Sonal Dhiman
JULIUS CAESAR
ACT 1
Scene i: The opening scene of the play is meant to establish the differences of opinion among the Roman citizens and the commoners regarding Julius Caesar. Caesar, who is extraordinarily popular among the common people, excites Rome when he defeats Pompey, who formerly possessed popularity among the Roman masses, in battle. However, not everyone is thrilled at Caesar's victory, as Flavius and Marcellus, among the elite of Rome, chastise the people for their celebration and proceed to tear down celebratory decorations, an act which will result in their arrest. The anger and mistrust of Caesar demonstrated by Flavius and Marcellus in this scene reflect the sentiments of the conspirators, who are disturbed by Caesar's rise to power and willing to risk punishment to stem it.
Scene ii: The action of the play begins in this scene. The first section of the scene begins with Caesar ordering Marc Antony to touch Calphurnia during the chariot race in an effort to cure their marriage of barrenness. Caesar's lack of a son is important because he wishes to become king and needs an heir. Octavius, Caesar's nephew, will also eventually become Caesar because of this, which is why he is involved in the triumverate. After this order, the soothsayer comes to warn Caesar to "beware the ides of March," or March 15. This is the first of several signs or omens that occur during the play, which brings about one of the play's central themes—fate and free will. In this case, Caesar dismisses the soothsayer as a "dreamer" and does not question him further about his warning, ignoring the sign being given to him. Caesar will ignore several other omens before his death in Act III due to his own ego, which also surfaces in this first section when he refers to himself in royal terms: "I hear a tongue shriller than all the music/Cry 'Caesar.' Speak. Caesar is turned to hear" (ll. 19-20). Although Caesar has a great deal of power, he is not a king, and his reference to himself as Caesar belies his great belief in his own power, for he is, as he puts it, "always Caesar."
In the second section of the scene, Cassius attempts to discern Brutus' position on Caesar as king. This introduces the conspiracy element to the play, as well as Brutus' love for both his friend Caesar and for his country. Unlike most of Rome, Brutus is not celebrating Caesar's victory because he knows that Caesar is almost certain to become king. Although Caesar is already Emperor, it is an appointed military position, and the Roman Senate is the body that holds the true power in Rome. By making Caesar king, Caesar would have absolute power for the rest of his life and then pass down that power to his heir, and the Senate would be at his mercy. Brutus, having been born a "free man," resists the tyranny that such an appointment could represent, although he loves and values Caesar as his best friend. Cassius also resists the idea of Caesar becoming king, but it is clear in this scene that Cassius resents Caesar's rise to power, especially considering that Caesar is epileptic, deaf in one ear, physically weak, and no greater than any other man. Cassius attempts to manipulate Brutus into participating in the conspiracy to come, using Brutus' love for the empire and his devotion to freedom as means. Brutus, however, is aware of the "dangers" into which Cassius would lead him, and hesitates until he learns from Casca that Marc Antony has tried to give Caesar a crown, which leads him to agree to meet Cassius the next day.
The failed coronation leads back to the nature of Caesar's character. As reported by Casca, Caesar is offered a laurel or coronet three times in this scene, and refuses all three times. The purpose of this, from Casca's view, is to win the crowd's approval. Caesar also knows that without the approval of the Roman Senate, the crown means very little, which is why Casca refers to the incident as "mere foolery." Caesar's action here is amplified by a sudden swoon, which leads the masses to feel sorry for him. (It is not clear whether this swoon is intentional or a result of epilepsy, but it is most certainly well-timed). Caesar's ability to manipulate the emotions of the Roman public establishes his position as a master politician while striking fear into his political opponents. This incident, combined with Caesar's popularity in the Senate and his military power, motivates Cassius into action and leads Brutus in the direction of the conspiracy.
Scene iii: More omens open this scene, which takes place during a powerful lightning storm. Casca, whose sour disposition would usually lead him to ignore fantastic events, trembles in fear of the storm, as well as several other strange occurrences happening throughout the city. He tells Cicero of a slave whose left hand burns unscorched, a lion wandering the streets, women who saw men walk in flames, and an owl who shrieked midday in the marketplace. Cicero points out the obvious—something important is about to happen. Cassius also recognizes the importance of the omens around him, and is invigorated by it because he realizes that the omens point to the end of Caesar's power, although he notes that the Senate has decided to make Caesar king the next day. It is this resolution that leads Casca to agree to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar before he can be crowned, and Cassius notes that there are several other senators ready to assist in the murder. However, despite the number of "honorable" senators involved in the scheme, the conspirators all realize that Brutus' participation in the murder is vital. As Caesar's best friend and an honorable member of the Senate, Brutus legitimizes the murder because he has no personal or political reason to kill Caesar other than his love for Rome. Cassius continues to manipulate this love by sending Brutus several notes from "citizens" urging Brutus to action.
ACT 2
Scene I: The complication in Act II begins with Brutus, who begins to receive the various notes left by Cassius. Brutus ponders Caesar's ambition, which is the main root of his fear that Caesar will become a tyrant. Although Brutus knows that his friend is extremely ambition, he has never seen anything that would indicate that Caesar might become tyrannical if crowned king. However, the mere thought of giving Caesar the opportunity to become a tyrant is enough to frighten Brutus into action. Brutus also notes that the only way to stop Caesar from becoming king is to kill him, and becomes resolved to do this upon reading the letters. Brutus also recalls the soothsayer's warning, and realizes that Caesar must be killed the next day (the ides of March) before he can be crowned.
When the conspirators arrive, Brutus immediately takes charge of the situation, despite his previous reticence about participating at all. It is Brutus who refuses to let the conspirators swear an oath to kill Caesar, and remind them that shaking hands should be enough to bind them together. Brutus also rejects involving Cicero in the conspiracy despite his good and wise reputation because he does not finish what he starts. Most importantly, Brutus rejects the notion of killing Antony, who Cassius notes is a "shrewd contriver" whose ambition may hurt the conspirators. Despite this, Brutus convinces Cassius to allow Antony to live because they will have killed too many people. Brutus also underestimates Antony in this scene, claiming that Antony is nothing more than a playboy puppet of Caesar. Cassius, of course, proves himself to be correct by the end of Act III—if Antony had been eliminated, the conspirators might well have succeeded in winning over the Roman public to their opinion. However, now that Brutus is committed to the conspiracy, he is the one who will make all of the decisions, whether or not they are accurate ones.
Another side of Brutus' character is revealed in his conversation with Portia. Portia is not the typical Roman wife—she is educated and beautiful, and has, until this point, shared a fairly equal relationship with her husband. Portia notices that Brutus is troubled as opposed to ill, and she begs him to reveal his thoughts to her. She wants to share in Brutus' troubles, but Brutus insists on protecting her from knowledge of the conspiracy. Although he loves his wife and promises to give her the explanation she seeks, Brutus has already separated himself from her by agreeing to kill Caesar. This separation is what eventually leads to Portia's death. By separating himself from his wife, Brutus once again demonstrates that he places his political duty above everything else and does not realize the ramifications of his decisions.
Scene ii: While the lightning storm continues, Caesar leaves his bedchamber to see who has come to visit him. Calphurnia, who has spent the night having nightmares of Caesar's death, begs him not to leave the house, especially considering that today is the ides of March. Despite the fact that "the heavens blaze forth the death of princes" and the numerous omens that have occurred during the night, Caesar insists on going to the Senate, stating that everything that has threatened him vanishes when he faces them, once again indicating his inflated opinion of his own power. Even when a messenger comes with news from the augurers that he should not leave his house because they could not find a heart within the beast that they sacrificed for a vision of the future, Caesar still insists on going to the Senate. It is only when Calphurnia begs on her knees that Caesar agrees to stay home. This action recalls the previous scene when Portia begs Brutus on her knees to tell her what is troubling him. Both men agree to do what their wives want but never actually follow through on it. In this case, Decius Brutus arrives and flatters Caesar into coming to the Senate House when Caesar reveals to him that Calphurnia has made him agree to stay home. Caesar tells Decius this because he does not want the senators to believe that he is too frightened by all of the omens to come. Decius then reinterprets Calphurnia's dream to a more agreeable end and then informs Caesar that the Senate has decided to make him king. Caesar's tremendous ego is far too large to resist Decius' flattering interpretation of the flowing statue, the idea that he might be called a coward for not coming to the Senate, and the coronation that is now emminent, which is why Caesar chooses to go to the Senate House.
Scenes iii-iv: These two scenes function to contribute to the rising action leading up to Caesar's death. In scene 3, Artemidorus reveals the conspiracy in a letter to Caesar, hoping to deliver it to him as he passes into the Senate House. In scene 4, Portia, who suspects that Brutus is plotting to kill Caesar, sends Lucius to his master to see what he is doing. Meanwhile, the soothsayer tells Portia that he, too, will be going to the Senate House to attempt to get Caesar to "befriend himself." Both scenes create tension because the entire plot of the play hinges on which party gets to Caesar alone first—the conspirators or those who conspire to protect Caesar.
ACT 3
Scene I: Although the conspirators escort Caesar to the Senate House, both Artemidorus and the soothsayer are able to speak with Caesar prior to his entry into the Senate. Caesar brags that the ides of March have come (implying that there has been no major incident), but the soothsayer reminds him that the day has not yet passed. Despite this, the warning is ignored. Artemidorus fares no better—when he gives Caesar the letter informing him of the conspiracy, Caesar chooses to read the one from Trebonius first, stating that what concerns him personally will be the last issue to be addressed. Although both of these warnings worry Casca, who fears the conspiracy has been discovered, they do not touch Caesar at all because Caesar refuses to see what the conspirators are capable of.
The murder of Caesar is couched in an appeal to Caesar. Metellus Cimber begs that his brother, Publius Cimber, be allowed to return to Rome as an enfranchised citizen. Caesar refuses, stating that while lesser men can be flexible, he must be "constant." He also tells the conspirators that he does not want anyone kneeling before him because he does not want that kind of flattery. Despite this, the conspirators all kneel, and because Caesar refuses to repeal Publius Cimber's banishment, Casca begins the murder. Although all of the conspirators stab Caesar, Shakespeare implies that it is Brutus who actually kills him: "Et tu, Brute?—Then fall, Caesar" (l. 85). Indeed, it is Brutus who has given legitimacy to this plot, and the conspirators may not have carried it out without him. He is also the one who has taken charge of the conspiracy even though he did not originally want to participate in it. Because of this, the idea that Brutus is the one who actually kills Caesar is at least figuratively correct.
Although the conspirators are successful in stopping Caesar from becoming king, they have little idea of how to proceed next, which is evident in their dealings with Antony and the Roman public. Antony, who chooses to flatter Brutus so that he will survive to avenge Caesar, shakes hands with the conspirators, indicating that he will agree to their plans. Cassius, however, is once again suspicious of Antony, and attempts to bribe him with thoughts of power, but this offer is ineffective. Brutus, too moved by the murder that has just occurred and too anxious to justify his actions, tells Antony that there are reasons for Caesar's death and that Antony can speak at Caesar's funeral if he agrees not to speak against the conspirators (although censorship is certainly not a part of the freedom and liberty that the conspirators claim they have provided to Rome). Cassius, of course, turns out to be correct in his assessment of Antony—Antony intends to avenge Caesar whether he is foresworn or not.
Scene ii: The people of Rome have heard the news of Caesar's death by this point and insist on an immediate explanation. The crowd, as suggested in Act I, scene 1 by their support of Caesar over Pompey, is easily swayed. They at first yield to Brutus' "logical" explanation for why the conspirators killed Caesar. Brutus claims that he killed Caesar because of Caesar's ambition, which would have resulted in the enslavement of the "free" citizens of Rome. He then points out that the only people who should be offended by Caesar's death are those who want to be slaves. Brutus claims that the death of Caesar is necessary for the benefit of Rome and that, should the time come that he is a detriment to his country, he should be put to death as well. The irony here is that Brutus' actions have resulted in the death of a caesar and the beginning of a civil war, and, as such, have been a great harm to the empire. The public, fickle as always, accepts Brutus' arguments and demand to make him Caesar. Then, in an attempt to be fair and to "render unto Caesar," Brutus persuades the crowds to listen to Antony's funeral oration. It is by doing this that Brutus makes one of his most fatal errors in the execution of the conspiracy.