Julius Caesar

Roles

• Brutus - Young Adult (20-35), Adult (36-50), Male

About this piece

Brutus decides that Caesar must die

Summary

Caesar is celebrating his victory over Pompey with a military parade through the streets of Rome. The people of Rome show great support for him and some fear that Caesar has gained too much power and will become a dictator. In the first scene of the play we find two tribunes, Flavius and Murellus, scolding two commoners for celebrating Caesar's victory and remove decorations from all Caesar's statues. Brutus confides to Cassius that he is afraid the people of Rome might elect Caesar king. Brutus, as a supporter of the Republic, is afraid of one man having too much power, even if Caesar is his friend. Cassius, an ambitious Roman general, is envious of Caesar's power and tries to get Brutus to help him and other conspirators eliminate Caesar. Casca, another politician, tells Cassius and Brutus that Anthony offered Caesar a crown several times and he refused it. Caesar also had a seizure and fell to the ground while he was on the parade. This endeared him to the people of Rome that seem eager to elect him king. Cassius decides to forge letters to make Brutus think that the people of Rome don't trust Caesar. The plan works and Brutus decides that Caesar must die. In this monologue, in ACT II, Scene 1, Brutus considers the current political situation in Rome. He knows for a fact that Caesar will become king. What he doesn't know is if the power will corrupt him. He is a good friend of Caesar and has never seen him abuse his power but he decides that the power that he will gain will eventually corrupt him. Caesar, he says, is like "a serpent's egg", and therefore he will "kill him in the shell".

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