Thursday, 21st September, 2023.

Introduction
Julius Caesar, tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, produced in 1599–1600 and published in

the First Folio of 1623. The drama takes place in 44 BC. These years mark the final moments of the

Roman Republic, and the beginning of the civil war that resulted in the creation of the Roman

Empire.

Julius Caesar formed a political alliance with Crassus and Pompey, called the First Triumvirate

(group of three men holding power), and together the trio ruled Rome for seven years. Caesar’s

successes aroused Pompey’s jealousy, leading to the collapse of the political alliance. Caesar

declared war against Pompey and his forces and defeated Pompey’s army in Italy and Spain. Pompey

fled to Egypt.

Pompey hoped that King Ptolemy, his former client, would assist him, but the Egyptian king feared

offending the victorious Caesar. As he prepared to step onto Egyptian soil, he was treacherously

struck down and killed by an officer of Ptolemy.

The play starts as Julius Caesar has just reentered Rome in triumph over the sons of his old enemy,

Pompey the Great. A spontaneous celebration has interrupted and been broken up by Flavius and

Marullus, two political enemies of Caesar.

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Act I – scene I
As Julius Caesar opens, Flavius and Marullus, tribunes of Rome, are attempting to reestablish
civil order.
Page 2
Flavius
Get out of here! Go home, you lazy men. What, is today a holiday? Don’t you know that working
men aren’t supposed to walk around on a workday without wearing their work clothes? You there,
speak up. What’s your occupation?
 Flavius scolds the commoners for leaving their work to celebrate Julius Caesar arrival
victorious to Rome. This shows his hostile feelings towards Caesar.
 When Flavius demands, "Is this a holiday?" he is asking whether Caesar's triumph
ought to be celebrated.
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Marullus
Why would you celebrate it? What victory does he bring home? What foreign lands has he
conquered and captive foreigners chained to his chariot wheels? You blockheads, you unfeeling
men! You hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, didn’t you know Pompey? And now you put on your
best clothes? And now you take a holiday? And now you toss flowers in the path of Caesar, who
comes in triumph over Pompey’s defeated sons? Go home! Run to your houses, fall on your knees,
and pray to the gods to spare you the pain that you deserve for such ingratitude.
 Marullus asks, suggesting that Caesar’s victory does not merit a triumph since it involves no
conquering of a foreign foe to the greater glory of Rome.
 His words shows sympathy with Pompey.
 He accuses the commoners of being ungrateful to Pompey who ruled Italy with Caesar
before their alliance fell apart.
Flavius
It doesn’t matter. Make sure that none of the statues are decorated in tribute to Caesar. I’ll walk
around and force the commoners off the streets. You do the same, wherever the crowds are thick. If
we take away Caesar’s support, he’ll have to come back down to earth; otherwise, he’ll fly too high
and keep the rest of us in a state of fear and obedience.
 Lupercal was an ancient Roman feast of purification and fertility, so Marullus fears
offending the gods. But for Flavius, the bigger concern is that Caesar might become
arrogant, using the support as an excuse for seizing greater power.
 He believes if they can regulate Caesar’s popular support, they will be able to regulate his
power (“These growing feathers plucked from Caesar’s wing / Will make him fly an
ordinary pitch” They compare people’s support to the feather of a bird’s wings that help him
to fly.
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 Act I Scene II
Caesar stopped and turned majestically to his wife.
Caesar
‘Calphurnia,
Calphurnia
Here my lord
Caesar
Stand directly in Antonius’ way as he runs in the race.’ He turned his head stiffly. ‘Antonius.’
(It is believed to cure a woman’s infertility. Antony agrees.)
Antony
‘Caesar?’
Caesar
Don’t forget in your haste, Antonius, to touch Calphurnia as you run past her. Tradition tells us that
barren women who are touched by a runner in this holy race become fertile.’
 This shows how superstitious Caesar is.
Soothsayer
‘Beware the ides of March
(Ides: The first fifteen days of a month)
Caesar
He is a dreamer. Let us leave him. Move on.
 Caesar pays no attention and departs. He is a paradoxical character, he ignored the
soothsayer when it comes to his life he is like any human, but when it comes as politics he
is so confident. Caesar is superstitious enough to give the soothsayer a hearing, yet also
believes himself invulnerable to harm.

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Page 5
Cassius
Brutus, I’ve been watching you recently. I’ve noticed that you seem less friendly toward me than I’m
used to. You’ve been rough and unfriendly to me, your friend who loves you.
 Cassius, whose political purpose is to gather people around him and overthrow Caesar, tests
the waters with Brutus.
 Cassius, who is a very good reader of other people, interprets this as Brutus' dislike of the
new regime and goes on to probe a little further to find out if he will join his group of
conspirators.

Brutus
Cassius, don’t be fooled. If I seem unfriendly, it’s because my troubled looks are actually directed
at myself. Lately I’ve been overwhelmed with private thoughts and conflicting emotions, which
must have affected my behavior. But my good friends should not be troubled—and I count you as
a good friend, Cassius. And they should not see anything more in my distant behavior than that
poor Brutus—who is at war with himself—has forgotten to show affection to others.

 Brutus resists the idea of speaking against Caesar.

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BRUTUS
What is the meaning of this shouting? I fear the people have made Caesar their king.
CASSIUS
Really, do you fear that? Then I must guess that you don’t want that to happen.
Brutus
I don’t, Cassius, even though I love Caesar dearly. But why do you keep me here so long? What
is it that you want to tell me? If it’s for the general good of Rome, I’d do anything, even if it
meant my death. May the gods grant me good favor only so long as I love honor more than I fear
death.
 Brutus, afraid that Caesar will become a king, struggles to decide whether to join Cassius
in taking action against Caesar, but ultimately decides against it.
 Brutus has an internal conflict. He loves Caesar, but he dislikes him to be king.
Cassius
I see that good quality in you, Brutus. It’s as familiar to me as your appearance. In fact, honor is
what I want to discuss with you. I don’t know what you and other men think of this life. But, as
for me, I’d rather not live at all than stand in awe of a man no better than myself. I was born as
free as Caesar. So were you.
 Cassius flatters him, suggesting that no matter what Brutus says or does, he could never
be anything but a good man.
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 Cassius has the green light now and presses his case. He speaks of how Caesar oversteps
his bounds by calling himself a god when he is only a man and not a very strong one at
that. He recounts saving Caesar from drowning. He describes the fever that left Caesar
groaning and trembling.
 He then complains that Caesar has become so powerful that even though he once saved
Caesar's life, he must now bow before him.

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Brutus
I would rather be some villager than call myself a citizen of Rome during the difficult
situation these times are likely to put us through.

 Brutus responds that he will consider Cassius’s words. Although unwilling to be further
persuaded, he admits that he would rather not be a citizen of Rome in such strange
times as the present.