Julius Caesar
Act I – Notes
ACT I.i
•Flavius and Marullus: Roman Officers walking
around, minding the streets of Rome
•Citizens are celebrating the return of Caesar, however,
it is right around the Feast of Lupercal – So….?
•Marullus criticizes and scolds the citizens for
celebrating Caesar “You blocks, you stones, you worse
than senseless things” (I.i.39-41).
ACT I.i cont’d
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Flavius and Marullus don’t understand why people are
celebrating
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M. says the people always seemed to love Pompey (lines 47-52).
F. says all of you should cry until the water overflows in the Tiber river;
F. becomes upset that the citizens aren’t moved by what he’s said.
F. suggests they go in different directions to remove decorations
from statues, but M. questions this decision (they might get into
trouble)
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F. doesn’t care and feels they should remove all of the citizens as well
WHY? CAESAR won’t think so highly of himself (I.i.77-80) Caesar is
flying high because of this victory. By removing men and decorations,
we’ll pluck his wings and he won’t be able to rise in power.
ACT I.ii – LONG SCENE
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Who is involved in this scene? Caesar, Antony,
Calphurnia, Portia, Decius, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius,
Casca, Soothsayer, Marullus, Flavius
Caesar is traveling with his “posse” It is also the Feast
of Lupercal
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Caesar tells his wife, Calphurnia, to stand in Antony’s way so
she’ll be blessed with fertility
Antony obeys “When Caesar says, ‘Do this,’ it is performed”
(I.ii.13).
A soothsayer calls out-Everyone is ordered to quiet down
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I.ii.21 Soothsayer says, “Beware the Ides of March” (March
15); Caesar brushes it off despite the fact that he is quite
superstitious
Act I.ii cont’d
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Cassius notices Brutus’
strange behavior lately (I.ii.3741)
B’s been “dealing with
personal issues”
Cassius asks “Can you see
your face” (I.ii.57)?-feels
Brutus needs to look within for
the root of the problem…he’ll
help him…nice friend
Cassius praises B…good start.
Now he will act as B’s mirror
(I.ii.74-76)
B & Cassius feel (after some
cheering) that Caesar has
been chosen as King
B fears this choice; Cassius
sees an opportunity
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B wants to know why
Cassius kept him for so
long
Cassius explains his true
(jealous) feelings about
Caesar
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He’d rather die than live
under Caesar’s rule
Caesar is the same as they
are and no better!
Cassius once saved Caesar
from drowning (Cassius
focuses on his lack of
physical strength)
MORE CHEERING
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Cassius: Caesar’s like a giant
statue with lowly people living
under his power
Lines 146-148- Cassius says
men can control their fates
Cassius again tries to point out
that Caesar is no better than
you, Brutus. He needs to stop
Caesar’s tyrannical rule like his
ancestor did before him
Brutus knows Cassius honors
and respects him, but he can’t
commit to anything right now
Brutus says he’ll think on it and
meet with him later
We now see B’s feelings-he’d
rather be a villager than
consider himself a son of Rome
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Caesar and posse enter (B. notices
they don’t all look too happy)
Ask Casca what happened
Caesar shows his feelings about
Cassius (if he were to fear anyone,
it would be Cassius because he
“thinks too much.”)
Caesar is deaf on his left side
(another weakness?)
BACK TO CASCA, BRUTUS, and
CASSIUS
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Casca: What’s up?
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Brutus: What happened?
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Casca: You were there, right?
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Brutus: If I was, I wouldn’t be
asking…stupid
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Casca: A “crown” was offered
three times, Caesar refused 3
times and the crowd cheered
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Note: By the way, Caesar and
Antony probably planned this
little “crowning” since there were
going to be so many people
around
Caesar didn’t get the results he
wanted and became quite
frustrated
As the crowd kept cheering, their
breath smelled so bad that
Caesar almost fainted (Casca is
telling us this and says he didn’t 
want to open his mouth because
he fears he would’ve collapsed
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as well)
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The citizens of Rome are no
good
Line 265: “He hath the falling
sickness.” JC has epileptic
seizures (weakness?)
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Cassius puns: It is we who are
sick!
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Once JC woke up, he heard
people were glad he refused the
crown and wanted to be killed
 He apologizes if he said/did
anything to upset them and he
blames his actions on his
sickness
 The people forgave him, but
they’re so stupid they’d forgive
him if he had killed their
mothers
Cicero spoke of the events, but
Casca didn’t understand him (“It
was Greek to me.”)
We learn Marullus and Flavius
were “silenced” for going against
JC
Cassius arranges a dinner
meeting with Casca for the next
night
Brutus feels Casca is not the lively
man he thought he was; Cassius
feels Casca is just pretending
Cassius’ soliloquy
Cassius’ soliloquy
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Lines 320-322 – Brutus,
you are brave, respected,
loyal, trusted…but I see
that I, Cassius, can
change his mind.
Line 324 – What person is
so strong-minded or
strong-willed that can’t
change his mind/attitude
towards something?
Lines 325-327 – If
Cassius was well-liked by
Caesar then Caesar
would not have influence
over Cassius
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Lines 327-332:
Cassius will create a
bunch of letters that
show how loved
Brutus is and how
ambitious Caesar
Lines 333-334 – First
let Caesar become
emperor and then we
will destroy or
else…we will be
destroyed
Act I scene iii
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Thunder & Lightning (usually
bad events will occur)
Cicero and Casca are
discussing the events of the
day
Cicero leaves and Cassius
comes in to talk to Casca
What do we learn about
Cassius?
Casca is now in on the
conspiracy
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Lines 83-87
Lines 92-103
Lines 108-115