The Tragedy of Julius Caesar a Play by William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar – a play by William Shakespeare

Background – Pompey is the leader of Rome. Caesar, due to his military skill, pleases the people and is named part of the first triumvirate (group of three leaders) in Rome. Pompey does not like the fact that he has to share leadership or that Caesar gets all kinds of love and praise from the people, so he attacks Caesar. Caesar, being the outstanding general that he is, whups Pompey. Pompey is exiled, the triumvirate ends, and Caesar is the sole leader of Rome. Pompey treated certain people well and gave them special privileges; these people are particularly unhappy with Caesar for getting rid of their main guy. Those people wish to remove Caesar from power. The rest of the people like Caesar, but they seem to like whoever is in power.

Act I, scene i (822-824)

·  Flavius and Marullus, tribunes, are big Pompey fans, upset that he’s gone

·  They harass the townspeople for praising Caesar

o  “two weeks ago, you were all “WOO HOO Pompey! How can you now like Caesar, who defeated Pompey? You’re a bunch of mindless sheep”

·  F and M agree to take down all of the ribbons and streamers decorating statues of Caesar

o  “these growing feathers, plucked from Caesar’s wing, will make him fly an ordinary pitch who else would soar above the view of men and keep us all in servile fearfulness” (I,i, 73-76) à Caesar thinks he’s way better than we are; we’ll knock him down a peg or two.

I, ii (824-833)

·  Feast of the Lupercal (Feb. 15th), celebrating fertility, with a race in which participants who touch women will enable them to bear children. Caesar asks Antony, a competitor, to touch Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife. Antony shows his status as Caesar’s lackey by agreeing, “When Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is performed”(I, ii, 10).

·  Soothsayer tells JC to “Beware the ides of March,” but JC blows him off. NEVER IGNORE A SOOTHSAYER’S WARNING!

·  JC and the crew go in for the race and festivities, Brutus and Cassius stay outside

·  Cassius tells Brutus how great Brutus is and that everyone else thinks Brutus is terrific, too. He also mentions that he’s not feeling the love from Brutus lately.

·  Brutus tells him it’s not you, it’s me. Brutus has a lot on his mind, so he’s not himself. They hear a ruckus from inside and Brutus says he’s afraid that the people just picked JC as their king.

·  Cassius says that if Brutus is afraid of that, he must not want it to happen. Cassius sees this as an opportunity to get Brutus against Caesar and tells Brutus about some problems with JC:

o  JC challenges Cassius to a swimming race, then almost drowns so Cassius has to save JC

o  JC gets sick in Spain, cries out like a girl

o  JC acts like he’s better than everyone else: “He doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves” (I, ii, 135-138)

o  Cassius explains that Brutus is equal if not better than JC in every way, so there’s no good reason why JC gets all the love.

·  Brutus hints that he knows what Cassius wants, but he can’t commit to that.

·  JC comes out, looks at Cassius and declares that he doesn’t trust Cassius.

o  Let me have men about me that are fat . . . (I, ii, 192-214) àJC wants happy people, because they won’t challenge his authority. Cassius is never happy with someone else in power.

·  JC is deaf in one ear (adds to the weaknesses Cassius lists) JC leaves.

·  Casca tells Brutus and Cassius what has happened at the festivities:

o  Antony offers Caesar a crown three times. JC turns it down, but seems like he wants it. àPlaying hard to get so he looks humble and the crowd wants him more.

o  The third time, JC faints. It’s actually a seizure. JC is an epileptic.

o  JC apologizes and the people forgive him.

o  Flavius and Marullus are silenced (exiled or executed) for removing the items celebrating JC’s triumph. àshows JC’s arrogance/tyranny.

·  Cassius ends with a soliloquy explaining that he knows JC hates him and JC loves Brutus. Cassius wants Brutus on his side to overthrow JC. Cassius also says that Cassius is too smart to fall for that, but Brutus is not. He’s also going to disguise his handwriting and write letters to Brutus that talk about how much better Brutus would be for Rome than JC is

I, iii – (833-837) Late March 14th, early March 15th (IDES OF MARCH, BABY!)

·  It is a dark and stormy night.

·  Casca comes onstage all freaked out and tells Cicero about funky stuff happening in the streets:

o  It’s raining fire

o  Man walks down street with hand on fire, but hand is not burned

o  Lion walks down middle of the street near the Capitol

o  Women saw many men on fire

o  Owl hooting and shrieking at midday

·  Casca is convinced that the gods are either mad at each other or mad at the Romans. àHe thinks the gods are angry about the plot to kill JC, so he’s afraid.

·  Cassius comes in talking about what a great night is. Casca freaks on him, saying these are bad omens.

·  Cassius insists that there are no omens, opens his cloak and tells the gods to kill him now if they’re so mad. Nothing happens. Cassius explains that the gods are mad at JC for messing up the world.

·  JC is going to take the crown tomorrow. Cassius says he’ll kill himself if that happens and that the only reason JC is so powerful is because the people are sheep who follow the person in power.

·  Casca and Cassius start talking about the plot. Cinna arrives and Cassius tells them that Brutus is ¾ of the way to joining them, and tonight they’ll talk Brutus into being 100 percent in. Cinna will drops the letters from Cassius’s I, ii, soliloquy where Brutus can find them.

·  They’re going to Brutus’s!

II, i – (841-851) Brutus’s orchard, March 15th

·  Brutus is up late, thinking about the conspiracy. Brutus says JC is a good guy, but might be corrupted by power. Compares JC to serpent egg, says the only way to prevent him from being corrupted by power is to kill him in his shell. àBrutus places the good of Rome before his faith in JC. Will join conspiracy.

·  Reads one of Cassius’s letters to help reinforce the idea. Laments his lack of sleep lately:

o  “Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar . . . (II, i, 61-69) àWaiting to do something is killer. His worrying about this has prevented him from sleeping

·  Conspirators arrive wearing hooded cloaks, hiding their faces. Brutus says that’s a mistake b/c they look like they’re up to something.

·  Brutus agrees to join the conspiracy. He comes up with a few ground rules:

1.  No taking an oath. They’re all honorable, so they don’t need one.

2.  Don’t tell Cicero about this because he won’t do anything that he doesn’t start himself.

3.  They only kill JC, not Antony.

·  BIG ARGUMENT! Cassius wants to kill Antony. Brutus says they’ll seem like butchers, then. They’re going to kill JC cleanly, honorably. Also, Antony’s like JC’s arm. Cut off the head and the arm’s worthless. Cassius finally agrees.

·  Brutus reminds everybody not to look sneaky. Act like everything’s fine and it will be. DON’T LOOK SNEAKY WHEN YOU’RE BEING SNEAKY!

·  Conspirators leave; Portia, Brutus’s wife shows up.

·  Portia asks Brutus what’s wrong with him. He says it’s nothing and he’s just sick.

·  She says that if he’s sick, why’s he outside in the cold in the middle of the night?

·  He says he’s fine, she starts nagging him about not sleeping, not eating, not trusting her to know that something’s wrong. Says she’s only a woman, but her father was strong, Brutus picked her to marry, so she can take it.

·  STABS HERSELF IN THE THIGH TO PROVE HOW TOUGH SHE IS!

·  Brutus feels guilty about not telling her, tells her to go to bed and he will tell her later. She leaves.

·  Brutus invites Caius Ligarius to the conspiracy.

II, ii – (851-855) – Caesar’s house

·  JC’s freaked out b/c of the creepy storm and b/c Calpurnia keeps crying out in her sleep, “Help, ho! They murder Caesar!”

·  Calpurnia begs JC to stay home. He refuses.

·  She keeps begging, JC says he has to go:

o  “Cowards die many times before their deaths . . . “(32-37). àCowards die all of the time because they’re so afraid of everything. Brave people only die once. It’s stupid to fear death because we die when we’re supposed to die and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. I’M GOING TO THE CAPITOL, YOU SILLY WOMAN!

·  The augurers say it’s a bad day to go to the Capitol. JC tries to blow them off saying he’s more dangerous than a lion.

·  Calpurnia begs him one more time, saying he can blame it on her.

·  JC agrees. I’M NOT GOING TO THE CAPITOL. HAPPY, DEAR?

·  As planned, Decius Brutus shows up to make sure JC goes.

·  JC tells DB about Cal’s dream (II, ii, 75-82)

o  JC’s statue is a fountain with 100 spouts that all pour blood. Romans all smile and bathe in the blood.

o  Cal says it’s a bad omen

o  DB says it’s a positive vision, showing that JC will bring blood back to Rome to revive it.

·  DB starts mocking JC. Oh, okay, I’ll just tell all of the people that you can’t go to the Senate BECAUSE WIFEY DOESN’T WANT YOU TO. They’ll love that and definitely want you for their king then.

·  JC agrees to go to the Capitol. I’M GOING TO THE CAPITOL, YOU SILLY WOMAN!

·  Everyone else in the conspiracy shows up to get JC to the Capitol.

II, iii – (855) – Street near the Capitol

·  Artemidorus reads a letter he has written to JC, warning of the conspiracy. He’s going to give it to JC on JC’s way to the Capitol and stop the murder. DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!!!!

II, iv – (855-857) – Another street

·  Portia’s freaking out. Clearly, Brutus has told her about the conspiracy and she’s worried about him. So much for the strong woman who can handle it.

·  She sees the soothsayer, who is on his way to the Capitol to warn JC one more time. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!

Act III, scene i – (861-870) – Rome. Before the Capitol

·  Caesar taunts soothsayer about not being dead; soothy tells him the day isn’t over yet

·  Artemidorus tries to give JC the letter, JC says business before personal

·  Trebonius gets Antony out of the way

·  Metellus Cimber distracts JC by asking JC to unbanish his brother. JC says no, ARROGANTLY

·  The conspirators join in, then THEY STAB CAESAR! Casca first, Brutus last

·  Caesar dies

·  They wash their hands in his blood (like the dream)

·  Antony’s servant asks if it’s safe for Antony to come. They say yes.

·  Antony forgives the conspirators and asks to speak at JC’s funeral. Cassius doesn’t like it but Brutus agrees under 2 conditions – 1. Brutus goes first. 2. Antony can only say good things about the conspirators.

·  When they leave, Antony apologizes to JC’s body about being nice to the conspirators. He was faking it, THE CONSPIRATORS WILL PAY FOR WHAT THEY’VE DONE!

III, ii – (870-878) – The Forum

·  Brutus explains to the plebeians that they killed JC for the good of Rome. He was too ambitious. Not an elegant speech (in prose)

·  The plebeians eventually agree. WOO HOO BRUTUS! WOO HOO CONSPIRATORS! YOU SAVED US FROM JC!

·  Antony speaks, in poetry, and calls the conspirators honorable while showing that they weren’t. Talks about JC helping all of the people, giving them money in the will.

·  The plebeians agree with Antony. WOO HOO ANTONY! WOO HOO JC! DEATH TO THE DIRTY CONSPIRATORS!

III, iii – (878-879) – A street in Rome.

·  Cinna the Poet (NOT a conspirator) says he dreamed he had dinner with JC (foreshadowing)

·  The plebeians question him and attack him when they learn his name is Cinna, even though he’s not Cinna the conspirator.

·  Mob rule now governs, the people want blood!

Act IV, scene i – (884-885) – A house in Rome

·  Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus are the new Triumvirate (3 leaders of Rome)

·  They’re making a hit list of conspirators and/or political rivals to have killed

·  Antony says they’ll take money from JC’s will to help them

·  Antony also trashes Lepidus, saying he’s not fit

·  ANTONY HAS BECOME POWER-HUNGRY! Break out the evil eyebrows.

·  Brutus and Cassius are putting together an army to oppose AOL

IV, ii – (885-887) – Camp near Sardis

·  Brutus is at the military camp, regretting what they’ve done with JC

·  Cassius (and his army) shows up ANGRY!

·  They start to argue, then move to tent àbad to fight in front of men

IV, iii – (887-897)

·  B and C are fighting because B punished someone for taking bribes the C said was okay C, himself, also took bribes.

·  B reminds C that they killed JC because bribery and corruption are wrong.

·  B is also upset the C didn’t send B money

·  C gets HEATED, says B loved JC more when B stabbed JC than he ever loved C.

·  C BUSTS OUT HIS DAGGER, B. SETTLES DOWN

·  B is upset b/c Portia killed herself by swallowing a hot coal àupset that B is gone and AOL is so strong

·  B and C argue about moving the army

o  B wants to go to Philippi so that AOL’s army can’t grow