)

Brutus' tragic ending is, however, mirrored by the ascension

of Octavius. Thus, the play's conclusion combines the sad
defeat of the "noblest Roman" with the victorious emergence
of a new Caesar. It is therefore Octavius, not Antony, who
ends the play with the lines, "So call the field to rest, and let's
away / To part the glories of this happy day" (5.5.79-80).
Happy is hardly the words the audience would use to
describe what has taken place. Yet, for Octavius, this is the
day that begins his rule over Rome and is worthy of
celebration.

Julius Caesar Character List

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Julius Caesar
the titular character. When the play starts, he is the only man capable of giving orders and
ensuring they are carried out. Caesar fails to understand the many signs indicating a plot against
him and is killed by a conspiracy led by Cassius and Brutus. His ghost haunts the remainder of
the play, and his name is invoked by both Cassius and Brutus before they commit suicide in the
final act.
Calpurnia
the wife of Caesar. She has a dream in which she sees a statue of Caesar bleeding from multiple
wounds, and begs him to stay at home the day he is killed. Caesar ignores her and goes to the
Senate House anyway.

Marcus Brutus
a noble Roman opposed to Caesar. He is an idealist who upholds honor above everything else.
Brutus only agrees to kill Caesar after becoming convinced that it is necessary for the Roman
Republic. He dies on the battlefield by impaling himself on his own sword.

Portia
the wife of Brutus. She proves her courage and strength by stabbing her thigh with a dagger in
order to force Brutus to tell her about the plot to kill Caesar. She kills herself by swallowing hot
coals from the fire after Mark Antony and Octavius assume power in Rome.

Lucius
a servant to Brutus.

Caius Cassius
a man opposed to Caesar. He assembles the conspirators and is the man who convinces Brutus to
kill Caesar. He commits suicide at the battle of Philippi after falsely thinking his army has been
defeated.

Casca
a man opposed to Caesar.

Trebonius
a man opposed to Caesar.

Decius Brutus
a man opposed to Caesar. He misinterprets Calpurnia's dream in order to convince Caesar to go
to the Senate House on the ides of March.

Metellus Cimber
a man opposed to Caesar.

Cinna
a man opposed to Caesar.

Caius Ligarius
a man opposed to Caesar.

Mark Antony
a ruler of Rome after Caesar's death. Antony is Caesar's friend from the beginning and he gives a
rousing speech to the masses which causes riots in Rome. Brutus and Cassius are chased out of
the city in the ensuing chaos, and Antony forms the second triumvirate with Octavius and
Lepidus.

Octavius Caesar
a ruler of Rome after Caesar's death. Octavius is a young general who joins the second
triumvirate. He and Antony fight against Brutus and Cassius; he historically becomes the future
emperor of Rome.

Lepidus
a ruler of Rome after Caesar's death.

Flavius
a tribune of the people. He is removed from office after derobing the statues of Caesar.

Murellus
a tribune of the people. He is removed from office after derobing the statues of Caesar.

Cicero
a senator. He tells Casca that men construe omens the way they want to. He is later killed by
Antony and Octavius when they purge the Senate.

Publius
a senator.

Popillius Laena
a senator.

A Soothsayer
a man who tells Caesar to beware the ides of March (March 15) but who is ignored.

Artemidorus
a man who tries to give Caesar a letter in which he describes the plot against him. Caesar ignores
his letter.

Cinna the Poet

a poet who is beaten and possibly killed because he has the same name as one of the
conspirators.

Pindarus
the bondsman to Cassius.

Titinius
an officer in Cassius' army. He kills himself when he finds Cassius dead on the battlefield.

Lucillius
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Messala
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Varrus
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Claudio
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Young Cato
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Strato
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Volumnius
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Dardanius
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

Clitus
an officer and soldier in Brutus' army.

A Poet
a man who bursts into Brutus' tent and tries to warn the army that Brutus and Cassius are angry
with each other. Brutus orders him to be taken away.

The Ghost of Caesar

a ghost of Julius Caesar who speaks to Brutus at Sardis.

A Cobbler
A Carpenter
Plebeians
Commoners

A Messenger
Servants, senators, soldiers, and attendants
I. Characters and their role in the play

Meet the Characters

a) The Supporters of Caesar
1) Julius Caesar (Ruler of Rome)

He has become so popular and powerful that some citizens fear that he will
convince the public to make him a king, changing Rome's government from
a republic to a monarchy.
2) Calpurnia (Caesar's wife)- She begs her husband not to go to the Senate
on the day of his assassination because of a dream she had foretelling the
event.
3) Mark Antony (Senator and loyal friend of Caesar)- He uses reverse
psychology to turn the Romans against the conspirators during his famous
funeral speech. He is a member of the ruling Triumvirate after Caesar's
death. Octavius Caesar (Caesar's adopted son)- He is a member of the
ruling Triumvirate after Caesar's death and convinces Mark Antony to
begin the war against the conspirators.
4) Aemilius Lepidus (A general in Caesar's army and Caesar's ally)- He is a
member of the ruling Triumvirate after Caesar's death but holds less
power than the other members.
b) The Conspirators against Caesar
1) Marcus Brutus (Caesar's closest friend)- He joins the conspiracy in
killing Caesar because he strongly believes in keeping Rome a
government ruled by the people.
2) Caius Cassius (An ambassador for Caesar and the instigator of the
conspiracy against Caesar)- He and Brutus lead the army against
the ruling Triumvirate in the civil war following Caesar's death.
3) Casca (A Roman Senator)- He is the first to stab Caesar. He does so
from behind. Decius Brutus (A Roman senator)- He is sent to
 accompany Caesar to the Senate on the day of Caesar’s
assassination.
4) Cinna (A Roman senator)- He assists Cassius' manipulation of
Brutus by planting anonymous letters around Brutus’ house.
5) Trebonius (A Roman senator)- He supports Brutus' decision to spare
Mark Antony's life and is the only conspirator who doesn’t stab
Caesar.
6) Metellus Cimber (A Roman Senator)- He distracts Caesar so the
others can attack him.
7) Caius Ligarius (A Roman Senator)- At first he hesitates in joining the
conspiracy against Caesar, but joins once he knows Brutus is also
convinced.
c) Family and Followers of the Conspirators

1) Portia (The wife of Marcus Brutus)- She feels Brutus is hiding

something from her and pleads with him to confide in her.
2) Lucius (Brutus' servant)
3) Pindarus (A servant to Cassius)- He delivers an inaccurate report to
Cassius regarding the death of one of his men.
4) Strato (A servant and friend to Brutus)- He holds the sword on
Brutus' behalf so that Brutus may run upon the it.

Other Romans
1) Cicero (A Roman senator and well known orator)
2) Publius (A Roman senator)- He travels with Caesar to the Senate
House the day of the assassination. He also tries to calm the angry
crowd.
3) Popillius Lena (A Roman senator)- He frightens Cassius by wishing
him well on his "enterprises" just before Caesar enters the Senate
House on the day of Caesar's assassination.
 4) Soothsayer (A soothsayer is someone who foretells events or
predicts the future)- He warns Caesar to "beware the Ides of March.
5) Artemidorus (A Roman writer and philosopher)- He presents Caesar
with a letter warning him about the assassination. Caesar does not
heed this warning.
6) Flavius (A commoner of Rome)- He is skeptical of Caesar's power.
7) Murellus (A commoner of Rome)- He criticizes the other commoners
for praising Caesar without enough reason. Carpenter (A commoner
of Rome) Cobbler (A commoner of Rome)- He teases the other
commoners with word play.
8) Cinna the Poet (A artisan of Rome)- He is killed during the crowd's
riot when he is mistaken for the conspirator of the same name.
Themes in Julius Caesar
1. Heroes vs. Villains

One of the major themes of Julius Caesar’s concerns on how to distinguish

between heroes and villains. Caesar and Brutus
inadvertently(involontairement) compete for it where one seems other
and vice versa. Caesar becomes a hero for his performance in battle and in
his humble way of refusing the crown. On the other hand, Brutus terms him
as an ambitious person who is not fit to be a hero. Brutus’ speech after they
have killed him paints Caesar as a villain rather than a hero.

On the other hand, Brutus terms himself as a very patriotic person who loves
Rome more than he loves Caesar. His turn comes when Mark Antony
veiledly(obscure,secretive) showers ironic praises on Caesar and
berates(scold) Brutus, ironically presenting him a villain. By the end of
the play, when Mark Antony defeats and kills Brutus, still, Mark Antony terms
him the noblest of Romans, which is also ironic, for he has been already
termed a villain involved in the murder of Caesar. Therefore, this game of
competing perceptions about the hero and the villain of the play continue
until the end, and herein lies the mystery of the popularity of the play.
2. Omens

The significance of omens in Roman society at the time portrayed in the play
is another major theme. Shakespeare has shown Romans believing strongly
in omens and interpreting their fates through those signs and symbols.
However, the elite(social position) class often ignores such signs and
berates(furious) the plebeians for this ignorance. When the soothsayer tells
Caesar that he should beware the Ides of March, Caesar not only ignores him
but also forgets it until Calpurnia, his wife, reminds him that she has had a
very bad dream about him. However, Caesar defers his visit to the Senate,
choosing not to completely ignore his wife. Even Casca sees various omens
and believes that these are the warning signs about the likely dictatorship of
Caesar.
3. Tyranny and Power

Power and the use of power for establishing tyranny(monarchy) over the
people is another significant theme of the play, Julius Caesar. Two characters
try to prove that Caesar has set up a tyrannical dictatorship; first Cassius,
who uses flowery(complicated) language to prove it and convinces
his audience, and then Brutus, who sees that by getting
absolute(unconditional,unlimited) power, Caesar has become a
despot(tyrant). However, Cassius goes further, calling Caesar a wolf and
vowing that had he known it before, he would have committed suicide
instead of becoming a slave. On the other hand, it seems that Caesar is
hungry for power though Mark Antony exonerates(discharges) him saying
that everybody is ambitious in one sense or another; therefore, it does not
make sense that a person should be assassinated merely for being
ambitious. Cassius and Brutus themselves are ambitious and pursue(to
capture) power. Had they had the same opportunity as Caesar, they might
have proved even worse tyrants worse than he.
4. Role of Fate

The role of fate is another major theme of the play. Fate enters the play
when Caesar is warned of a likely mishap(problem) concerning him. In fact,
the play revolves around Caesar’s fate(destiny), though Caesar does little to
avert(turn aside) this fate. Cassius, on the other hand, believes that he has
the power to change his fate. However, the chain of events that he
unleashes does not stop until he has to accept his fate. The conspirators, too,
face their fates either on the battlefield or by committing suicide like Portia.
Therefore, it seems that the play is more about the tension between fate and
individuals’ free will, portraying most of the characters as playthings in the
hands of fate.
5. Honor

Honor and integrity of an individual character is another major theme of the

play. Shakespeare has shown it through the character of Brutus that though
some people consider it an honor to help and save a friend, the
only sentence that Caesar speaks about Brutus’ loyalty and honor becomes a
catchphrase so much so that it is often cited as an example for a disloyal
friend. Brutus considers himself an honorable person who is saving the
Romans from a tyrant. Yet he becomes a disloyal friend. Cassius, too,
manipulates this concept and coaxes other conspirators to join him in his
fight against Caesar. However, Mark Antony has to come forward by the end
when he sees that all conspirators have killed Caesar in the name of honor.
He exonerates Caesar in an ironic speech delivered to the plebeians.
6. Power of Speech

One of the secondary themes of the play is the power of speech, showing
how public perceptions are subject to change by those who speak
eloquently. Once Brutus is swayed(to rule,to govern,to guide), conspirators
feel their ranks swelled(become big) on account of the power of speech of
Cassius who convinces all of them that they are right in killing Caesar to
eliminate the tyrant and that plebeians would be happy to get rid of him.
However, once they are done, Mark Antony proves that he can change public
opinion merely by his power of speech or eloquence through his speech at
Caesar’s funeral.

One of the secondary themes of the play is the power of speech, showing
how public perceptions are subject to change by those who speak
eloquently. Once Brutus is swayed, conspirators feel their ranks swelled on
account of the power of speech of Cassius who convinces all of them that
they are right in killing Caesar to eliminate the tyrant and that plebeians
would be happy to get rid of him. However, once they are done, Mark Antony
proves that he can change public opinion merely by his power of speech or
eloquence through his speech at Caesar’s fune
7. Identity

Identity is another secondary theme of the play. A person has a public

identity as well as a private identity, while another identity is formed by the
people through manipulation of public and private perceptions. Cassius
shapes Caesar into a tyrant on account of his swift(quick,rapid) rise to
power. This helps other conspirators to include Brutus and make their work
easy. Similarly, Brutus, too, shapes Caesar’s identity as a tyrant, while Mark
Antony presents him as a common human being, replacing his tyrannical
image with the identity of a good ruler.
8. War and Ambition

War fuels ambitions and ambitions bring wars. This thematic strand also runs
parallel to peace and honor. Caesar has fueled war hysteria in the nation
through his battle strategies. He has won so many battles and has shown
heroism on so many fronts that every other Roman soldier is as ambitious as
Caesar. That is why more wars are becoming necessary to win more honor.
This is the same ambition that leads the conspirators to weave a plan against
Caesar.

9. Limits of Human Understanding

Despite honor, courage, boldness, and knowledge of things, the limits of

human knowledge become an evident theme when a person like Caesar
ignores omens and warnings about threats to his life. First, he ignores the
soothsayer’s warning to beware, the Ides of March. Then he largely ignores
the pleas of his wife. Even Brutus misunderstands the future as well as Mark
Antony; a mistake that costs him heavily.
10. Ethics and Politics

The whole play revolves around political ethics and ethical politics. Brutus’
involvement in political intrigues and murder of Caesar is devoid of ethics,
while Mark Antony’s ironic speech shows ethical standards that must be
upheld.

Plot Summary
At a Glance Julius Caesar is a highly successful leader of Rome whose
popularity seems to model that of a king's. Although Caesar is loved and
supported by his citizens, some begin to grow wary of his increase in power.
Soon, these wary citizens conspire to assassinate Caesar before he becomes
king thus turning their republic government into a monarchy. Cassius, the
leader of the conspirators, convinces Marcus Brutus, Caesar's most trusted
friend, to join the conspiracy. During a celebration, Caesar is warned by the
Soothsayer that he must "beware the Ides of March". The next morning,
despite his wife Calpurnia's pleas, Caesar travels to the Senate House where
the conspirators assassinate him. Caesar's friend Mark Antony provides the
famous funeral oration and incites the crowd to riot leading to a civil war.
Antony and Octavius, Caesar's heirs, join the fight against the conspirators.
Antony and Octavius defeat the conspirators avenging Caesar's death and
restoring

Dramatic Techniques
Anachronism: Something that is misplaced in a story because it is out of
time. In Julius Caesar, a clock strikes though there were no clocks in Caesar’s
day.
2) Irony (verbal): Verbal irony is saying one thing but meaning another. In
Julius Caesar, when Mark Antony refers in his funeral oration to Brutus as "an
honorable man" repeatedly, he really means the opposite.
3) Hyperbole: Exaggeration; overstatement. Examples: (1) He [Julius
Caesar] doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men
walk under his...huge legs.–Shakespeare. (Caesar has become a giant.) (2)
Ten thousand oceans cannot wash away my guilt. (3) Oscar has the appetite
of a starving lion. 4) Alliteration: repetition of the same sound beginning
several words in sequence. “Veni, vidi, vici.” Julius Caesar
5) Apostrophe: (not the punctuation) a sudden turn from the general
audience to address a specific group or person or personified abstraction
absent or present.”For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel. Judge, O
you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him.” Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
6) Allusion: A reference to another written work, legend, myth, television
show, etc. "Why, man he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus"
(Cassius, I.ii).This is an allusion to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven
wonders of the ancient world
7) Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning
of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs. One of the devices of
repetition, in which the same phrase is repeated at the beginning of two or
more lines. "And Brutus is an honorable man."
8) Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is a key literary device in the play. We
see foreshadowing from the beginning of the play, when the Soothsayer tells
Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March" in I.i, which happens to be the day that
Caesar is killed. Calpurnia later dreams of Caesar's death, but he does not
heed her warning. this not only tells us what is going to happen, but it also
shows us how Caesar's status and ego are getting to his head.
Foreshadowing gives us a hint of what is to come, and can also reflect upon
a character or characters
9) Antithesis: A figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are
juxtaposed in a balanced or parallel phrase or grammatical structure. "Not
that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more."
10) Paradox: A statement which seems to contradict itself. "Cowards die
many times before their deaths." Is a quote made by Ceasar in the book.
This quote is a paradox because man can't actually die several times, but
men fear death so much that they may as well be dead because they aren't
living their lives to the fullest.
11) Oxymoron: Using contradiction in a manner that oddly makes sense.
Examples of oxymora include jumbo shrimp, sophisticated rednecks, and
military intelligence. The best oxymora seem to reveal a deeper truth
through their contradictions. For instance, "without laws, we can have no
freedom." Shakespeare's Julius Caesar also makes use of a famous
oxymoron: "Cowards die many times before their deaths" (II.ii.32).
12) Aside: An aside is words spoken to the audience or perhaps to another
character while other characters are on stage. The other characters pretend
to not hear and we the audience get to listen in on the thoughts. In William
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Trebonius is told to stay close to Caesar's side
and he replies to Caesar: "Caesar, I will (and in an aside to the audience) and
so near will I be,/That your best friends shall wish I had been further." (II. iv.
124-125) The audience hears everything, but everyone pretends that Caesar
does not hear Trebonius' threatening words. It is a device used so that the
audience gets to hear the candid, inner thoughts of the characters.
13) Pun (double entendre) Comic relief, a word or expression that has two
different meanings: (I.i.15) "a mender of bad souls"
14) Monologue: Refers to a speech by one person in a drama, a form of
entertainment by a single speaker, or an extended part of the text of a play
uttered by an actor. “ANTONY: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your
ears” (III.ii).
15) Metaphor: A comparison of two unalike things NOT using “like,” “as,”
“than,” or “rather.” Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed / that he is
grown so great? (I, ii, 149-50). Analysis: Cassius compares Caesar to a
carnivore and the common citizens to meat, not a very flattering
comparison.
16) Onomatopoeia: Use of words to imitate natural sounds. Brutus says
"The exhalations whizzing in the ai (II.i.44): whizzing is an example of
onomatopoeia.
17) Simile: a comparison of two-unalike things using “like,” “as,” “than,” or
“rather.” Example: The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks, / They are
all fire, and every one doth shine; / But there's but one in all doth hold his
place. / So in the world: 'tis furnished well with men. / And men are flesh and
blood, and apprehensive, / yet in the number I do not know but one / That
unassailable holds on his rank, / Unshaked of motion; and that I am he. (III, i,
63-70).Analysis: The reader gains a glimpse of the arrogant Caesar, who
compares himself to the Northern star, that the conspirators fear.
18) Iambic pentameter: A ten-syllable line consisting of five iambs is said
to be in iambic pentameter ("penta" = five). Its stress pattern (five pairs of
unstressed/stressed syllables) is conventionally represented Friends,
Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
19) Personification: Giving human traits (qualities, feelings, action, or
characteristics) to non-living objects (things, colors, qualities, or ideas)
Addressing conspiracy as if it were a person. (see example below)
20) Soliloquy: An utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to
himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present.
Cassius in soliloquy about Brutus in I.ii. O conspiracy, Sham’st thou to show
thy dan’rous brow by night, When evils are most free? O, then by day Where
wilt thou find a cavern dark enough to mask thy monstrous visage? Seek
none, conspiracy; Hide it in smiles and affability: For if thou path, the native
semblance on, Not Erebus itself was dim enough To hide thee from
prevention’
Plot development in Julius Caesar
i. Initial Situation

Caesar is a national hero, and there are rumblings in the Senate that he
seems to be on the path to becoming a king.

Caesar has returned to Rome after fighting and killing Pompey, his former
co-leader in the Roman triumvirate. The irony of this is lost on the plebeians
(common people), who celebrate the individual instead of the nation. The
situation at the beginning of the play is tense, and it's clear something needs
to happen to break the tension.
ii. Conflict

Cassius is gathering forces to rebel against Caesar, which amounts to

treason. Brutus must be convinced to join the plot.

Caesar's slow ascendance toward kingship and absolute power worries those
who think the plebeians are ignoring what will be an inevitable tyranny under
Caesar. Though Cassius has been trying to incite Brutus to rebellion by
suggesting that Brutus is better than Caesar, Brutus ignores this and is
moved by the fact that Rome must be greater than Caesar alone. Brutus
receives a (fake) letter that confirms things in Rome are really pretty bad,
and he's the only one that can do anything about it. His personal convictions
about Caesar have to be overcome by his patriotic commitment to Rome.
iii. Complication
The conspirators agree that nobody touches Antony, which unsettles Cassius.
When Antony comes to see Caesar's body, he convinces a trusting Brutus to
let him speak at Caesar's funeral.

The conspirators pull off the murder easily enough, but they're hurt by
Brutus' naïve thinking that everyone will love them after they calmly explain
their true motivations: that they only murdered Caesar for the good of Rome.
The people are panicking, which was not part of the plan. Antony takes
advantage of Brutus' trust by asking if he can give a speech at Caesar's
funeral. Though Antony promises Brutus he'll lay no blame, he fully intends
to have Caesar avenged by inciting the people to riot.
iv. Climax

Antony gives a rousing speech; public opinion turns against Brutus and
Cassius.

Antony uses masterful rhetoric to highlight the terrible dishonor of the

traitors. On the surface, he claims the traitors are all honorable men, but he
subtly undermines his claims by showing all the wrongs they have done to
Caesar. This gives the people reason to be incensed on Caesar's behalf. They
take to the streets, screaming "Burn! Kill!" etc., etc., which
really tickles Antony, who knows his diabolical plan has worked.

v. Suspense/ decline

Brutus and Cassius have fled; Antony is joined by Octavius and Lepidus;
Brutus and Cassius are fighting.

Brutus and Cassius have fled the city. In the meantime Antony is busy
plotting with his two friends, Octavius and Lepidus, whom he will likely
betray as well. Even our would-be heroes, Brutus and Cassius, quarrel over
some shady business deals Cassius has made. Everything seems to have
been for naught: Antony and his friends will become the new tyrants, Cassius
seems to be showing his true colors as dirty and underhanded, and Brutus
will have lost everything without succeeding in saving Rome from tyranny.
What good can possibly come of this?
vi. Denouement

Portia dies; Caesar's ghost shows up; Brutus and Cassius make a suicide
pact.

Everyone comes to their senses when Brutus announces that Portia has died.
That single change begins to shed light on Brutus' sense of the futility of this
fight. Caesar's ghost hasn't helped the matter, but Brutus is brave as ever,
saying he'll meet the ghost when it comes. Cassius has a poetic reckoning
with himself too – it's his birthday, so if he dies now his life will have come
full circle. The two friends make a subtle agreement to never go back to
Rome in chains, which implicitly means they'll take death before dishonor.
The audience can now rest easy that either way the men are nobly resigned
to die with honor, even if it's by their own hand.
vii. Conclusion

Cassius and Brutus kill themselves; Antony and Octavius (with Lepidus) are
free to rule Rome. For once, this is exactly how it all played out in history
(which Shakespeare often has a funny habit of revising). Having made peace
with each other and themselves, Brutus and Cassius kill themselves when
their battle against Antony and Octavius seems to be lost. Antony and
Octavius take the field where Brutus has fallen, and Brutus is proclaimed the
noblest man in all of Rome. Unfortunately, he's a bit too dead to hear it, and
that praise likely didn't matter to him anyway.