JULIUS CAESAR ACT II SUMMARY & IMPORTANT QUOTES * this is just a general summary of the main plot events. Re-read these parts to understand them in detail. 1. Brutus’ soliloquy • Middle of the night @ Brutus’ garden on the night before March 15th • Internal conflict – he finally decides, logically, that JC MUST BE KILLED • 3 metaphors to describe JC and why there’s no other way i. The adder ii. Climbing the ladder iii. Snake in an egg before it hatches 2. Brutus receives one of Cassius’ fake letters: • “Brutus, thou sleep’st. Awake, and see thyself! Shall Rome, etc. Speak, strike, redress!” i. Redress: make it right / fix it! • Motivates Brutus to go forth with the plan • Letters are fake – Cassius… 3. Cassius and conspirators visit Brutus in the middle of the night • Discuss the specific details of the plan to kill JC • Brutus starts to take leadership of the discussion i. Cassius wants to make an oath so that no one goes back on their word, but Brutus says that an oath is not necessary as they are killing Caesar for an honorable reason that will benefit Rome. ii. When someone suggests to include CICERO to join and everyone agrees, Brutus disagrees, and everyone then agrees with Brutus. iii. When Cassius suggests that they should also kill Marc Anthony and others agree, Brutus says it is unnecessary and violent, and everyone then agrees with Brutus. iv. Anthony, without Caesar, is no one…. is he???? (foreshadowing?) • The conspirators plan to murder Caesar the following day before he can be crowned. Because Caesar has been superstitious lately, the conspirators resolve to meet him at his house and be sure that he goes to the Capitol. 4. PORTIA – she is wondering what is going on with the group of men and with Brutus’ lack of sleep and worrying – “he must have a sickness of the mind” (not of the body) • Brutus agrees to tell her everyone, but not at that moment 5. CALPURNIA - had nightmares about Caesar's death, and she begs Caesar not to go to the Capitol that day. Caesar argues with her, insisting that he is not afraid, and is temporarily convinced by her to stay home. • DECIUS arrives and finally convinces Caesar to go to the Capitol by saying that Calpurnia’s dream meant something else about his power, symbolically. • Decius plays on Caesar’s greed to manipulate him. If he doesn’t go to the Capitol, the Senators might not crown him king. So Caesar disregards Calpurnia’s pleas and goes with the conspirators. 6. Artemidorus (another fortune teller) wrote a letter of warning to Caesar. He basically names all of the conspirators in the letter and resolves to give this letter to Caesar if he can, but Caesar is protected by the conspirators on the walk to the Capitol. Artemidorus cannot get close to Caesar to give him the letter. 7. Portia is worried and asks the servant, Lucius, to go check to make sure Brutus is ok at the Capitol (she can’t go herself)– she hears a noise coming from the Capitol • It’s not clear if Brutus told her his plans or why shouts are coming from the Capitol.
