How Julius Caesar was Assassinated
Description of the Assassination Scene of Julius Caesar
The climax of the play, namely, the murder of Julius Caesar is reached in the first scene of the third act. Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator was assassinated by a group of conspirators on 15th March of 44 B.C during a meeting of the Senate House.
The senators stabbed Caesar for 23 times led by his trusted friend Marcus Junius Brutus. Near about 60 conspirators were involved directly or indirectly in the assassination of Julius Caesar. They feared that the dictatorship of Julius Caesar was undermining the Roman Republic. So they made a plot to murder Julius Caesar in the Senate House. Despite the death of Julius Caesar, the senators were unable to retain stability among Republic Institutions
When the scene opens, we find that Julius Caesar is proceeding towards the capital to attend the Senate being followed by a big crowd. Among the crowd, he finds the soothsayer who cautioned him earlier to beware of the 15th of March. Seeing him Caesar taunts him. Just at this time, Artemidorous comes forward and hands over to Caesar a little ‘scroll’. He earnestly implores him to read it immediately as it concerns himself.
But Caesar with his usual magnanimity says, “what touches us ourself, shall be last server and puts it aside”. Thus, he intentionally neglects his own safety. Next, he enters the Senate House and all the senators honour him by rising from the seats. The business of the House then proceeds. According to the prior arrangement, the conspirators now come towards to carry out their plot.
Antony is artfully taken away from the Senate House by some of them. Then Metellus Cimber, one of the conspirators approaches Caesar and earnestly requests him to repeal the order of banishment passed against his brother Tillius Cimber. He falls at Caesar’s feet and flatters him in high-flown language. Caesar becomes very angry at this pretended humility of Metellus Cimber and sternly rejects his petition. He boldly declares that he can not turn the ‘pre-ordinance’ and first decree into the law of children. Brutus and Cassius then come forward one by one and request him to repeal the order.
But Caesar remains perfectly unmoved. He firmly declares that “But I am constant as the Northern star of whose true fixed and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament”. He is always stead fast in his decision. Then Cinna and Decimus too, in their turn approach him for the same cause and they are also most curtly refused. Then Cassea, according to previous plan, at once comes forward and stabs Caesar in the neck.
Several other conspirators out once follow him. Last of all, Brutus stabs him. He is the most beloved friend of Caesar. So, seeing Brutus stabbing him, Caesar is extremely shocked and can only utter, “Et tu Brute! – then fall, Caesar!” Saying this, he falls at the base of Pompey’s Statue and dies. Thus, tyranny seems to be ended for ever and Brutus eager to signalise the great deliverance, proposes to the republicans to bathe their hands and swords in the blood of Caesar and then walk forth to the market place shouting, “Peace, freedom and liberty”. He assures the Roman mob that he would render public reasons of Caesar’s death. Thus Caesar is murdered.
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