Duet acting

Jonathan Silva

partner: Aditya Cavale

The context of the passage me and my partner have chosen is in act 1, when Caesar has left for the games and Brutus and Cassius have stayed behind. They are discussing Caesar and how he is becoming a dictator. In secret, Cassius is planning a conspiracy and wants Brutus to join, and eventually lead the group.

Act 1, scene 2. Lines 133 – 175.

Cassius: Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we pretty men Walk under hus huge legs, and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that ‘Caesar’? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? Write them together, yours is as fair a name; Sound them, it doth becomes the mouth as well; Weight them, it is as heavy; conjure with ‘em, ‘Brutus’ will start a spirit as soon as ‘Caesar’. Now in the names of all the gods at once, Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham’d! Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! When went there by an age, since the great flood, But it was fam’d with more than with one man? When could they say, till now, that talk’d of Rome, That her wide walks encompass’d but one man? Now it is Rome indeed, and room enough, When there is in it but one only man. O, you and I have heard our fathers say, There was a Brutus once that would have brook’d Th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome As easily as a king.

Brutus: That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; What you would work me to, I have some aim: How I have thought of this, and of these times, I shall recount hereafter. For this present, I would not, so with love I might entreat you, Be any further mov’d. What you have said I will consider; what you have to say I will with patience hear, and find a time Both meet to hear and answer such high things. Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this: Brutus had rather be a villager Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us.

Cassius: I am glad That my weak words have struck but thus much show Of fire from Brutus.

The significance of the passage is that this is where Cassius plants the thought of Caesar as a dictator in Brutus’ mind. He spurns the thoughts of Brutus to make him think that Caesar is weak and useless. He does this by telling him of the stories of the race in the Tiber and the sickness in Spain, for these encounters show Caesar’s weakness. Brutus says he will think about it thus Cassius knows he has done his job and Brutus is reconsidering Caesar.