5.1 About the act
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| setting | the plains of Philippi, in Macedonia |
| Octavius's wing | the right |
| Antony's wing | the left |
| Caesar's wounds (Octavius) | thirty-three |
| Cassius's birthday | the day of the battle |
| Cassius's philosophy | Epicurean (did not believe in omens) |
| Brutus's philosophy | Stoic (patience; blamed Cato for suicide) |
| the omen | two eagles from Sardis flew away; ravens, crows and kites replaced them |
| who killed Cassius | Pindarus, his bondman, with the sword that killed Caesar |
| who Titinius really met | Brutus's victorious men, who gave him a wreath of victory |
| Cassius's body sent to | Thasos |
| who pretended to be Brutus | Lucilius |
| who held Brutus's sword | Strato |
| who refused to kill Brutus | Clitus, Dardanius, Volumnius |
| how often the Ghost appeared to Brutus | twice — at Sardis and at Philippi |
| who calls Brutus "the noblest Roman" | Antony |
5.2 Key events in order
- Octavius refuses Antony's order: "Upon the right hand I."
- The parley: insults exchanged; Octavius vows revenge for Caesar's thirty-three wounds.
- Cassius tells Messala it is his birthday and describes the omen of the eagles.
- Brutus and Cassius bid an everlasting farewell.
- Brutus sends Messala to attack Octavius's wing.
- Brutus defeats Octavius, but his soldiers fall to plunder; Antony surrounds Cassius.
- Cassius sends Titinius to scout; Pindarus wrongly reports Titinius captured.
- Cassius has Pindarus kill him: "Caesar, thou art revenged."
- Titinius returns with the wreath, crowns Cassius and kills himself.
- Brutus: "O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!"; the second fight.
- Young Cato dies; Lucilius poses as Brutus; Antony spares him.
- Brutus asks Clitus, Dardanius and Volumnius to kill him; they refuse.
- Brutus runs on his sword held by Strato: "Caesar, now be still."
- Antony: "This was the noblest Roman of them all"; Octavius orders an honourable burial.
5.3 Who said it?
| Line | Speaker | To whom |
|---|---|---|
| "I do not cross you; but I will do so." | Octavius | Antony |
| "Good words are better than bad strokes" | Brutus | Octavius |
| "In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words" | Antony | Brutus |
| "they rob the Hybla bees" | Cassius | Antony |
| "Old Cassius still!" | Antony | Octavius |
| "This is my birth-day" | Cassius | Messala |
| "No, Cassius, no … That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome" | Brutus | Cassius |
| "My life is run his compass." | Cassius | Pindarus / himself |
| "Caesar, thou art revenged" | Cassius | (dying) |
| "Mistrust of good success hath done this deed." | Messala | Titinius |
| "O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!" | Brutus | the dead Caesar's spirit |
| "And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I" | Lucilius | Antony's soldiers |
| "I had rather have / Such men my friends than enemies." | Antony | his soldiers |
| "Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock." | Brutus | his followers |
| "Caesar, now be still" | Brutus | (dying) |
| "Brutus only overcame himself" | Strato | Messala and the victors |
| "This was the noblest Roman of them all" | Antony | Octavius and all present |