The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar William Shakespeare

Act I Summary Act I, Sc 1 • Romans are celebrating the Feast of Lupercal & Julius Caesar’s defeat of Pompey in Rome • Two tribunes, Marullus & Flavius, reprimand a group of commoners for their disloyalty to Pompey, drive them from the streets, and remove decorations from Caesar’s statues

Act I, Sc 2 • A soothsayer warns Caesar to “Beware the ides of March” at the Feast of Lupercal (February 15) • Brutus expresses his fear that the people will crown Caesar king causing • Cassius wants Brutus to join the conspiracy; Brutus considers it but does not commit himself • Casca reports that Antony three times offered Caesar a crown, which he refuses before a cheering crowd • Cassius plots to write Brutus anonymous letters praising his honor and hinting at Caesar’s dangerous ambitions

Act I, Sc 3 • March 14—amid storms, Cassius finalizes plans to win Brutus to his side • Knowing that Caesar will be crowned the next day, Cassius calls together his fellow conspirators, writes further inflammatory letters to Brutus, and sets out to visit him with a last appeal

Act I Literary Terms • Exposition—presents information about the main characters and their conflicts • Shows the relationship between the plebeians and Caesar & the attitude of the soldiers toward the plebeians • Pun—a word or phrase that means two different things at the same time • “a mender of bad soles (souls)” (ll. 14) • “all that I live by is with the awl. I meddle with no tradesman’s matters nor women’s matters, but with all” (ll. 21-22)

Hyperbole (overstatement)—a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or create a comic effect • “weep your tears, Into the channel, till the lowest stream Do kiss the most exalted shores” (ll. 58-60) • Tragic Hero is someone with a highly sensitive moral conscience who suffers and dies because of having a tragic weakness of character unsuited to the role he or she must play • Anachronism—an event or detail in a literary work that is chronologically out of place • “Peace! Count the clock” (l. 192) • “he plucked me ope his doublet and offered them his throat to cut” (l. 265) • Doublet -- an Elizabethan form of dress

Soliloquy—a long speech by a character who is alone, which gives the illusion of being the character’s unspoken thoughts or reflections. • Cassius’ soliloquy--ll. 308-322 reveals his plans to bring Brutus into the faction of conspirators • Blank verse--poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter • Most of the language in Julius Caesar is in blank verse • Prose--ordinary speech or writing without metrical structure • Used for a low class person or commoner in Shakespeare’s plays

Act II Summary Act II, Sc 1 • At dawn March 15, Brutus struggles to persuade himself that Caesar must die • When Cassius and his faction arrive, Brutus joins the assassination plot (set for that morning at the Senate) but stops Cassius’ plan to kill Antony • Brutus sees Caesar’s death as a sacrifice for the good of Rome, but Antony’s death seems like unnecessary butchery • After the men go, Portia chides Brutus for not sharing his internal conflicts, and he reluctantly agrees to do so

Act II, Sc 1 • Caesar is restless after a night of wild storms and freakish events that disturbed all Rome • Caesar goes to the Senate despite the warnings of the fortunetellers and his wife’s dream that Caesar’s statue spouted blood • With Calphurnia’s pleading, Caesar changes his mind, but the conspirator, Decius, interprets the dream favorably and reports that the Senate will crown Caesar that day • Caesar prepares to accompany the conspirators to the Senate

Act II, Sc 3 & 4 • On the way to the Capitol… • Artemidorus hopes to warn Caesar of the plot as he passes • Portia is burdened by her knowledge of the assassination • Portia becomes distressed when she meets the Soothsayer, who is waiting to warn Caesar of danger

Act II Literary Terms • Dramatic Irony– occurs when the audience knows something that one or more characters in the play do not • “Pardon me, Caesar, for my dear dear love To your proceeding bids me to tell you this, And reason to my love is liable” (ll. 102-104) • Aside– a short statement made to the audience; the characters on the stage do not hear the statement • Caesar: “Trebonius! Be near me, that I may remember you.” Trebonius: “Caesar, I will. [So near will I be that your best friends shall wish I had been further.]”

Alliteration– The same sound starts a series of words and syllables • “Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber.” • Imagery– Descriptive words and phrases that create pictures in the reader’s mind appealing to the 5 senses • “Graves have yawned and yielded up their dead. Warriors fight upon the clouds in the form of war. Which drizzled blood up the Capitol the noise of battle hurtled in the air. Horses did neigh and dying men did groan. And Ghosts did shriek and squeal in the streets.”

Act III Summary Act III, Sc 1 • On his way to the Capitol, Caesar discounts the soothsayer’s warning • Caesar: “The Ides of March are come.” • Soothsayer: “Ay, Caesar, but not gone.” • Artemidorus urges Caesar to read the paper w/ the warning • Decius steps forward with another paper for Caesar to read eager to keep Artemidorus out of the way • Popilius Lena approaches Cassius saying, “I wish your enterprise today may thrive.”

Cassius afraid the plans will go awry states, • “For I will slay myself”; Brutus calms him down • Part of the plan:Trebonius is to draw Antony away so he won’t be in the way of the assassination • Caesar: “Are we all ready?” (to go before the Senate)—Ironic b/c the conspirators are ready to carry out their plan • MetellusCimber kneels before Caesar begs for repeal of his brother’s banishment • Brutus and Cassius joins MetellusCimber’s plea surrounding Caesar • Caesar: “I am constant as the Northern Star.”--Simile

Casca is 1st to stab Caesar/others follow/Brutus last“Et tu, Brute?”—And you, too, Brutus!—Climax!!!!! • Caesar is overwhelmed that Brutus would go against him • Brutus calms the crowd—acted in order to end tyranny, restore freedom, and punish Caesar for ambition • Conspirator’s have not thought realistically what will happen to Rome after Caesar’s deathAntony has fled to his house

Conspirators bathe hand, swords in Caesar’s blood — they are proud • Antony sends servant to ask Brutus for protection -- Brutus agrees • Cassius says Antony will cause trouble • Antony shakes bloody hands of the conspirators and says he wants to join them (trick) • Antony asks to speak at Caesar’s funeral—Cassius says no, but Brutus agrees • Brutus says Antony can’t blame the conspirators, and he will speak first—not smart Brutus!!!!

Brutus is idealistic—he can’t see evil in others--Tragic Flaw • Antony promises to avenge Caesar’s death in soliloquy—Foreshadowing (Antony is predicting what is about to happen – the conspirators downfall has begun) • Sends servant to Octavius Caesar to warn him to wait for the outcome of his oration before coming to Rome

Act III, Sc 2 • Brutus’ speech: • Asked crowd to use reason to judge him • Says he didn’t love Caesar less, but Rome more • Celebrates Caesar’s successes, honors his valor, killed him b/c of his ambition • Asks if anyone is offended—none answer • Did it for the good of Rome/same dagger for himself when it pleases the country—foreshadowing—Brutus doesn’t know how near the truth his words are!! • Irony—citizens have misunderstood Brutus/they don’t act with reason, but with emotion to his words • Brutus introduces Antony saying he was not part of the conspiracy • Appeals to the crowd’s love of freedom/country

Antony’s speech-after Brutus, in blank verse, manipulates crowd’s emotions • “Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” • Says Caesar was not ambitious (loved the poor, refused the crown 3X) • Refers to Brutus several times as “an honorable man”—verbal irony—he thinks otherwise • Mentions Caesar’s will to the crowd—they demand he read it—last thing Caesar did was leave every male Roman money and land • Skilled public speaker • Emotional appeal to the crowd • Shows them Caesar’s wounds

Fickle crowd shifts allegiance from Brutus to Antony—Now a mob ready to riot • They want revenge on Caesar’s killers and rush off to search for them • Servant tells Antony that Octavius (Caesar’s adopted son) has arrived and is with Lepidus (both future members of the 2nd triumvirate) • Brutus and Cassius have fled Rome • Brutus made an error trusting Antony to not turn the crowd against the conspirators

Act III, Sc 3 • This scene involves a famous Roman poet named Cinna – not the one who participated in the assassination • The angry mob comes upon the poet, believing he is Cinna the conspirator • Realizing that he is not the same one, they are so enraged that they kill him anyway for his “bad verses” • They rush through the city after the true killers of Caesar • This scene is included to show the mob mentality of the crowd.

Act IV Summary • Antony, Octavius, & Lepidus form the Second Triumvirate and create a list of condemned people who will be executed • Antony has misgivings about Lepidus believing that he is useful only as a tool, someone to be used • Octavius defends him calling him a “tried and valiant soldier” • Antony and Octavius decide to increase their preparation for battle with the armies of Brutus and Cassius • They plan to also discuss how to deal with the many enemies they have, both secret and open • Brutus waits for Cassius to meet him at his military camp in Sardis • Brutus expresses his belief that Cassius is not as friendly as he was before

When Cassius arrives, he confronts Brutus about the way he has treated him • Brutus accuses Cassius of taking bribes and argue about honor but reconcile their differences • Brutus, Cassius, Titinius, and Messaladiscuss the recent news of the enemy as well as the death of Portia • Brutus is grief-stricken because Portia has committed suicide by “swallowing fire” • The men decide, at Brutus’ urging, to meet the enemy at Philippi • After the others leave, the ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus, announcing that Brutus will meet him again on the battlefield at Philippi

Act V Summary • The army of Octavius and Antony and the army of Brutus and Cassius arrive at the field of battle; they exchange insults • After their meeting, Cassius reflects on the possible outcomes of the day, mentioning an omen that he interprets as predicting their loss • Brutus and Cassius discuss their plans as if the battle is lost and make their final farewells • The opposing armies face each other on the plains of Philippi with Brutus gaining advantage over Octavius’ forces • On another part of the field, Cassius’ forces are losing their battle, and Antony’s troops have set fire to their tents

Cassius sends Titinius to get a closer look and report back to him • Believing that Titinius has been captured by the enemy, Cassius orders Pindarus to kill him with the sword that stabbed Caesar • Titiniushad actually met with Brutus’ men, not the enemy; they find Cassius’ body • Brutus, who has seen Caesar’s ghost again, believes defeat inescapable • Brutus tries to persuade his companions to help him end his life, but each refuses

The enemy’s forces approach, so Brutus’ army retreats • Brutus stays behind with Strato, who holds Brutus’ sword while he runs upon it • Antony speaks over Brutus’ body, calling him the noblest Roman of all • While the other conspirators acted out of envy and ambition, he believed that Brutus 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

Themes • Chaos results when the social order is overturned • The best intentions of good, noble men can lead to tragedy • Language is a powerful weapon which can be used to manipulate others • Violence and bloodshed can never have morally good results • Orderliness and a stable rule, even though dictatorial, are preferable to social chaos

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar