With a heavy heart, Brutus battles again the next day. However, Brutus wins that stage of the battle, but his victory is not conclusive. After Titinius, who was not captured, sees Cassius's corpse, he commits suicide. During the battle, Cassius has his servant kill him after hearing of the capture of his best friend, Titinius. ( Copperplate engraving by Edward Scriven from a painting by Richard Westall: London, 1802.)Īt the Battle of Philippi, Cassius and Brutus, knowing that they will probably both die, smile their last smiles to each other and hold hands. (He informs Brutus, 'Thou shalt see me at Philippi.' ) The ghost of Caesar taunts Brutus about his imminent defeat. That night, Caesar's ghost appears to Brutus with a warning of defeat. ('Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake? / What villain touched his body, that did stab, / And not for justice?' ) The two are reconciled, especially after Brutus reveals that his beloved wife committed suicide under the stress of his absence from Rome they prepare for a civil war against Antony and Caesar's adopted son, Octavius, who have formed a triumvirate in Rome with Lepidus. Amid the violence, an innocent poet, Cinna, is confused with the conspirator Lucius Cinna and is taken by the mob, which kills him for such 'offenses' as his bad verses.īrutus next attacks Cassius for supposedly soiling the noble act of regicide by having accepted bribes. Antony, even as he states his intentions against it, rouses the mob to drive the conspirators from Rome. However, Antony makes a subtle and eloquent speech over Caesar's corpse, beginning with the much-quoted ' Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!' In this way, he deftly turns public opinion against the assassins by manipulating the emotions of the common people, in contrast to the rational tone of Brutus's speech, yet there is a method in his rhetorical speech and gestures: he reminds them of the good Caesar had done for Rome, his sympathy with the poor, and his refusal of the crown at the Lupercal, thus questioning Brutus's claim of Caesar's ambition he shows Caesar's bloody, lifeless body to the crowd to have them shed tears and gain sympathy for their fallen hero and he reads Caesar's will, in which every Roman citizen would receive 75 drachmas. Brutus delivers an oration defending his actions, and for the moment, the crowd is on his side. They prove this by not attempting to flee the scene. The conspirators make clear that they committed this killing for the good of Rome, to prevent an autocrat. Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852–1917), as Mark Anthony in 'Julius Caesar' by William Shakespeare, Charles A.

'You too, Brutus?'), concluding with 'Then fall, Caesar!' At this point, Caesar utters the famous line ' Et tu, Brute?' ('And you, Brutus?', i.e. As Caesar predictably rejects the petition, Casca and the others suddenly stab him Brutus is last. The conspirators approach him with a fake petition pleading on behalf of Metellus Cimber's banished brother. 'Julius Caesar', Act III, Scene 2, the Murder Scene, George Clint (1822)Īfter ignoring the soothsayer, as well as his wife Calpurnia's own premonitions, Caesar goes to the Senate. Brutus reads the letters and, after much moral debate, decides to join the conspiracy, thinking that Caesar should be killed to prevent him from doing anything against the people of Rome if he were ever to be crowned. On the eve of the ides of March, the conspirators meet and reveal that they have forged letters of support from the Roman people to tempt Brutus into joining. He describes how the crowd applauded Caesar for denying the crown, and how this upset Caesar. Casca tells them that each time Caesar refused it with increasing reluctance, hoping that the crowd watching would insist that he accept the crown.

They then hear from Casca that Mark Antony has offered Caesar the crown of Rome three times. Although Brutus, friendly towards Caesar, is hesitant to kill him, he agrees that Caesar may be abusing his power. Meanwhile, Cassius attempts to convince Brutus to join his conspiracy to kill Caesar.

During the feast of Lupercal, Caesar holds a victory parade and a soothsayer warns him to 'Beware the ides of March,' which he ignores. The tribunes, insulting the crowd for their change in loyalty from Pompey to Caesar, attempt to end the festivities and break up the commoners, who return the insults. The play opens with two tribunes (appointed leaders/officials of Rome) discovering the commoners of Rome celebrating Julius Caesar's triumphant return from defeating the sons of his military rival, Pompey.

Other soldiers, senators, plebeians, and attendants.

Poet (believed to be based on Marcus Favonios).

Soothsayer – a person supposed to be able to foresee the future.

Who was julius caesar yahoo answers