- Act I: The common people celebrate Caesar's triumph. A Soothsayer warns Caesar, "Beware the ides of March." At the feast of the Lupercal, Antony offers Caesar a crown three times; Caesar refuses it each time, though, as Casca reports, he seemed reluctant to refuse. Cassius, jealous of Caesar, works on the noble Brutus, suggesting that Caesar is becoming a tyrant. On a stormy night full of strange omens, Cassius gathers the conspirators.
- Act II: Brutus, after a sleepless night, decides that Caesar must die "for the general" (for the good of Rome) — not for any personal hatred, but because power might corrupt him. He receives forged letters (planted by Cassius) urging him to act. The conspirators meet at his house. Brutus rejects Cassius's proposal to kill Antony too ("Let's be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius"), and refuses to bind them with an oath. His wife Portia begs to know his secret. Calpurnia, Caesar's wife, dreams of Caesar's statue spouting blood and begs him to stay home; Caesar agrees, but Decius Brutus reinterprets the dream flatteringly and mentions that the Senate means to offer him a crown, so Caesar goes. Artemidorus prepares a letter warning Caesar, and Portia waits anxiously.
Foundation first: why men plot
Two men drive the plot, and their reasons differ. Keep this difference in mind, because it explains every disagreement between them in Act III.
| Cassius | Brutus | |
|---|---|---|
| Real reason | envy and fear: he resents that one man "doth bestride the narrow world / Like a Colossus" while others are small | principle: he has no personal quarrel, but fears what power may make of Caesar |
| How he sees Caesar | a rival who must be removed | a "serpent's egg", harmless now, dangerous once hatched |
| Style | practical, suspicious, quick to worry | idealistic, trusting, slow to doubt |
Cassius knows the plot needs Brutus. Brutus is loved and trusted by Romans, so his name makes murder look like a duty. That is why Cassius works so hard on him and plants forged letters for him to find.
Two decisions of Act II that decide Act III. First, Brutus saves Antony ("Let's be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius"), because he wants the killing to look like a sacrifice and not like murder. Second, he refuses an oath, because honourable men do not need one. Both choices come from his idealism, and both will cost the conspirators dearly.
Why does Caesar go to the Capitol? Calpurnia's dream frightens her, and Caesar first agrees to stay. Decius Brutus then gives the dream a flattering meaning and adds that the Senate means to crown Caesar. Pride settles it: Caesar does not want to look afraid.
Worked examples
Example 1 (short answer, 3 marks). Why does Brutus join the conspiracy against Caesar?
Model answer. Brutus has no personal hatred of Caesar. He fears that power may corrupt Caesar and that Caesar may become a tyrant and end the Republic. He therefore decides that Caesar must die, not from personal hatred but "for the general" (for the good of Rome). Cassius's forged letters add to his worry.
Why this scores: three separate points: no personal quarrel, fear of tyranny, and the pressure of the letters. Examiners reward the contrast with Cassius's envy.
Example 2 (MCQ with a twist, 1 mark). Caesar goes to the Capitol after all because (a) Calpurnia withdraws her request (b) Decius gives the dream a flattering meaning and mentions a crown (c) Antony persuades him (d) the Soothsayer says the danger is past.
Solution. (b). Decius's reading of the dream and the hint of a crown overcome Calpurnia's fear. The other options never happen.
Example 3 (long answer, 4 marks). Compare the reasons of Brutus and Cassius for turning against Caesar.
Model answer. Cassius acts from envy. He cannot bear that Caesar towers over men who are his equals, and he also fears what Caesar's power may do to him. Brutus acts from principle. He loves Caesar but fears that Caesar, once crowned, will turn into a tyrant, so he joins the plot "for the general" (the common good). Cassius is practical and suspicious; Brutus is idealistic and trusting. This difference shows later, when Cassius distrusts Antony and Brutus believes him.
Why this scores: two clear motives (2 marks), a contrast in nature (1 mark), a link to what happens in Act III (1 mark).
Doubts cleared
Q. Was Caesar really going to become king? In the play we see only that he refuses the crown three times at the Lupercal. The conspirators kill him for what he might become, not for anything he has done. This is the heart of the moral question about the murder.
Q. Why does Brutus refuse to take an oath? He thinks an oath is for weak causes and shaky men. The word of Romans is enough. Cassius would have been safer with an oath, but Brutus's honour rules his choices.
Q. Why is Antony spared? Brutus does not want the deed to look bloody and cruel. He also thinks Antony is merely a follower of Caesar who can do nothing without his master. He is badly wrong.
Q. Who are Portia and Calpurnia? Portia is Brutus's wife; Calpurnia is Caesar's. Each begs her husband for the truth or for caution, and each is brushed aside.
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing that Brutus "hated" Caesar. He killed Caesar out of fear for Rome, not hatred.
- Mixing up the wives. Portia is Brutus's wife; Calpurnia is Caesar's.
- Saying that Cassius is a villain with no reason. He has real fears about tyranny, even if envy drives him.
Check yourself
- Which conspirator is the planner, and which is the idealist?
- What did Decius Brutus add to his reading of Calpurnia's dream?
- Name the two decisions of Brutus in Act II that hurt the conspirators.
Answers: 1. Cassius plans; Brutus is the idealist. 2. That the Senate meant to offer Caesar a crown. 3. Sparing Antony and refusing an oath.