Tragedy of Julius Caesar

[Swashbuckler]

I am having trouble understand what Cassius is saying to Brutus about Caesar being weak and an ineffective leader. What evidence does Cassius provide to Brutus to demonstrate his claim that Caesar is an ineffective leader?

[kelby_lake]

He says that Brutus has done much better things than Caesar.

[Swashbuckler]

But what is Cassius saying about Caesar. He says some things about a river and Caesar sinking. Cassius says some things about how Caesar isn't an effective leader but I don't know what he is exactly saying. It's like lines 100-130 I think.

[Virgil]

I am having trouble understand what Cassius is saying to Brutus about Caesar being weak and an ineffective leader. What evidence does Cassius provide to Brutus to demonstrate his claim that Caesar is an ineffective leader?

Next time please quote the section you are referring to. This way I know the specific section. It's too hard to know what you are referring to without it.

[Swashbuckler]

Next time please quote the section you are referring to. This way I know the specific section. It's too hard to know what you are referring to without it.

I'm sorry for the confusion. I am new to this Forum thing. Anyways I am pretty sure the lines are 100-130 or somewhere very close to that.

[Virgil]

I'm sorry for the confusion. I am new to this Forum thing. Anyways I am pretty sure the lines are 100-130 or somewhere very close to that.

Of which act and scene?

[Swashbuckler]

Of which act and scene?

Act 1 Scene 2

[bessecar]

Hello, Swashbuckler.

Unfortunately, a student has borrowed my Julius Caesar at the moment, so this is from memory.

Cassius attempts to belittle Caesar by playing on his physical weaknesses, hoping that will throw doubts on his ability to rule.

[Swashbuckler]

Hello, Swashbuckler.

Unfortunately, a student has borrowed my Julius Caesar at the moment, so this is from memory.

Cassius attempts to belittle Caesar by playing on his physical weaknesses, hoping that will throw doubts on his ability to rule.

Can you list some of Caesar's weakness because I am having trouble picking them out of those 30 lines? Of course that is if you can remember?

[Virgil]

Ah now I see what's going on. You want us to do your homework for you.

[Scheherazade]

Ah now I see what's going on. You want us to do your homework for you.

And you were just saying that the clues went right over your head!

[Virgil]

And you were just saying that the clues went right over your head!

Well, I'm slow but not that slow.

[Swashbuckler]

Ah now I see what's going on. You want us to do your homework for you.

Virgil if I wanted you to do my homework for me I would have posted like 20 more questions. It's just that I am having trouble with this one question and I was hoping someone could give me some help but obviously you are not the one to do that.

[Virgil]

Ok, you convinced me to help you. Is this the speech you are referring to?

CASSIUS I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men 100
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Caesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well, and we can both 105
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood, 110
And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside 115
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'
I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder 120
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
Is now become a god, and Cassius is
A wretched creature and must bend his body,
If Caesar carelessly but nod on him. 125
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly,
And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world 130
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Titinius,'
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me 135
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world
And bear the palm alone.
Shout. Flourish

What Cassius is doing is not so much belittling Caesar, though that's there too, but to prove that Caesar is not a god but a mortal man. Caesar's greatness has intimidated any opposition to him, but Cassius is arguing there is nothing superior about Caesar, that he is like any other mortal man: he nearly drowned, he had a fever, he was thirsty. Caesar has become a "god" to those that bow to him, but Cassius feels that free men are of equal rank and that Caesar has the same mortal constraints as anyone else. And he goes on to prove it at mid play by the very real and tangible assasination.

[Swashbuckler]

Those are the exact lines. Ok so Cassius is basically saying that he is just as much of a 'god' as Caesar is to the commoners and Caesar is nothing special but is just a normal man. Now I know how Cassius feels about Caesar and what kind of role he will take in the group of conspirators. Thank you very much.