Julius Caesar (Act 2 Scene 2)

About the author

William Shakespeare (April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright,

poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English
language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's
national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works,
including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long
narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays
have been translated into every major living language and are performed more
often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the
most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be
studied and reinterpreted.
Julius Caesar is a tragedy in five acts written by the English playwright,
William Shakespeare. Detailing the rise and fall of a group of conspirators who
attempt to assassinate their powerful political rival - Julius Caesar, the play has
been highly regarded for centuries for its incisive commentary on politics,
ambition, and the power of rhetoric.

Summary
Caesar, in his home, prepares to go to the Capitol. The storm is still raging, and
Calphurnia had cried out "They murder Caesar!" in her sleep the night before.
Calphurnia begs Caesar not to leave the house. She's alarmed by the
storm—which she sees as directly related to death, with ghosts shrieking in the
streets and warriors drizzling blood on the Capitol. Caesar counters that he can't
avoid his fate. If the gods say he's going to die, then he will, and he might as well
do his job in the meantime. Besides, as he points out, every man dies, but only
cowards worry about death. He won't waste time in fear.

A servant enters with bad news. When the priests sacrificed an animal to ensure
Caesar's success, they found no heart in the animal. Caesar reiterates that he's
invincible, and he's still going to the Capitol. Calphurnia continues to beg, and
Caesar agrees to stay home to pacify her.

Decius comes to bring Caesar to the Capitol. Caesar refuses to go, and Decius
says he'll need a reason. Caesar tells him Calphurnia had a dream that Caesar's
statue ran with blood, which the Romans bathed in. Decius says the dream's a
good sign—Caesar's blood will revive Rome, and men will wear it honorably like
armor. He also tells Caesar the senators plan to give him a crown, but only if he
shows up at the Capitol.

Convinced to attend, Caesar dresses and meets with the senators/conspirators.

They exchange friendly dialogue and go to drink wine together. To the audience
Brutus regrets that Caesar thinks the senators are his friends, when in fact
they're his enemies.

Character sketch of Julius Caesar

Caesar is a general and the most powerful man in Rome. He begins the play as
a victorious leader returning from battle. The people of Rome even offer to make
him king and he seems to enjoy his power, even though he refuses the crown. In
using Julius Caesar as a central figure, Shakespeare is less interested in
portraying a figure of legendary greatness than he is in creating a character who
is consistent with the other aspects of his drama. If Brutus and Cassius were
eminently evil men insidiously planning the cold-blooded murder of an eminently
admirable ruler, Julius Caesar would be little more than a melodrama of
suspense and revenge. On the other hand, if Caesar were wholly the bloody
tyrant, there would be little cause for Brutus' hesitation and no justification for
Antony's thirst for revenge. In fact, Shakespeare creates in Caesar a character
who is sometimes reasonable, sometimes superstitious, sometimes
compassionate, and sometimes arrogantly aloof. In so doing, he has projected
Caesar as a man whom the nobility have just reasons to fear, yet who is not a
villain.
From his first appearance, Caesar openly displays a superstitious nature.
He also displays a propensity to ignore warnings and signs that should alert a
man of his beliefs. We witness the mixture of strength and weakness in Caesar.
One day when he is due to attend a meeting of the Senate, Calpurnia has seen a
dreadful dream and she also tells him that the watchman has witnessed certain
dreadful sights which portrayed ill to him. She would not like him to move out of
doors on this day. But Caesar fearlessly says that if the mighty gods are bent
upon putting an end to somebody's life then that men cannot escape from his
fate. When Calpurnia still insists that the omens which have been seen indicate a
danger to his life he declares that a coward die many times before his death and
the brave never taste of death except one. Caesar here also says that of all
wonders in this world it seems most strange to him that men should feel afraid of
his death when they know death is necessary end which will come when it will
come.The lines in which Caesar expresses these ideas become famous because
of the attitude of fearlessness which they express. On hearing the message of
the priest that he should not go out of the doors on this day because the beast
which had been slaughtered as a sacrifice was found to have no heart, Caesar
replies that the absence of the heart in the beast body only mean that Caesar
would prove himself to be the beast without the heart if he were to stay at home
on this day on account of fear.
Caesar then goes on to say that he is not afraid of danger because he
himself is more dangerous than the danger itself. But then in concession to
Calpurnia feelings he decided not to move out of doors and to send message to
Senators that he would not be attending the meeting. Later,Caesar dismisses the
omens which Calpurnia has referred and he also dismisses the advice of priest,
thereby showing himself to be a man free from superstitious. He expresses his
absolute freedom from fear and at the same time showing due regards for
Calpurnia's feelings. And yet when Decius comes and interprets Calpurnia's
horrible dream as being a good omen, Caesar quickly changes his view and gets
ready to leave the house. Here we find that Caesar greatly pleased by a flattering
interpretation of Calpurnia's dream.
Caesar is proud. This prude leads Caesar to his death, but another aspect of
pride-self confidence, fearlessness, practicality - all these traits help a general in
battle or a ruler leading a country through strife. However Caesar's detractors do
not care for his ruling.Caesar's conflation of his public image with his private self
helps bring about his death since he mistakenly believes that the immortal status
granted to his public self somehow protects his mortal body.

Decius

A member of the conspiracy. Decius convinces Caesar that Calphurnia

misinterpreted her dire nightmares and that, in fact, no danger awaits him at the
Senate. Decius leads Caesar right into the hands of the conspirators.
Decius, one of the secret conspirators, enters Caesar's house to escort him to
the Senate, as Caesar had originally planned. Caesar, however, tells Decius he
will not be going today, and Calphurnia tells Decius to tell the Senate he is sick.
Caesar replies that he will not lie and that Decius should tell them: ''The cause is
in my will: I will not come; / That is enough to satisfy the senate.'' Nevertheless,
he says that since Decius is his friend, he will tell him the real reason he is
staying home. He tells Decius that Calphurnia had dreams of Caesar's statue
being overrun with blood and that the Romans were bathing their hands in it,
celebrating his death.Decius disputes Calpurnia’s interpretation, saying that
actually the dream signifies that Romans will all gain lifeblood from the strength
of Caesar. He confides that the Senate has decided to give Caesar the crown
that day; if Caesar were to stay at home, the senators might change their minds.
Moreover, Caesar would lose public regard if he were perceived as so easily
swayed by a woman, or by fear.