Julius Caesar Act 4.1

This scene reveals more of the crucial developments in the aftermath of Caesar’s death, and most notably the development of Antony’s character (hints of which were given in 3.2). 4.1 opens with the triumvirate of Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, a triumvirate that will eventually take power, and that Shakespeare explores again in Antony and Cleopatra. The opening is furhter significant because they are discussing which of their enemies should be marked down for death, and these enemies include relatives. Clearly Roman politics is a cut-throat business! The only slightly redeeming feature is that all three apparently have to agree. When Lepidus is dispatched quickly on an errand, much else becomes clear as Antony now dominates the scene, not only by what he says but by the sheer length of his speeches. After Lepidus’s exit, Octavius speaks only nine lines. Foremost is Antony’s essential disgust with and dismissal of Lepidus, “a slight unmeritable man” good only “to be sent on errands.” Antony also believes Lepidus does not warrant being part of the triumvirate. In his brief speeches Octavius attempts to argue Lepidus’s worth–“he’s a tried and valiant soldier”–but the brevity of his remarks alone show how weak they are. The only slightly curious aspect to Antony’s remarks is the fact that he does spend so much time in pointing out Lepidus’s weaknesses, etc. The answer may lie in Shakespeare’s desire to expand upon Antony’s ruthlessness and to illustrate his control of the situation. On the latter point, Antony already knows “Brutus and Cassius / Are levying powers” and proposes a line of action to meet their threat.

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© 2008

Julius Caesar Act 3.3

3.3

At first glance this might sem a curious, inconsequential scene, leaving reader and viewer alike wondering why Shakespeare bothered to write it. However, it serves both a dramatic and thematic purpose. Dramatically, it provides a contrast with the preceding and following scenes in that the focus moves from the chief characters to far lesser ones. 3.3 is also very brief, again a sharp contrast with the lengthier scenes on either side of it, thus providing the audience with something of a breathing space. And yet 3.3 also turns out to be a violent scene, ending with the death of Cinna the Poet who is murdered by the rabble. On that score the event provides a thematic link with the politics of the play by showing the mindless behaviour of the Plebians after being aroused by Antony’s political speech (remember his line on “Mischief” doing its work in 3.2). Significant too is Cinna’s opening speech which touches on luck, fate, and chance–he does not know why he has been drawn to that particular place. The fatalist would have it that he’s there to meet his appointed/fated end. The other point about Cinna is that he is mistaken for Cinna the conspirator, even though he tells the rabble he is Cinna the Poet. Again, the rabble’s refusal to believe him points out their mindlessness, added to which there is the irony of one plebeian declaring that the “occupation” is irrelevant so long as they murder a Cinna. What’s in a name? Shades of Romeo and Juliet and the balcony scene.

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© 2008

Patrick Stewart interview

The Times has an interesting interview with Patrick Stewart (currently rehearsing Claudius in Stratford–David Tennant as Hamlet), in which he reflects on his life and career. Click here.

Julius Caesar Act 3.2

This scene demonstrates the power of rhetoric in both politics and in the theatre. It is also a demonstration of the power of staging. It begins with Brutus’ straightforward address to the plebeians (and it might be worth remembering how they were involved in the very opening scene of the play. Further, Shakespeare makes very interesting and somewhat similar use of the plebs in Coriolanus, a topic for another day). Not only is Brutus’ address straightforward, but it is in prose: “Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear.” Hardly a stirring beginning. When Antony begins his address (with lines that almost anyone can recite from memory!), Shakespeare puts almost the same words into his mouth, but the effect is far more powerful:
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The power lies simply in the rhythm of the lines (and the placement of the commas give an excellent indication of that). Other key features of his speech are his use of repeated words (e.g. “honourable”–and when the same word is repeated differing inflection can give differing meaning) and the use of rhetoric questions. Moreover, Shakespeare has further loaded the dice in Antony’s favour. After his speech, Brutus leaves the stage, giving Antony a clear field–not a politic move. To boot, Antony enters with a powerful prop–Caesar’s dead and bloody body. Another prop is Caesar’s will and the “reading” thereof, which Antony milks for all it is worth in getting the plebs on his side. A excellent example comes after the will business when Antony reverts to the use of a negative to assert a positive: “Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up / To such a sudden flood of mutiny.” All this is quite deliberate on Antony’s part: “Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, / Take thou what course thou wilt” (261-62)–an interesting character revelation. One final point on the role of the plebeians (apart from the ease with which they are manipulated in this political process): Antony dominates the scene from line 65 on, and speaks the majority of the lines. Thus the plebeians interjections serve to break up what otherwise would be a very long monologue.

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© 2008