‘The Tragedy of Julius Caesar’ Act Two – “Between the acting of a dreadful thing and the first motion, all the interim is like a phantasma, or a hideous dream…”

‘The Tragedy of Julius Caesar’ Act Two – “Between the acting of a dreadful thing and the first motion, all the interim is like a phantasma, or a hideous dream…”

I think that an audience identifies more with Brutus because we see him struggle over his decision to be part of the conspiracy to kill Julius Caesar. Act Two covers the time from before dawn (around 6.30am in March) until about 9am in the morning. We catch Brutus in his garden, who having decided that it is certain that Caesar will be crowned king, has decided that Caesar will have to die. Brutus thinks that although he has never seen Caesar corrupted by power that this new found power will corrupt him and he starts to think of Caesar:

“…as a serpent's egg

Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous,

And kill him in the shell.”

Cassius’ anonymous letter which was thrown in near a window, is brought in by Lucius. Brutus’s servant. It challenges Brutus to finally act:

“'Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake, and see thyself.

Shall Rome, & c. Speak, strike, redress!

Shall Rome stand under one man's awe?’”

Cassius’ deceptive letter works and believes that the people of Rome are urging him through this letter to act of their behalf. And then Cassius and his co-conspirators Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus, and Trebonius fortuitously arrive at Brutus’ door.

Brutus is introduced to the others and Cassius proposes that they swear an oath to one another but Brutus dismisses this and claims that their cause is horrible yet noble enough to bind them together. They then get down to the nitty gritty of the plan by discussing whether Cicero should be solicited into their conspiracy since he would bring greater support for their actions. Brutus sees that Cicero would not follow any plan unless he came up with it himself. Cassius then puts forward that they should kill Mark Anthony as well but Brutus sees that this would make the killing of Caesar seem as noble as Brutus believes it to be and suggests that Mark Anthony is nothing without Caesar:

“Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,

To cut the head off and then hack the limbs,

Like wrath in death and envy afterwards;

For Antony is but a limb of Caesar:

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius…

We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.

And for Mark Antony, think not of him;

For he can do no more than Caesar's arm

When Caesar's head is off.”

Then Cassius reveals that Caesar may not even come to the Capitol later that day because of dire warnings about “the ides of March”. Decius believes that he can get Caesar there through appealing to his vanity. As they depart. Now that the die is cast, Brutus final words of advice are:

“Let not our looks put on our purposes,

But bear it as our Roman actors do,

With untired spirits and formal constancy:

And so good morrow to you every one.”

The conspirators leave and Brutus’ wife, Portia, appears in the garden. She enquires why Brutus has “stole from my bed” and she pleads with him to tell her what is disturbing him. Brutus thanks her for being such a “true and honorable wife” and then asks her to hide herself when there is a knock at the door. The sickly Ligarius enters, anxious to discover whether Brutus’ motivations for involvement in the conspiracy to kill Caesar are noble and honorable. Brutus assures him they are and they leave. 

Thunder and lightning announce the early morning at the Caesar household. Caesar sees nature’s signs, the dreams of his wife Calpurnia and strange events like a lioness who gave birth in the street as ominous signs. When a servant enters and says that the augurs (fortune-tellers) suggest that Caesar should stay at home because when they went to read the entrails of an animal, they found no heart, Caesar finally concedes to Calpurnia’s demands and decides that he will not go to the Senate that day.

The Decius enters to collect Caesar for the senate. Caesar says that he will stay home and reveals part of Calpurnia’s dream where Caesar’s statue starts spouting blood like a fountain and Romans wash their hands in it. Calpurnia says this reveals that Caesar will be killed. Decius disputes this interpretation saying:

“This dream is all amiss interpreted;

It was a vision fair and fortunate:

Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,

In which so many smiling Romans bathed,

Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck

Reviving blood, and that great men shall press

For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.

This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.”

Going further, Decius reveals that the Senate will indeed give Caesar the crown that day and says that Caesar would lose the senate and the people’s support if he was swayed to not turn up due to the fears and dreams of a woman Caesar calls for his robes and when mark Anthony enters, they all depart for the Capital.

Meanwhile, some forces seem to be moving to prevent Caesar from his fatal last course. Artemidorus enters carrying a letter that he himself has written to Caesar and will give to him on his way to the Capital. The letter warns him to beware of Brutus, Casca and others. He hope the letter and its warning will save Caesar. Also, Portia sends Brutus’s servant to see how Caesar is and to report back to her. A Soothsayer enters and reports to Portia that Caesar has not yet arrived at the Capitol and that he will wait to speak to Caesar in the street to warn him.