Analysis

  • Analysing Brutus

    In this video, actor Alex Waldmann describes Brutus as someone who is at 'the right hand of Caesar’ with influence over him but he adds that 'the idea of kingship is painful for him’. Brutus is known as an honourable man, yet he takes the lead in a murder plot and delivers the last wound to Caesar.

    One of the key questions for this character is:

    What persuades Brutus to murder Caesar?

    We’ve started to think below about some of the things that persuade him. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

    • Act 1 Scene 2: Cassius tells Brutus he has noticed a recent change in his mood. What are the details he gives? Notice also how Brutus is distracted by what’s happening offstage. What do you think is going through Brutus’ mind in this scene?
    • Act 2 Scene 1: Look at Brutus’ soliloquy before he meets the conspirators. How important is it for Brutus himself to believe his own words? How does this speech prepare him to meet the conspirators?
    • Act 2 Scene 1: Look at how Brutus takes control of the conspirators and the decision making. What are his motives for doing this? How important is it to have the plot go his way?

    Point

    Brutus thinks Caesar is ambitious and it is better to remove him before he becomes too strong.

    Evidence

    ‘And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg, / Which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischievous, /And kill him in the shell.’ (Brutus, 2:1)

    Explanation

    Brutus is persuaded to act when he does because he thinks it will be easier to kill Caesar while his ambition is still an ‘egg’, destroying it before it’s ‘hatched’ and becomes stronger and more destructive. By using the image of a serpent, Shakespeare also suggests that Brutus sees Caesar’s potential to become a tyrant as a kind of evil, as serpents are a symbol associated with the devil.

    Point

    Brutus does not want Rome to be ruled by a monarch and feels a personal responsibility to defend the republic.

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    Point

    Brutus convinces himself that murdering Caesar is an honourable act for the good of Rome, setting its people free from tyranny.

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    As you explore Brutus’ language, you’ll find more evidence for why he does what he does. It’s also a good idea to look at the strategies Cassius uses to persuade Brutus to join the conspirators. This can offer lots of clues about what matters to Brutus.

  • Analysing Cassius

    Cassius’ reasons to kill Caesar are different from those of Brutus. He needs Brutus to lead the murder plot as his own reputation will not win the support of the people. He can be impulsive and wears his heart on his sleeve. Caesar is wary of him and even Brutus falls out with him. However, for Cassius, what Brutus thinks of him seems to be very important and by the end of the play they appear to have a strong relationship, prompting us to ask an important question:

    Is Cassius a good man?

    We’ve started to think below about what motivates Cassius to get to the truth of his character. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

    • Act 1 Scene 2: Take a look at what Cassius says about Caesar and how he says it. What does his choice of examples of Caesar’s faults say about Cassius? How careful do you think he needs to be about saying them? Now look at Cassius’ soliloquy at the end of the scene. Why can’t Cassius say this to Brutus’ face?
    • Act 1 Scene 3: Look at Cassius’ response to the storm and the omens when he enters. How is he trying to affect Casca? How would we feel about such a man? Do we believe his boasts? Are we impressed by him?
    • Act 5 Scene 3: Examine the reasons for Cassius’ suicide. Why do you think he chooses this moment to die? How do you think Cassius will be remembered?

    Point

    He thinks he is superior and seems to resent the fact that Caesar has power over him.

    Evidence

    ‘I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor, / Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder / The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber /Did I the tired Caesar. And this man / Is now become a god, and Cassius is a wretched creature and must bend his body / If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.’ (Cassius, 1:2)

    Explanation

    Cassius compares himself to Aeneas, the great and powerful founder of Rome and Caesar to a weak and helpless elderly man, suggesting he thinks he is superior to their leader. Cassius is angry and indignant that the weak Caesar has now grown so powerful whilst Cassius is worth nothing to him.

    Point

    He comes across as boastful and impulsive.

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    Point

    He truly seems to love and care about Brutus.

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    As you explore Cassius’ language, you’ll find more evidence for why he does what he does. It’s also a good idea to look at the strategies Cassius uses to persuade Brutus to join the conspirators. This can offer lots of clues about how Cassius manipulates and influences and his role in the conspiracy.

  • Analysing Julius Caesar

    A great deal is said about Caesar in the play, even though he only appears in three scenes. His character is very important as he is the cause of all the action. When Caesar first appears, he is victorious having defeated his former political partner. Caesar is about to be offered the crown of Rome, a fact which divides the people around him.

    In this video RSC actor Andrew Woodall explains that Caesar is looking for 'complete dominance' but how much does Caesar want to be king and is he really fit to rule on his own? Is he a danger to Rome? As part of these discussions, we have to ask:

    Are the conspirators right to fear Caesar?

    We’ve started to think below about some of the benefits and dangers of crowning Caesar as king. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

    • Act 1 Scene 2: Look at the argument Cassius puts forward to Brutus. Does he paint the picture of a reliable monarch? How much do you think is Cassius’ prejudice and how much is evidence that Caesar is unreliable?
    • Act 2 Scene 2: Look at Caesar’s exchange with Decius, when Decius convinces Caesar to ignore Calphurnia and go to the Senate. Why do the words of Decius work? What are the real reasons behind Caesar’s change of mind?
    • Act 3 Scene 1: Examine how Caesar greets the petitioners outside the Capitol. What is his attitude towards them? Does he show leadership qualities here?

    Point

    Caesar is ambitious. He wants to be king and have control of Rome and its people which threatens the republic.

    Evidence

    ‘I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown - yet ’twas not a crown neither, ’twas one of these coronets - and, as I told you, he put it by once: but for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it.’ (Casca, 1:2)

    Explanation

    Casca believes Caesar put on a show to the people and pretended to refuse the crown three times in order to show humility. Behind this pretence, he feels that Caesar very much wants to be king.

    Point

    Caesar is proud and sees himself as being above the common man, an attitude which makes him a threat because of his position.

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    Point

    Caesar is a generous and intelligent man with leadership experience and not a threat to Rome’s safety.

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    As you explore Caesar’s language, you’ll find more evidence for why he does what he does. We have pulled together some advice to help you explore this character in the Analysing Caesar’s Language section.

  • Analysing Portia

    Portia is limited in what action she can take. This is largely due to the fact that she is a woman, and women in Roman society had less power. However, she is strong willed and loves her husband and she uses every possible means to persuade him to confide in her. When Brutus loses the support of the people and is forced to go to war, Portia is driven to kill herself in a very painful way. When looking at Portia, one of the main questions to consider is:

    Why doesn’t Portia try to stop Brutus once she knows about the plot?

    We’ve started to think below about some of the things that guide Portia and prevent her from acting. See if you can complete the grid to make four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

    • Act 2 Scene 1: Look at the first speech of Portia when she enters. How careful is she in her approach to Brutus? What does this tell you about her relationship with him? How do you think Brutus has made her feel recently?
    • Act 2 Scene 1: Note how many methods Portia uses to convince Brutus to share his grief. How many can you list? Which do you think are the most effective and which do you think Portia finds harder to use?
    • Act 2 Scene 4: Examine how Portia behaves in this short scene. Note the reactions from Lucius and the Soothsayer to her words and behaviour. What state is she in?

    Point

    She is trustworthy and can keep her word, seeing her loyalty to Brutus as more important.

    Evidence

    ‘I have made strong proof of my constancy, / Giving myself a voluntary wound / Here in the thigh: can I bear that with patience / And not my husband’s secrets?’ (Portia, 2:1)

    Explanation

    Portia has deliberately wounded herself in her thigh in order to prove that, by bearing this pain and suffering without complaint, she is dedicated and reliable. It is an extreme thing to do and shows how desperate Portia is to be trusted and taken seriously by Brutus. This then extends into her behaviour when he tells her about the conspiracy, where she wants to talk about the plot but is determined not to.

    Point

    She is a good and devoted wife.

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    Point

    She is afraid of what will happen as a result of telling anyone about the plot, especially to Brutus.

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Teacher Notes

For each of the characters on this page we’ve asked some central questions. These are great questions to explore with students in mind maps, or as class debates.

The following activity will also help you explore the characters of Brutus and Cassius even further with students.

Motivation – Brutus and Cassius (2012)

This activity can be found on page 10 and takes approximately 30 minutes.