summary of julius caesar stanza wise

ï½ Caesar wanders through his house in his dressing gown, kept awake by his wife Calpurnias nightmares.

ï½ Three times she has called out in her sleep about Caesars murder.

ï½ He sends a servant to bid the priests to offer a sacrifice and tell him the results.

ï½ Calpurnia enters and insists that Caesar not leave the house

ï½ Caesar rebuffs her, refusing to give in to fear.

ï½ But Calpurnia, who has never heeded omens before, speaks of what happened in the city earlier that night: dead men walked, ghosts wandered the city, a lioness gave birth in the street, a battle took place in the sky and blood has rained upon the capital, lightning shattered the skies.

ï½ These signs portend true danger, she says; Caesar cannot afford to ignore them.

ï½ Caesar counters that nothing can change the plans of the gods.

ï½ He deems the signs to apply to the world in general and refuses to believe that they bode ill for him personally.

ï½ Calpurnia says that the heavens proclaim the death of only great men, so the omens must have to do with him.

ï½ Caesar replies that while cowards imagine their death frequently, thus dying in their minds several times over, brave men, refusing to dwell on death, die only once.

ï½ He cannot understand why men fear death, which must come eventually to all.

ï½ The servant enters, reporting that the priests recommend that Caesar stay home.

ï½ They examined the entrails of an animal and were unable to find a heart—a bad sign.

ï½ But Caesar maintains that he will not stay home out of fear.

ï½ Danger cannot affect Caesar, he says.

ï½ Calpurnia begs him to send Antony to the Senate in his place; finally Caesar relents.

ï½ Decius enters, saying that he has come to bring Caesar to the Senate.

ï½ Caesar tells him to tell the senators that he will be absent that day.

ï½ Calpurnia tells him to plead illness, but Caesar refuses to lie.

ï½ Decius then asks what reason he should offer. Caesar states that it is simply his will to stay home.

ï½ He adds that Calpurnia has had a dream in which she saw his statue run with blood like a fountain, while many smiling Romans bathed their hands in the blood; she has taken this to portend danger for Caesar

ï½ Decius disputes Calpurnias interpretation, saying that actually the dream signifies that Romans will all gain lifeblood from the strength of Caesar.

ï½ It was a vision fair and fortunate.

ï½ Caesar is a source of inspiration for the romans.

ï½ He confides that the Senate has decided to give Caesar the crown that day;

ï½ Bif Caesar were to stay at home, the senators might change their minds.

ï½ Moreover, Caesar would lose public regard if he were perceived as so easily swayed by a woman, or by fear.

ï½ Caesar replies that his fears now indeed seem small.

ï½ He calls for his robe and prepares to depart.

ï½ Cassius and Brutus enter with Ligarius, Metellus, Casca, Trebonius, Publius and Cinna to escort him to the Senate.

ï½ The group enters the Senate

ï½ Metellus approaches Caesar to request that his brother, Publius Cimber, who has been banished from Rome, be granted permission to return.

ï½ Caesar answers that since Publius was banished by lawful decree, there is not just cause for his guilt.

ï½ Brutus and Cassius kneel at Caesars feet and repeat Metelluss plea;

ï½ Caesar answers that he will not change his mind now, declaring himself as constant as the Northern Star- he says that he cannot be pleaded by someone to change his mind.

ï½ Casca stabs Caesar first, and the others quickly follow, ending with Brutus.

ï½ Recognizing that Brutus, too, has joined with the conspirators,

ï½ Caesar speaks his last words: Et tu, Brute? —Then fall Caesar

ï½ He then yields and dies.

ï½ The conspirators proclaim the triumph of liberty, freedom and end of tyranny.

ï½ Antony enters and sees Caesars corpse.

ï½ He marvels how a man so great in deed and reputation could end as such a small and pathetic body.

ï½ He tells the conspirators that if they mean to kill him as well, they should do it at once, for there would be no better place to die than beside Caesar.

ï½ Anthony says that he would be honoured to be killed by the same knife that killed Caesar.

ï½ He begs of them telling them that if they had any grudge against him he would like to be killed by their hands purple with blood.

ï½ The choice and master spirits of this age- conspirators have changed the course of history by this act. Most powerful.

ï½ Brutus tells Antony to not beg his death of them.

ï½ He says that Antony is only seeing what their hands have done and thus they appear cruel.

ï½ But he is not able to see their hearts full of pity

ï½ They are feeling sorry for the people of Rome for what damage Caesar has done to them.

ï½ Fire is required to subsidize another fire. The pity they feel for the people of Rome is more than the pity they feel for Caesar.

ï½ They do not have intentions to kill Antony

ï½ They tell him to consider them as his brothers and join their group i.e. if Antony was part of their group then they would be safe as he is a respected person.

ï½ Antony is not questioning their wisdom

ï½ He is willing to shake hands with them.

ï½ His credibility now stands on slippery ground

ï½ He is about to shake hands with the people who have killed his friend

He is telling them that he is neither a coward nor a flatterer as coward in the sense that he left caesar and shook hands with the conspirators.

flatterer in the sense that he praises the conspirators and then work against them.

ï½ He is not denying that he loved Caesar and was loyal to him

ï½ He says that if Caesars spirit was to look at them now, the pain of seeing his friend shake hands with the conspirators will be more than the pain of his death

ï½ At this point it is understandable even if an enemy of Caesar says this, so why cant a friend?

ï½ Cassius then says that he does not blame him for praising Caesar but is wondering if mark Antony would be their friend or not.

ï½ Antony then says that he is indeed with them. For a while his mind swayed when he looked at his friends corpse

ï½ He assures them that he is their friend but only wants to know the reason to kill Caesar

ï½ Brutus replies that they have good enough reasons for their action and that even if he was his son he would understand

ï½ Antony then says that thats all he needs to know and requests that he carry Caesar to the pulpit and allowed to speak good things about him at his funeral

ï½ Brutus gives him permission and cassius then casts him aside and tells that if Antony is to be given permission he can convince the people that what was done to Caesar was wrong.

ï½ Brutus assures him that he would go to the pulpit first and speak to the crowd first and announce that he gave Mark Antony permission to speak as he has given him permission to speak

ï½ Cassius tells Brutus that he is worried about the consequences

ï½ Brutus tells Mark Antony that there are 4 condition that he must satisfy when he speaks at Caesars funeral :

1. He will not accuse the conspirators

2. He will speak only about the good things about Caesar

3. Tell the crowd that Brutus has given them permission to speak

4. Speak after Brutuss speech has ended

ï½ Antony says that he will satisfy these conditions

ï½ Brutus tells Antony to prepare the body and leaves

ï½ Antony then apologises to Caesar calling him bleeding piece of earth for acting so meek and gentle with those butchers

ï½ You are the most noblest man

ï½ Let a curse befall the hands that killed you

ï½ He says that these gaping wounds are going to be his voice

ï½ They are appealing to give them a voice

ï½ He is predicting: A curse shall befall upon the limbs of conspirators

ï½ A civil war shall break out

ï½ Rome will be gripped in violence and war

ï½ Blood and destruction will become so common

ï½ The peoples emotions shall dry up. Mothers who see their children getting killed in the war will smile at the sight of it as the sight has become so common.

ï½ And Caesars spirit with the goddess of revenge (Ate) for company will be raging for revenge

ï½ In this situation, a monarchs voice will cry out let loose the dogs of war

ï½ The war will be so foul that the stench of dead men begging for burial will reach the heavens.

ï½ Brutus Speech :

ï½ He says he is looking for no interruptions

ï½ He asks the romans to listen to the cause he represents and to remain silent

ï½ He asks them to believe him as they know he is honourable

ï½ Brutus addresses the crowd, saying that while he loved Caesar, he loved Rome more. He asks them whether they would prefer it if Caesar were alive and they all were slaves, or Caesar were dead and they were free.

ï½ Brutus honours Caesar for his bravery but says he killed him because he was ambitious.

ï½ Who wants to be a slave? he asks. Who does not love his country? He invites a response from the crowd, which cries out in support of him.

ï½ Brutus concludes that he can have offended no one by his act. Brutus tells the crowd that he killed his best friend for the sake of Rome, and that he has the same dagger reserved for himself, when his country should need his death.

ï½ He then leaves to the cheers of the crowd, insisting that everyone stay to hear Antony 's speech.

ï½ The crowd is convinced by Brutus 's speech that Caesar was a tyrant.

ï½ The public then say ( 3^rd citizen ) tells let Brutus be Caesar showing that they have not really understood his speech.

ï½ They want Brutus to lead them as Caesar did

ï½ They accepted him as a new leader

Antony Speech:

ï½ Antony addresses the crowd.

ï½ He says he came to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

ï½ Brutus has said that Caesar was ambitious, and if that was true, then it was a bad fault in Caesar, and he has fully paid for it. Antony points out that he speaks with the permission of the assassins, and he calls Brutus an honourable man as they all are.

ï½ He says that Caesar was his friend and always behaved fairly to him.

ï½ Then he repeats that Brutus said Caesar was ambitious, and Brutus is an honourable man.

ï½ But then he begins to cast doubt on the case against Caesar.

ï½ He points out that Caesar brought home many captives to Rome, whose ransoms increased Rome 's revenues. When the poor suffered, Caesar pitied and wept with them. He repeats for a third time that that Brutus said Caesar was ambitious, and that Brutus is an honourable man. Next, he reminds the crowd that three times he tried to present Caesar with a crown, and each time Caesar rejected it.

ï½ Once more Antony repeats the reference to Brutus and the fact that he is honourable. He claims that he is not there to disprove what Brutus has said, only to speak what he knows.

ï½ He asks the crowd that since they all loved Caesar once, why can they not mourn for him? For a moment he is overcome by tears and has to pause. Antony 's speech is beginning to have its effect.

ï½ Convinced by the points he has made, the crowd is ready to change sides and denounce Brutus. Continuing, Antony claims it is not his intention to stir up rage against Cassius and Brutus (who are honourable men).

ï½ Then he produces Caesar 's will. If the people could hear it, he says, even though he does not intend to read it, they would kiss Caesar 's wounds, by which he means that they would be extremely grateful to him. The crowd clamours to hear the will, but Antony says it is not good for them to know how much Caesar loved them; it will only inflame them and make them angry. The crowd continues to call for the will.

ï½ Persuaded by the clamour, tells them to form a circle around Caesar 's corpse.

ï½ Antony points to each of the many wounds in Caesar 's mantle, describing which was made by which conspirator.

ï½ He makes particular play with the wound caused by Brutus, whom Caesar loved. When Caesar saw Brutus stab him, he was overcome by Brutus ' ingratitude far more than any physical wounds.

ï½ For the first time, Antony refers to the assassination as treason. Then he pulls back the mantle and shows Caesar 's body.

ï½ The crowd is shocked and calls for revenge.

ï½ Antony asks them to restrain themselves, although as he explains himself, referring again to the "honourable" men who killed Caesar, and saying that he has no gift of oratory, unlike Brutus, to stir men to action.

ï½ But if he were Brutus, and Brutus Antony, then he would speak with passion and call for mutiny in Rome. The crowd is about to scatter and stir up a rebellion when Antony reminds them that they have not heard the will yet.

ï½ Antony announces that Caesar gives to every Roman citizen the sum of seventy-five drachmas

ï½ He has also left his forest and orchards to be public pleasure-grounds, where anyone can walk. The common people rush off, vowing to burn down the assassins ' houses.

ï½ Antony is satisfied at what his words have achieved and waits for whatever events unfold. A servant enters and tells Antony that Octavius, and Lepidus have arrived. He also says that Brutus and Cassius have fled Rome. Antony assumes it is because they heard of how he had stirred the people up against them.

Antony speech:

ï½ Mark Antony uses flawless logic and genuine emotional appeal in his masterful oratory.

ï½ First of all, Antony enters dramatically to the pulpit with Caesar 's body to win the sympathy of the mob.

ï½ He began his speech by addressing the mob as "friends".

ï½ Antony provides evidences of Caesar 's humanity and attachment to people by showing them that Caesar had made the people his inheritors of his wealth, gardens

ï½ . Also Antony tells the crowd that Caesar had always sympathized with them.

ï½ This has a greater effect on the people and Antony 's periodical emotional outburst only contributes to Antony 's impulsive and improvisatory nature serves him perfectly.

ï½ Antony is gifted with the power of oratory that helped him to stir the common man

ï½ The brilliant cunning Antony plays directly on the emotions of the crowd.

ï½ Through the use of irony, he not only manages to suggest that Brutus and his fellow conspirators are not honourable men; he does so without violating the conditions imposed on him.

ï½ Antony 's words are devastating in the way they undermine Brutus 's speech

ï½ He is also a master actor.

ï½ The pause for tears, whether sincere or not, is dramatically effective, and Antony 's use of his props, the dead body-who could not be moved by the sight of Caesar 's bloody corpse?-and the will, are also superb in their timing and effect.

ï½ Antonys speech is in verse

ï½ There is no attempt to produce logical argument, for the oration with ironies, sarcasm, rhetorical questions and open display of emotions is aimed at the hearts and not at the minds of people

ï½ We see the citizens in the process of changing their minds each time Antony makes a well-calculated and effective pause in his speech

ï½ He understands the psychology of the crowd

ï½ Easily achieves his desired goal.

Brutus speech

Brutus speaks in prose trying to present a reasonable argument to justify the assassination.

It is clear that Brutus has made a series of miscalculations.

ï½ His biggest mistake is to allow Antony to speak at the funeral.

ï½ He then compounds the error by leaving the scene after his own speech, which effectively gives Antony the last word.

ï½ The citizens are fairly satisfied but it is ironic that they now wish to elevate Brutus to Caesars place clearly showing that they did not comprehend the principle behind Brutuss speech.

ï½ It seems that Brutus is so concerned with acting nobly, that he makes the kind of blunders that Cassius, more ruthless and with a fiercer hunger for power, would never have made if left to him.

ï½ In the game of power politics, ruthlessness pays bigger dividends than nobility.

ï½ He uses rhetorics and repetitions in his speech and there are no pauses till the end.