Julius Caesar Duet Acting

As Caesar's supporters lament his death, Brutus and Cassius are forced to flee Rome due to a civil war. A divide in Rome was caused by Caesar's assassination; those for Caesar, and those against Caesar. While Octavius Caesar, Julius Caesar's successor, and Mark Antony prepare their army in Rome, Brutus and Cassius arrange their battalion in Asia Minor, by Sardis. As Brutus runs low on funds for his army, he asks for Cassius's aid, who denies him the money. Instead, Cassius gets the money through bribery from a man in their army. As an honorable man, Brutus gets angry with Cassius, causing tension between the two. Brutus accuses Cassius of being an itching palm, killing Caesar not for justice, but because of wrath. As Brutus insults Cassius, Cassius progressively becomes angrier and angrier, to a point where he threatens to physically hurt Brutus. Unaffected, Brutus brushes off the threat and once again blames Cassius to be a dishonest man for accepting money through bribery. Cassius, hurt, falls apart and begs Brutus to kill him. Feeling compassion for Cassius, the man who has stuck with him through everything since the assassination of Caesar, Brutus, relenting, not only forgives Cassius but also asks for Cassius's forgiveness for his harshness. As the two make up, Brutus tells his friend that the reason for his stress and hard words were because he was grieving his wife's suicide.

This passage is significant because the two succumb to the pressure of worries caused by the war, causing a tension in their friendship. Throughout the whole play, Brutus has been collected, not letting stress overcome him. But with his wife's death and the war breaking out because of the conspiracy, Brutus falls apart and takes it out on his friend Cassius, who on his part has also done Brutus wrong. But after realizing that they had been through a lot with each other, they forgive and forget about the argument, knowing the importance of their friendship. This passage truly proves that even under circumstances as such, even if you approach a bump in the road, friends will help you through, staying by your side as long as you need them.

Act IV, Scene 3. Lines 38-122.

Brutus Hear me, for I will speak.
Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?
Cassius O ye gods, ye gods! Must I endure all this?
Brutus All this? ay, more; fret till your proud heart break;
Go show your slaves how choleric you are,
And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?
Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humour? By the gods,
You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
When you are waspish.
Cassius Is it come to this?
Brutus You say you are a better soldier:
Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,
And it shall please me well. For mine own part,
I shall be glad to learn of noble men.
Cassius You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus.
I said, an elder soldier not a better;
Did I say better?
Brutus If you did, I care not.
Cassius When Caesar liv'd, he durst not thus have mov'd me.
Brutus Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him.
Cassius I durst not?
Brutus No.
Cassius What? durst not tempt him?
Brutus For your life you durst not.
Cassius Do not presume too much upon my love.
I may do that I shall be sorry for.
Brutus You have done that you should be sorry for.
There is not error, Cassius in your threats;
For I am arm'd so strong in honesty
That they pass by me as the idle wind,
Which I respect not. I did send to you
For certain sums of gold, which you denied me:

For I can raise no money by vile means:

By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring

From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash

By any indirection: I did send

To you for gold to pay my legions,

Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?
Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?

When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,

To lock such rascal counters from his friends,

Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts;

Dash him to pieces!


Cassius 
I denied you not.


Brutus 
You did.


Cassius 
I did not: he was but a fool that brought

My answer back. Brutus hath riv’d my heart:

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,

But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
Brutus 
I do not, till you practise them on me.


Cassius 
You love me not.


Brutus 
I do not like your faults.


Cassius 
A friendly eye could never see such faults.


Brutus 
A flatterer's would not, though they do appear

As huge as high Olympus.


Cassius 
Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,

Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,

For Cassius is aweary of the world;

Hated by one he loves; brav’d by his brother;

Check'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,

Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep

My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,

And here my naked breast; within, a heart

Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:

If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;

I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:

Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better

Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.


Brutus 
Sheathe your dagger:

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;

Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.

O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb

That carries anger as the flint bears fire;

Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,

And straight is cold again.


Cassius 
Hath Cassius lived

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,

When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?


Brutus 
When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.


Cassius 
Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.


Brutus 
And my heart too.


Cassius 
O Brutus!


Brutus 
What's the matter?


Cassius 
Have not you love enough to bear with me,

When that rash humour which my mother gave me

Makes me forgetful?


Brutus 
Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth,

When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,

He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.



Brutus: Sam
Cassius: Izzy