Transcript Julius Caesar: Act IV Notes - Greater Atlanta Christian School

Julius Caesar:
Act IV Notes
English 10
Greater Atlanta Christian School
Opening of Act 4:
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The act opens with Antony in conference
with Octavius and Lepidus.
It seems that little time has elapsed, but
actually it has been more than a year and a
half.
There has been a lot of political jockeying
since the funeral and much is still uncertain
Opening of Act 4:
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Antony had discovered that he really wasn’t
the leader that Caesar was.
He also found Octavius to be a rather
challenging enemy.
Cicero had also been gaining power and
popularity with his speeches.
They were wrecking Antony like Antony
had wrecked Brutus earlier.
Opening of Act 4:
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Antony believed that the best way to gain
back lost ground politically was to have a
military victory.
He knew that Decius (the closest of the
conspirators to Rome at the time) was in
charge of a nearby province, so he
attacked and started a civil war.
This backfired on Antony very quickly.
Opening of Act 4:
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As soon as Antony had led his troops out of
Rome, Octavius entered the scene and
convinced the Senate to declare Antony a
“public enemy.”
This cut off any Senatorial support for
Antony and led to a miserable military
failure on the battlefields.
Opening of Act 4:
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Octavius now assumes the position as
master of Rome.
He convinces the Senate to finally
recognize him as the true heir to Caesar.
To prove his worth, he himself led an attack
on Decius.
Octavius was no fighter, but the name of
Caesar had the opposition fleeing.
Opening of Act 4:
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Even Decius himself chose to flee instead
of facing the new Roman master.
Octavius pursued him, captured him and
had him executed.
The result was skyrocketing reputation and
popularity.
All seemed well for Octavius.
Opening of Act 4:
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Brutus & Cassius had finally finished
consolidating their power over the eastern
section of the Empire.
They foresaw a future where Octavius and
Antony would continue to battle each other
and they would both lose.
That would allow the conspiracy to take
charge of Rome.
Opening of Act 4:
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Lepidus knew this to be true so he worked
to bring Antony and Octavius together.
He succeeded and 20 months after the
assassination of Caesar, the triumvirate
was established.
The fourth act opens after this triumvirate
had been formed.
A New Power is Born:
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Shakespeare gives us the first look at the
Triumvirate in a very gruesome way.
The group needs money, and the best way
to get it quickly was to declare certain
wealthy citizens guilty of treason, execute
them and take their money.
It would be a great way to get rid of
personal enemies at the same time.
A New Power is Born:
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These staged deaths have to be chosen
carefully, though.
One leader’s enemy might be a friend or
relative of one of the other two leaders.
If that friend is to be sacrificed then the one
arranging the execution was expected to
sacrifice someone close to them.
A New Power is Born:
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One of the gruesome side deals involved
Antony demanding that Octavius kill Cicero
because Octavius had demanded the death
of a close friend of Antony.
Octavius hated to do it, but kept his end of
the bargain.
It is the darkest act of his entire reign.
A New Power is Born:
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Now the Triumvirate can turn to military
matters as their next area of concern.
It was going to be time for a showdown
between those on the side of Octavius and
Antony and those with the conspirators.
Brutus & Cassius were smart to join forces
as they saw this battle becoming inevitable
Checking in With Brutus’ Camp:
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For the 1st time in the play, the action shifts
to outside of Rome.
The scene is in Brutus’ camp outside of the
city of Sardis.
One of Brutus’ aides informs him of the
approach of Cassius and his forces.
When he arrives in the camp, all is not well
Checking in With Brutus’ Camp:
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Because they had been separated by
distance, Brutus & Cassius had developed
a lot of grievances toward each other.
Brutus scolds Cassius because of his
greed
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Cassius had sold appointments to high offices as
a way of raising funds needed for his reign.
He had also robbed villages and citizens.
Checking in With Brutus’ Camp:
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Brutus is one to be talking here! He had
done the same in the past year or so also!
He just needs a reason to be upset with
Cassius! If Brutus robs, it is noble. If
Cassius does, it is a crime!
It sounds like the SAME OLD BRUTUS!!
He’s scolding Cassius for robbing, but it’s
okay for him to share in the spoils of it.
Checking in With Brutus’ Camp:
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For a change, it is Cassius who backs
away from this barrage of attacks.
The scene ends with some reconciliation
between the two.
Brutus is quick to praise himself as being
slow to anger and quick to forgive.
HE JUST DOES NOT GET IT!!
Checking in With Brutus’ Camp:
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Brutus explains to Cassius that the reason
for his momentary burst of anger was that
his wife, Portia, is dead.
He says that she died from swallowing hot
coals.
It seems so unbelievable that you wonder if
he is covering up some other kind of death.
Checking in With Brutus’ Camp:
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Maybe she did something foolish like
leaving a fire unventilated and died from
carbon monoxide poisoning??
He could be distorting the events to add a
degree of the “fantastic” to his wife’s
situation.
It would not be hard to imagine him
exaggerating.
Checking in With Brutus’ Camp:
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A very odd scene happens next.
A messenger from Rome arrives and
Brutus maneuvers him into revealing that
Portia is dead (even though he already
knows that).
Why all of this????
What Really Happened Here??
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One theory is that Shakespeare wanted to
show Brutus as a Stoic.
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This is someone who looks to remain calm in
dark times and face difficulty with little emotion.
However, it is possible that Shakespeare
might have thought the English audiences
would not go for Brutus’ “calm” reaction too
well. After all, death is always tragic!
What Really Happened Here??
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This would lead to Shakespeare writing the
scene where Brutus reveals the death to
Cassius and gets very worked up over it.
That reaction would play better with English
play-goers.
To bring this theory to a close, though,
means that both scenes appeared as a
mistake in printing or copying of the script.
What Really Happened Here??
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I’m not so sure that is the case.
As the messenger was in the process of
entering, Cassius says something about
Portia being gone and Brutus scolds him
for bringing up in front of the messenger.
It’s as if Brutus wants to face the news from
the messenger and not have Cassius tell
him.
What Really Happened Here??
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If this is true, it is another example of
Brutus being vain and seeking praise.
If he appears to take such tragic news
(supposedly for the first time) and remain
calm, he will (and does) get praised for his
self-control by the messenger and the
messenger will tell others how well Brutus
handled such a tough piece of news.
Back to the story…
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Before the messenger is forced into the
news of Portia, he tells of the mass killings
going on in Rome at the hands of the
Triumvirate.
He informs Brutus of the death of Cicero.
Brutus then tells the messenger that he has
received letters detailing Antony and
Octavius’ advance on Brutus’ positions.
Back to the story…
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The news tells of Antony and Octavius
moving eastward toward the city of Phillipi
to begin their assault on Brutus and
Cassius and their forces.
The key here for Brutus is how to respond
to such a tactic.
Cassius takes the conservative route and
advises remaining on the defensive.
Back to the story…
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Of course, Brutus disagrees with that
approach.
He points out that the provinces between
where they are now and where Antony’s
forces are now are angry from being looted
by Brutus and Cassius and will join quickly
with Antony.
Back to the story…
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Right now, Brutus and Cassius have a
rather large army and if they wait, it is likely
to start declining in numbers.
So…once again Brutus has contradicted
Cassius.
So…once again will Brutus’ judgment be
proven wrong!
A Visitor for Brutus:
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After ending his discussion with Cassius,
Brutus retires to his tent.
He actually seems noble here as he checks
on his servants and makes sure they are in
good shape.
He then settles down to read a book when
he has a flurry of emotion and cries out…
A Visitor for Brutus:
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The ghost of Caesar has come to visit
Brutus.
Brutus boldly faces him at first.
The only thing the ghost tells him is that
they will meet again at Phillipi.
The act ends with this ominous and rather
scary scene.