6.1 Julius Caesar
| Trait | Evidence in Act III, Sc. 1 |
|---|---|
| arrogant, proud | "constant as the northern star"; "wilt thou lift up Olympus?"; "Caesar and his senate" |
| over-confident | mocks the Soothsayer; ignores Artemidorus's warning |
| contemptuous of flattery | "I spurn thee like a cur out of my way" |
| a public image of selflessness | "What touches us ourself shall be last served" |
| deeply attached to Brutus | "Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar!" |
6.2 Marcus Brutus
| Trait | Evidence |
|---|---|
| calm and steady | calms Cassius about Popilius Lena |
| idealistic, believes he acts for Rome | "ambition's debt is paid"; "pity to the general wrong of Rome" |
| honourable and trusting | promises Antony safety "by my honour"; believes Antony |
| a poor judge of men; politically naive | overrules Cassius; lets Antony speak last |
| ritualistic | wants the deed to look like a sacrifice — bathing hands in blood |
6.3 Caius Cassius
| Trait | Evidence |
|---|---|
| nervous, impulsive | panics at Popilius Lena; ready to kill himself |
| shrewd, practical | offers Antony power; distrusts him |
| a good judge of men | "yet have I a mind / That fears him much"; "You know not what you do" |
| yields to Brutus | gives way though he "likes it not" |
6.4 Mark Antony
| Trait | Evidence |
|---|---|
| loyal to Caesar | mourns over the body; vows revenge |
| clever, diplomatic | the servant's balanced message; shakes every bloody hand |
| bold | offers his own life to the conspirators |
| a skilled actor and manipulator | hides his anger, wins permission to speak, then reveals it in the soliloquy |
| passionate | "Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!" |
6.5 Other characters
| Character | Role in the scene |
|---|---|
| Soothsayer | reminds Caesar the day is "not gone" |
| Artemidorus | a teacher of rhetoric who tries to warn Caesar in writing |
| Popilius Lena | a senator whose remark alarms Cassius |
| Trebonius | draws Antony away; reports Antony fled home |
| Metellus Cimber | presents the petition that gives the conspirators their excuse to crowd round Caesar |
| Casca | strikes the first blow |
| Decius Brutus | distracts Caesar with Trebonius's suit; kneels |
| Cinna (the conspirator) | cries "Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!" |
| Publius | an old senator, too shocked to flee |
| servants of Antony and Octavius | carry messages; show Antony's planning |