Julius Caesar, Act 1,
Scene 2
**(Enter Caesar, Antony,
Calpurnia, Portia, Decius, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, and a Soothsayer)**
**Caesar:**
*Calpurnia!*
**Explanation:**
Caesar calls for his wife,
Calpurnia, indicating his affection and the importance of her presence during
the festivities.
---
**Casca:**
*Peace, ho! Caesar
speaks.*
**Explanation:**
Casca urges the crowd to
be quiet and pay attention to Caesar, showing the respect and authority Caesar
commands.
---
**Caesar:**
*Calpurnia!*
**Explanation:**
Caesar repeats her name,
demonstrating his focus on her and perhaps his desire for her to participate in
the ceremonial activities.
---
**Calpurnia:**
*Here, my lord.*
**Explanation:**
Calpurnia responds
promptly to Caesar’s call, highlighting her role as a supportive spouse.
---
**Caesar:**
*Stand you directly in
Antonius' way
When he doth run his
course. —Antonius!*
**Explanation:**
Caesar instructs Calpurnia
to stand in the path of Antony as he runs in a ceremonial race. This act is
rooted in superstition; it is believed that being touched by a runner can cure
barrenness.
---
**Antony:**
*Caesar, my lord?*
**Explanation:**
Antony acknowledges
Caesar's command, showing his loyalty and readiness to follow orders.
---
**Caesar:**
*Forget not in your speed,
Antonius,
To touch Calpurnia; for
our elders say,
The barren, touched in
this holy chase,
Shake off their sterile
curse.*
**Explanation:**
Caesar reminds Antony to
touch Calpurnia during the race to bless her with fertility. This reflects
Roman beliefs about omens and rituals.
---
**Antony:**
*I shall remember.
When Caesar says “Do this,”
it is perform’d.*
**Explanation:**
Antony assures Caesar that
he will obey his command without question, emphasizing his loyalty.
---
*(Enter Soothsayer)*
**Soothsayer:**
*Caesar!*
**Explanation:**
The Soothsayer calls out
to Caesar, introducing an element of foreboding into the scene.
---
**Caesar:**
*Ha! Who calls?*
**Explanation:**
Caesar reacts with
curiosity and authority when he hears someone calling his name.
---
**Casca:**
*Bid every noise be
still.—Peace yet again!*
**Explanation:**
Casca asks for silence so
that they can hear what the Soothsayer has to say, indicating the seriousness
of the moment.
---
**Caesar:**
*Who is it in the press
that calls on me?
I hear a tongue shriller
than all the music,*
*Cry “Caesar”! Speak;
Caesar is turn’d to hear.*
**Explanation:**
Caesar acknowledges the
crowd's call and invites the Soothsayer to speak. His confidence is evident as
he turns to face whoever is calling him.
---
**Soothsayer:**
*Beware the Ides of
March.*
**Explanation:**
The Soothsayer delivers a
cryptic warning about March 15th (the Ides of March), foreshadowing danger for
Caesar. This moment is crucial as it sets up future events.
---
**Caesar:**
*What man is that?*
**Explanation:**
Caesar asks who has issued
the warning, showing his interest in understanding potential threats against
him.
---
**Brutus:**
*A soothsayer bids you
beware the Ides of March.*
**Explanation:**
Brutus informs Caesar
about the warning from the Soothsayer, indicating that he is attentive to
matters concerning Caesar’s safety.
---
**Caesar:**
*Set him before me; let me
see his face.*
**Explanation:**
Caesar demands to see the
Soothsayer, asserting his authority and desire to confront any threats
directly.
---
*(The Soothsayer is
brought forward)*
**Cassius:**
*Fellow, come from the
throng; look upon Caesar.*
**Explanation:**
Cassius encourages the
Soothsayer to step forward and face Caesar directly. This illustrates Cassius's
growing disdain for Caesar's power.
---
**Caesar:**
*What say’st thou to me
now? Speak once again.*
**Explanation:**
Caesar insists on hearing
the Soothsayer’s warning again, showcasing both his confidence and curiosity
about fate.
---
**Soothsayer:**
*Beware the Ides of
March.*
**Explanation:**
The Soothsayer repeats his
warning emphatically. This moment emphasizes its importance and ominous nature.
---
**Caesar:**
*He is a dreamer; let us
leave him. Pass.*
**Explanation:**
Dismissively, Caesar
refers to the Soothsayer as a "dreamer," indicating his skepticism
toward omens and prophecies. This reveals his arrogance and belief in his
invincibility.
---
*(Exeunt all but Brutus
and Cassius)*
*(After others exit)*
**Cassius:**
*Will you go see the order
of the course?*
**Explanation:**
Cassius suggests they
watch Antony's race. His casual demeanor contrasts with the serious warning
just given about Caesar's fate.
---
**Brutus:**
*Not I.*
**Explanation:**
Brutus declines Cassius's
invitation, revealing his disinterest in festivities and foreshadowing his
deeper concerns about political matters.
---
**Cassius:**
*I pray you, do.*
**Explanation:**
Cassius encourages Brutus
to join him in watching Antony's race, indicating their friendship and
Cassius’s desire for Brutus’s involvement.
---
**Brutus:**
*I am not gamesome; I do
lack some part
Of that quick spirit that
is in Antony.*
**Explanation:**
Brutus explains that he is
not in a festive mood like Antony. His serious demeanor reflects his internal
conflict regarding Caesar's rise to power.
---
*(They discuss their
feelings about Caesar)*
**Cassius:**
*Brutus, I do observe you
now of late:
I have not from your eyes
that gentleness
And show of love as I was
wont to have:*
**Explanation:**
Cassius notes Brutus's
change in behavior and lack of warmth towards him recently. This highlights
their friendship's strain amid political tensions.
---
*(They discuss their fears
about Caesar)*
**Brutus:**
*Cassius,... Have wish’d
that noble Brutus had his eyes.*
**Explanation:**
Brutus expresses concern
over what Cassius perceives regarding their situation with Caesar. He feels
conflicted but does not fully articulate his fears yet.
### Conclusion
In Act 1, Scene 2 of
*Julius Caesar*, key themes such as ambition, fate versus free will, and
political tension are introduced. The scene establishes important relationships
between characters while foreshadowing impending conflict through prophetic
warnings. The interactions between Brutus and Cassius reveal their concerns
about Caesar's potential rise to power and set up their eventual conspiratorial
plans against him.
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