Julius Caesar : Duet Performance

My peer (Maddy) and I have chosen the scene in Act 2 Scene 2 lines 58 - 107 to act out. This passage/scene is where Decius Brutus and Julius Caesar are at Caesar's house and Calpurnia has just awoken to a dream where Caesar's statue is having blood pour out of 100 spouts into the hands of lusty Romans. This is the part after Calpurnia has begged Caesar to stay at home and has pleaded her case, and won Caesar's word that he would stay home for her. But then the scene Maddy and I are going to act out is right after that when Decius Brutus comes along to bring Caesar to the Senate and finds out that Caesar will not go, and so Decius uses his flattering skills to convince him otherwise.

The significance of this scene is that it characterizes both Caesar and Decius and shows how easily influenced Caesar can be if you use flattery in order to make him feel a little vulnerable and proud of himself. This scene also characterizes Decius in the way of being slinky and sneaky, and taking advantage of Caesar's weaknesses to compliments and flattery in order to get Caesar to the Senate and to kill him. The meaning of this scene is that Decius changes what Caesar viewed of Calpurnias dream into a positive perspective of it where the Romans are embracing and worshipping Caesars rich blood instead of craving his blood out of hatred and embracing the life of Caesar instead of embracing the death.

DECIUS BRUTUS

Caesar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Caesar:
I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

CAESAR

And you are come in very happy time,
To bear my greeting to the senators
And tell them that I will not come to-day:
Cannot, is false, and that I dare not, falser:
I will not come to-day: tell them so, Decius.

CALPURNIA

Say he is sick.

CAESAR

Shall Caesar send a lie?
Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,
To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth?
Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

DECIUS BRUTUS

Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.

CAESAR

The cause is in my will: I will not come;
That is enough to satisfy the senate.
But for your private satisfaction,
Because I love you, I will let you know:
Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
She dreamt to-night she saw my statua,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it:
And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day.

DECIUS BRUTUS

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.

CAESAR

And this way have you well expounded it.

DECIUS BRUTUS

I have, when you have heard what I can say:
And know it now: the senate have concluded
To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be render'd, for some one to say
'Break up the senate till another time,
When Caesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.'
If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper
'Lo, Caesar is afraid'?
Pardon me, Caesar; for my dear dear love
To our proceeding bids me tell you this;
And reason to my love is liable.

CAESAR

How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!
I am ashamed I did yield to them.
Give me my robe, for I will go.