Julius Caesar: Character Quotations (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Note

Brutus

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“gainsome” and “quick spirit”

What the quotation means:

Brutus presents himself as a serious man with none of Antony’s competitive playfulness and wit

Theme: Manipulation and self-promotion

• Shakespeare presents Brutus as a man who takes his love for Rome seriously 

• He describes himself as an earnest man lacking the lively energy of Antony:

  • This, audiences may infer, makes him sincere, yet perhaps naïve 

• Brutus may be perceived as out of place in the crafty and shrewd political sphere of the Roman Empire

Brutus

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“Caesar’s arm” and “Caesar’s head”

What the quotation means:

Brutus disagrees with Cassius about killing Antony as well as Caesar: he says that Antony is only Caesar’s “arm” and he will not be a threat (“do no more”) once Caesar (the “head”) has been killed

Theme: 

Power and leadership

• Shakespeare presents Brutus as a sophisticated speaker and the play’s tragic hero, a noble character misguided and pressured by a corrupt political class

• His metaphor (opens in a new tab) connotes to the danger of absolute power in the ruling class:

  • The head symbolises the ruler, and the body represents the senators

  • Brutus’ metaphorical language suggests Antony is simply Caesar’s tool (his “arm”) and cutting off the head (“Caesar”) will render the arm useless

  • This conveys Brutus’ fear that Caesar may become dictatorial

• Shakespeare builds tension with dramatic irony (opens in a new tab): audiences have heard Antony proclaim his loyalty in Act 1: “When Caesar says 'do this,' it is perform'd”

Brutus

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“rather be a dog” and “than such a Roman”

What the quotation means:

Brutus reminds Cassius that they killed Caesar to prevent corruption and greed, and he would rather be a dog crying at the moon than a dishonourable Roman

Theme: 

Honour and bravery

• Shakespeare presents Brutus as keen to determine his reputation, making decisions that are consistently loyal to Rome, and proclaim his sense of honour:

  • The imagery (opens in a new tab) in his comparison emphasises this need to prove himself

  • A dog calling to the moon may connote to madness, but he would choose this over harming Rome, a rather hyperbolic (opens in a new tab) claim

• There is some irony in his dialogue: audiences know Cassius did forge letters and spread lies to persuade Brutus of Caesar’s dangerous ambition and power:

  • As he accuses Cassius of bribery and corruption, dramatic irony makes Brutus appear idealistic and naïve to Cassius’ scheming

Cassius

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“noble minds” and “who so firm”

What the quotation means:

Cassius wonders aloud about Brutus turning on Caesar, and says that it is best for “noble minds” (good men) to stay together because there is no man so “firm” (unchangeable) to not be tempted

Theme: 

Power and leadership

• Shakespeare presents Cassius as a cynical, paranoid character:

  • In a soliloquy (opens in a new tab), he expresses his honest feelings about how easily men are persuaded, which implies human leadership is inevitably flawed

• Cassius’ use of the word “noble” may suggest he believes Brutus a good man who should only keep good friends so he is not tempted by bad “minds”:

  • This suggests that Cassius admits his own bad influence on Brutus, which presents him as a conniving and evil villain

• On the other hand, “noble minds” may connote to intelligence, in which case Cassius implies Brutus is too simple-minded to be a politician:

  • This exposes the political sphere as inherently deceptive

• Either way, Cassius is illustrated as a deeply distrustful character, his rhetorical question (opens in a new tab) confirming his certainty that no man is capable of resisting manipulation:

  • This highlights unease within the ruling class

Cassius 

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“the people may be moved”

What the quotation means:

Cassius tells Brutus not to let Antony speak at Caesar’s funeral, as he is a persuasive orator and will manipulate (“move”) the people 

Theme: 

Manipulation and self-promotion

• Shakespeare foreshadows (opens in a new tab) the conflict ahead with Cassius offering a word of warning:

  • The depth of mistrust between Cassius and Antony is emphasised here

  • He foresees Antony (despite his having just made peace with the conspirators) turning on them

• Shakespeare may be presenting an ironic portrayal of political one-upmanship, each trying to outsmart the other, the result being chaos and paranoia:

  • Cassius, himself a persuasive speaker, appears to recognise the threat of Antony’s similar ability to manipulate others with words

Cassius

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“coward that I am”

What the quotation means:

Cassius asks his servant to stab him as his long life proves he is a coward

Theme: 

Honour and bravery 

• While Cassius’ death is dramatic, it would not be considered noble according to contemporary ideals:

  • Under threat by enemy forces he asks his servant to stab him

  • He attempts to dramatise his death with hyperbolic exclamation, “O”

• The line exemplifies ideals of honour in Roman society, and perhaps Shakespearean England too, equating death with bravery

Caesar

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“heart’s ease” and “greater than themselves”

What the quotation means:

Caesar tells Antony that Cassius is a threat (“very dangerous”) because he is jealous of men who are “greater” than he

Theme: 

Power and leadership

• Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar portrays the mistrust and jealousy amongst the political ruling class at the time

• Caesar’s emotive language suggests Cassius and other senators let their emotions corrupt them: here he describes Cassius’ heart as unsettled

• Thus, Shakespeare raises questions about flawed men in positions of power

Caesar

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“Caesar is more dangerous than he” and “two lions”

What the quotation means:

Caesar tells his wife he and “danger” are “two lions”, but he is stronger (“more terrible”) and older (more experienced)

Theme: 

Honour and bravery 

• Shakespeare portrays Caesar as a confident leader sure of his own strength:

  • His tendency to refer to himself in third person presents him as distant and arrogant, especially as his descriptions are extremely complimentary 

• Here he equates warnings of conspiracy to a test: something he will overcome:

  • The reference to lions as a symbol for leadership connotes to bravery

  • Shakespeare may present contemporary ideas of leaders as physically strong beasts to portray the predatory nature of the ruling class

• Interestingly, he implies a relationship with “danger”, which he personifies, something Cassius does as well, suggesting similarities between the two

Caesar

Key word or phrase to memorise:

“well moved” and “pray to move”

What the quotation means:

Caesar, just before his assassination, tells the conspirators that if he were as easily influenced (“moved”) as them he would ask (“pray”)  for mercy

Theme: 

Manipulation and self-promotion

• Shakespeare presents Caesar as unchanging and stoic, even as he faces death:

  • His sophisticated language presents him as calm and wise

• Repeated use of “moved” in a conditional separates him from the conspirators:

  • “if I were as you” suggests Caesar is different (and less fickle)

• In this climactic scene, religious language elevates the solemn mood:

  • Use of “pray” and “prayer” make Caesar seem humble and respectful

  • Shakespeare may be highlighting the mortality of human leaders, and ultimately their transient nature

  • Perhaps Shakespeare depicts Caesar’s assassination sympathetically to criticise betrayal and violence