Act III

 Stage Direction- the manner in which the author arranges the players on the stage  Inverted Word Order-author flips the usual conversational order of words for emphasis  Example: “you know not what you do”  Simile- comparison using “like” or “as”  Prose- in Shakespeare, the speech of commoners  Irony- an unexpected outcome  Mob mentality- when a group acts in a manner in which an individual normally would not act  Props- physical objects on the stage which enhance the plot of the play  Comic Relief- a break in the emotional tension of the play

The Act opens on the Ides of March with Caesar and the senators at the Capitol. Artemidorus and the Soothsayer still hope to warn Caesar, but he simply will not listen.

The conspiracy moves into action. Trebonius pulls Marc Antony aside. Metellus Cimber pleads his suit with Caesar. Brutus moves in with support. Caesar remains unmoved.

As each member of the conspiracy gets close enough to strike, Caesar remains unaware of his fate. Casca strikes first; Brutus strikes last. “Et tu Brute?”– and you also, Brutus? are Caesar’s final words.

The general public is confused and fears for their safety. Brutus tells the conspirators to bathe their hands in Caesar’s blood and declare that “tyranny is dead!” Antony sends a servant to see if he can safely speak with the conspirators.

Antony shakes hands with each of the conspirators and makes two requests. He wants to know why they killed Caesar, and he wants to bring Caesar’s body to the Forum for a funeral.

Brutus agrees to the funeral with the following rules: Brutus will speak first. Antony will speak second and will tell the crowd he is speaking with the conspiracy’s permission. He will speak only good of the conspirators.

Brutus speaks in prose and explains that the assassination was only for the good of Rome. He says that he loved Caesar, but he loved Rome more.

Antony took the pulpit after Brutus. He cleverly followed the rules while managing to stir the crowd in favor of Caesar. He happens to mention the will of Caesar, and the crowd goes wild.

Antony plays the crowd perfectly. He mentions that Caesar left them all 75 drachmas and public recreation lands for their enjoyment. By the end of the scene, they are ready to take down the conspiracy. Meanwhile, Octavius Caesar has arrived in Rome.

Shakespeare adds a scene of comic relief to break the tension in the play. The city is in chaos. Cinna, the poet, is mistaken for Cinna, the conspirator, and he is attacked for “his bad verses.” Order must be restored.