The forecaster warns Caesar to “Beware the ides of March” ( 1. 2. 19 ) . but Caesar ignores his warning. Although Caesar is superstitious. he thinks himself invulnerable. * The emanation passes. except for Brutus and Cassius. two high-level Romans. Brutus has no involvement in watching the celebrations. and says Cassius should travel on without him. Establishes Brutus as thoughtful and regardful. but besides stoic and humorless. instantly contrasting him with the vivacious Antony. Cassius comments that Brutus has acted queerly recently. and admirations whether they are still friends.
Brutus says that he’s been worried by personal jobs. and apologizes for being unsociable. Brutus is introverted and unmindful to other peoples’ feelings. Cassius has a bent for pull stringsing people and commanding conversation. Cassius says that Brutus is greatly admired by all of Rome. and that everyone—“except immortal Caesar” wants Brutus knew this. Brutus wonders why Cassius is seeking to do him proud. since he knows amour propre would be uncharacteristic of him.
Cassius says he’ll make Brutus recognize merely how admired he is. and that Brutus can swear him because he’s respected and honest. Cassius is non appealing to Brutus’s vanity—Brutus has none—but to Brutus’ great sense of duty towards Rome. Cassius is seeking to insinuate that Caesar means to go almighty by sardonically naming him “immortal. ” . They hear heartening. and Brutus says he fears that Caesar is being crowned male monarch. Cassius says that this possibility must displease Brutus. if he fears it. Cassius puts words in Brutus’s oral cavity. but makes them seem like Brutus’ ain thoughts.
Brutus admits he is against the thought. although he loves Caesar. and asks Cassius to acquire to the point. stating that if it involves awards and the good of Rome. he’ll face decease to accomplish it. Establishes Brutus’s struggle ( his fondness for Caesar versus his political ideals ) . and character ( he ever puts Rome in front of himself ) . Cassius says that he would instead be dead than bow to Caesar. since Caesar is no better than they. He tells Brutus about the clip he saved Caesar’s life while swimming. and about how Caesar one time fell ill on a run in Spain. Cassius adds that he thinks that it is dry that Caesar should look so almighty now.
Cassius claims to talk for himself. but intends to carry. He besides changes tactics. holding antecedently called Caesar “immortal. ” so stating Caesar is equal to them. and eventually painting him as inferior. even feminine. They hear more comforting. Cassius says that they can non fault destiny for their subservient places: “The mistake. beloved Brutus. is non in our stars. / But in ourselves. that we are underlings”He so asks why Caesar should be more esteemed than Brutus. and brings up Brutus’s celebrated ascendant who drove the Tarquin kings out of Rome and helped set up the Republic.
After minimizing Caesar. Cassius returns to depicting his illustriousness. which now seems dry. He so touches three subjects he knows will impact Brutus: Roman tradition. the image of Rome to other states. and the award of Brutus’s household. Cassius is glad his “weak words” were effectual. and suggests they ask Casca what they missed. as Caesar’s emanation returns. Brutus says Caesar looks angry. and the others look like they’ve been scolded. Cassius claims he’s ineloquent when he’s evidently persuasive.
The attending paid to Caesar’s looks confirms the enforcing illustriousness Cassius has been denying. As he passes in the emanation. Caesar tells Antony that Cassius looks excessively “lean and hungry” to be trusted. stating it’s safer to be surrounded by fat. lazy work forces. Antony says Cassius can be trusted. Caesar says Cassius is excessively rational and can non bask himself. and that such work forces are to be feared. but rapidly points out that he merely speaks rhetorically. non personally. because he himself fears nil.
Caesar asks Antony for more of his sentiment of Cassius. stating him to talk into his good right ear. The emanation exits. go forthing Cassius. Brutus. and Casca. Caesar is of class correct to surmise Cassius ; this demonstrates the political acumen that has helped do him so powerful. while demoing that Antony still has much to larn. This scene could be used to do a instance for Caesar’s alleged aspiration: he must be be aftering something. if he fears perceptive work forces. Caesar’s partial hearing loss contrasts with his huge political power.
Once Caesar is gone. Casca tells Brutus and Cassius that Antony offered Caesar a crown three times. and that Caesar refused it. doing the crowd to hearten. but seemed to happen it harder to decline each clip. and eventually had an epileptic ictus. Casca adds that before the tantrum. Caesar courted the favour of the crowd by offering them his pharynx to cut. connoting that he would decease for the people. Casca adds that in private he wished he could hold cut Caesar’s pharynx himself. Casca is a cynic.
This is reflected by his belief that Caesar’s gestures before the crowd were bogus. and by the fact that he peaks in conversational prose while the others speak clean poetry. Caesar’s epilepsy. like his hearing loss. is another dry contrast to his power. Casca goes on to state that the celebrated speechmaker Cicero addressed the crowd in Greek. which he did non understand. and that Murellus and Flavius have been removed from their offices as tribunes because they took the garlands from Caesar’s statues. Both of these events reflect the fact that secretiveness and division are distributing among the powerful. every bit good as the importance of commanding the public.
Cassius makes agreements to run into with both Casca and Brutus the following twenty-four hours. and the others exit. Alone. Cassius says that though Brutus is excessively honest now to be influenced. he plans to throw messages through Brutus’s windows that dark. praising Brutus’s award and impugning Caesar’s aspiration. and that afterwards it will be easier to travel Brutus against Caesar. The fact that Cassius must fall back to trickery to carry Brutus is grounds that he does non believe his cause to be merely. His chosen method is grounds of Brutus’s great sense of responsibility towards Rome and its people.
