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Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar. Motif of Blood in Act II. What is a motif?. A motif is a reoccurring image throughout a literary work The image and idea of blood is prominent throughout all of Julius Caesar, but it is particularly prominent in Act II.

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Julius Caesar

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  1. Julius Caesar Motif of Blood in Act II

  2. What is a motif? • A motif is a reoccurring image throughout a literary work • The image and idea of blood is prominent throughout all of Julius Caesar, but it is particularly prominent in Act II. • However, blood does not always have the same meaning, figuratively or literally throughout the play.

  3. Act II, Scene I • Brutus says: “Do not stain the even virtue of our enterprise . . . To think that our cause . . . Did need an oath when every drop of blood that every Roman bears cements the promises he makes.” What does blood refer to here?

  4. In this context, blood means: • Roman heritage • Loyalty • National Identity • A biological identity that joins all Romans

  5. Why does Brutus mention blood here? What is the significance? • Brutus is expressing how the conspirators do not need to swear an oath to be joined together. They are joined by Roman blood already. • This context also serves to foreshadow Caesar’s upcoming bloody death.

  6. Act II, Scene I • Brutus says: • “Our course will seem too bloody” when Cassius asks if they should kill Marc Antony too. • What does blood mean here? • Here, “bloody” is an adjective, meaning senselessly brutal. • What theme does this quote reinforce?

  7. Appearance versus Reality • Brutus is very concerned about the way the public will interpret the killing of Caesar. • This is the same speech in which Brutus worries about whether the conspirators will be seen as “butchers” or “purgers”, or “sacrificers.” • While the two are very different professions, both types of men would be involved in bloody acts.

  8. Act II, Scene I • Brutus says, • “We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar, and in the spirit of men there is no blood.” • What is Brutus saying here? • He wishes he could kill Caesar’s ambition and spirit, the flaws in his personality, without literally killing his body and spilling his blood.

  9. Act II, Scene I • Brutus says: • “Caesar must bleed for it!” • What does the word ‘bleed’ mean here? • Here, bleed is a verb meaning ‘to die’ • In Act III, we find out that the murder is indeed a very bloody act. It is not as neat and tidy as Brutus had hoped it would be.

  10. Act II, Scene I • Speaking to his wife Portia, Brutus says: • “You are . . . As dear to me as are the ruddy drops that visit my sad heart” • Here, ruddy drops are literally the fluid, blood. However, they also represent the bond of love. • The phrase also creates imagery, but the image of blood is interpreted in different ways by different characters.

  11. One character may interpret blood as a life giving force, a source of spirit and strength. • Another may interpret blood as a symbol of death, violence and betrayal. • Even when blood is not explicitly mentioned, it lingers within the images and metaphors that Shakespeare uses within the text.

  12. Themes and Motifs in Act II • Working with a partner or solo, fully complete the Themes and Motifs in Act II Assignment Sheet on a lined piece of paper. • This assignment will be collected at the end of class.

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