Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar, his wife Calpurnia, and Mark Antony enter the town square in preparation to celebrate Lupercalia. Caesar asks Mark Antony, who is running in the festival, to touch Calpurnia as he passes; he says it is a remedy for sterility. A soothsayer in the crowd bids Caesar to “[b]eware the ides of March” (I.2.19). Caesar ignores the warning. Everyone leaves except senators Decius Brutus and Caius Cassius.

Cassius notes that Brutus seems less friendly lately. Brutus admits that he feels conflicted. Cassius uses this as an opportunity to discuss Caesar. They hear a flourish of trumpets; Brutus says, “What means this shouting? I do fear the people/ Choose Caesar for king” (I.2.81). Although he loves Caesar, he values the Roman Republic and weighs honor equally with death. Cassius reminds Brutus that Caesar is a mere mortal like them; it amazes him that “[a] man of such a feeble temper should/ So get the start of the majestic world,/ And bear the palm alone” (I.2.31-33).

More trumpets sound, and Brutus worries it indicates more honors given to Caesar. Cassius tells Brutus that men were once masters of their fates; it is their fault for following Caesar and giving him so much power. He adds that Caesar has become dangerous to the republic. Brutus says he will consider Cassius’s argument. He would rather be a peasant than subject to a dictator.

When Caesar arrives, Brutus and Cassius note that something looks amiss. Caesar tells Mark Antony that he distrusts Cassius because he looks too lean and ambitious. Brutus and Cassius pull Casca, the tribune of the plebs, aside; the rest leave.

According to Casca, the three instances of shouting and fanfare were, indeed, related to Caesar. Antony offered Caesar the crown three times, and Caesar refused three times. However, Casca believes each refusal was more reluctant than the last. At the third refusal, Caesar fell into a swoon—he is epileptic. The episode makes him even more endearing to the crowd. Casca reports that Murellus and Flavius have been fired for removing Caesar’s regalia from the temple.

Alone on stage, Cassius soliloquizes his desire to turn Brutus against Caesar. He vows, “after this, let Caesar seat himself sure,/ For we will shake him or worse days endure” (1.2.315-316).

Amid thunder and lightning, Casca and a senator named Cicero run into each other on the street. Casca is terrified at the violence of the storm. He tells Cicero of a series of ominous signs: a slave with a burning hand, a lion near the Capitol, a crowd of men on fire, and an owl screeching in the marketplace at noon. Cicero acknowledges the strange events but does not believe they are necessarily portentous. Cicero leaves.

Cassius enters. He views the storm as a positive sign for good Romans; he believes they are warnings to bring the state’s problems to light. Casca guesses that this is a reference to Caesar, as the Senate is set to establish Caesar as king tomorrow. Cassius blames Rome, which he calls trash and offal, for enabling Caesar. Cassius and Casca form a conspiracy to remove Caesar form power.

Cinna, who is sympathetic to Cassius’s cause, enters. Cassius gives Cinna a letter to place on Brutus’s Praetor’s chair and another to throw in his window and affix to Old Brutus’s statue. They will reconvene at Pompey’s theater. 

Brutus calls from his orchard for his attendant Lucius to bring him a candle. Brutus knows Caesar to be a rational man who does not let his passions get the best of him. Still, he worries that Caesar will be corrupted by power if given the crown. Lucius returns with a sealed letter he found in Brutus’s study. Brutus asks Lucius to check the calendar and see if tomorrow is the Ides of March. He reads the letter, which is an attempt to convince him that Caesar must be removed from power. Brutus reflects that if Caesar’s removal were the will of the Roman people, he would support it. Brutus has not slept since Cassius incited him against Caesar.

The conspirators—Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus, and Trebonius convene. Cassius wants them to swear an oath, but Brutus argues that it is not necessary because their honesty and honor are stronger than any oath. They decide to leave Cicero out of the conspiracy. Cassius argues that they should kill Mark Antony along with Caesar, due to their close relationship, but Brutus contends that doing so would make their enterprise seem too bloody and vindictive. Brutus tells him, “Let’s be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius./ We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar,/ And in the spirit of men there is no blood” (2.1.166-168).

The clock strikes three in the morning. Cassius fears Caesar, who has become more superstitious, will heed the signs and stay inside. Decius plans to use flattery to draw Caesar out. Everyone but Brutus exits.

Portia, Brutus’s wife, enters and questions him about his recent melancholy behavior. Brutus says he is ill, but Portia guesses, “You have some sick offence within your mind,/ Which by the right and virtue of my place/ I ought to know of” (2.1.267-269). Her entreaty is interrupted by the arrival of Caius Ligarius, a Roman general. Brutus tells Ligarius he will fill him in on the details of the conspiracy.

After Calpurnia dreams of her husband’s murder. Caesar sends a servant to ask the priests to give sacrifice to the gods and report the results. Calpurnia begs Caesar not to leave the house; however, Caesar believes that the omens are as much for the general population as they are for him. The servant returns, telling them the priests augured that he should not leave. Caesar remains arrogantly obstinate, but Calpurnia begs him. He finally agrees to have Mark Antony tell the Senate that he is ill.

Decius enters. He interprets Calpurnia’s dream as a positive omen and plays on Caesar’s courage to convince him to go to the Senate after all. Cassius, Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Casca, Trebonius, and Cinna enter, followed by Mark Antony. They leave for the Senate together. 

Artemidorus, the diviner, reads a letter he wrote to Caesar warning him to beware of Cassius, Brutus, and the rest of the conspirators. He plans to give Caesar the letter. If Caesar reads it, he will live. 

Portia asks Lucius to go to the Senate to observe what happens. A soothsayer enters; he plans to make an appeal to Caesar at the capital. After the soothsayer leaves, Portia is weak with anxiety over Brutus.