Julius Caesar Synopsis
Julius Caesar Synopsis.
Act I:
The play opens humorously with a little word play between Flavius, Marullus, and a few workers. The workers are on their way to see Julius Caesar who has recently returned from his victorious battle against Pompey. The reader immediately sees the dislike the tribunes have towards Caesar. However, the commoners seem to love Caesar.
The scene moves to a large gathering where Caesar is the focus. As Caesar converses with Mark Antony, we learn that Caesar is superstitious. The belief in the supernatural and the forces of nature are very prevalent in the play, and Caesar's comment is but one example. To keep with the idea of the supernatural, a soothsayer speaks, warning Caesar to beware the Ides of March. He acts as though he is not concerned.
After the exchange with the soothsayer, Caesar is offered the crown three times and refuses each time, even though the people are cheering for him to accept the emperorship. At the same time, Cassius is trying to convince Brutus that Caesar is too ambitious and should be killed before being allowed to rule the Roman Empire. Brutus, always seeking to do what is right, says that he will not betray his honor and loyalty to Rome.
That evening, there are strange and unusual natural occurrences--the weather is very strange and violent and fire falls from the sky. Most of the people believe that the weather is a bad omen, but Cassius disagrees. He uses the unusual weather to reason that it is only for evil men (such as Caesar) who need to be afraid. The plotting against Caesar continues.
Act II:
Brutus is convinced by Cassius that it is for the good of Rome that Caesar be killed. Some of the other conspirators want to kill friends of Caesar's, but Brutus feels that it is not necessary to kill anyone else. Only the person responsible for the downfall of Rome should perish according to Brutus.
Caesar is contemplating on whether he should remain home during the Ides of March (which is March 15th).
Act I:
The play opens humorously with a little word play between Flavius, Marullus, and a few workers. The workers are on their way to see Julius Caesar who has recently returned from his victorious battle against Pompey. The reader immediately sees the dislike the tribunes have towards Caesar. However, the commoners seem to love Caesar.
The scene moves to a large gathering where Caesar is the focus. As Caesar converses with Mark Antony, we learn that Caesar is superstitious. The belief in the supernatural and the forces of nature are very prevalent in the play, and Caesar's comment is but one example. To keep with the idea of the supernatural, a soothsayer speaks, warning Caesar to beware the Ides of March. He acts as though he is not concerned.
After the exchange with the soothsayer, Caesar is offered the crown three times and refuses each time, even though the people are cheering for him to accept the emperorship. At the same time, Cassius is trying to convince Brutus that Caesar is too ambitious and should be killed before being allowed to rule the Roman Empire. Brutus, always seeking to do what is right, says that he will not betray his honor and loyalty to Rome.
That evening, there are strange and unusual natural occurrences--the weather is very strange and violent and fire falls from the sky. Most of the people believe that the weather is a bad omen, but Cassius disagrees. He uses the unusual weather to reason that it is only for evil men (such as Caesar) who need to be afraid. The plotting against Caesar continues.
Act II:
Brutus is convinced by Cassius that it is for the good of Rome that Caesar be killed. Some of the other conspirators want to kill friends of Caesar's, but Brutus feels that it is not necessary to kill anyone else. Only the person responsible for the downfall of Rome should perish according to Brutus.
Caesar is contemplating on whether he should remain home during the Ides of March (which is March 15th).