Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

1. Brutus

   • Who is the character? Caesar’s best friend. A conspirator in his murder, but not for the same purpose as the others. He is conflicted between doing something so cruel to his friend or protecting Rome, ultimately choosing the latter. Despite his actions, Brutus is kind-hearted, loyal, and noble.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar (Like/Dislike): Brutus’ bestfriend. After Caesar’s leadership comes into question, Brutus reluctantly takes it upon himself to protect the city and helps to assassinate Caesar. Cassius (Neutral): Cassius is Brutus’ friend. Cassius is jealous of Caesar and manipulates Brutus into conjuring a plan to stop him. Brutus get on Cassius after he becomes greedy Portia (Like): Portia is Brutus’ wife. She is concerned about his distant behavior and after she gives up on trying to find what’s troubling him, she kills herself, which makes him very upset.
   • Portia
     • Who is the character? Portia is Brutus’ very caring and emotional wife. She notices that Brutus has not been himself and attempts to get him to talk, but becomes increasingly frustrated.
     • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Brutus (Like): Brutus is Portia’s husband. Unlike Calpurnia & Caesar, Portia is evidently more of an equal in the relationship and knows how to stand her ground when things aren’t alright.

2. Antony

   • Who is the character? Antony is a good friend of Caesar (and frankly a butt-kisser). He basically creates chaos after finding out about Caesar’s assassination by pitting the citizens against the conspirators. He and Octavius fight against Brutus and Cassius in the civil war.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar (Like): Antony praises Caesar constantly and is basically his aid (besides the servant). Octavius (Like): Antony meets with Octavius after the assignation and Octavius agrees to help in battle against the conspirators. Brutus (Dislike): Antony was originally okay with Brutus, but turned on him after finding he was one of the conspirators and heavily implicated Brutus in his speech. Cassius (Dislike): Antony gets Cassius to allow them to speak at Caesar’s funeral, where he includes them in his speech.

3. Calpurnia

   • Who is the character? Calpurnia is the wife of Caesar. Caesar wishes to have a baby with her, but Calpurnia cannot conceive so they settle for their adopted child. Calpurnia has a dream that a statue of Caesar was bleeding from 33 stab wounds and that they washed their hands in his blood. She desperately tries to get him not to go, but he does so anyway.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar (Like): Caesar is Calpurnia’s husband. She cares for him very much although she doesn’t have the guts to put her down at his authority.

4. Casca

   • Who is the character? Casca gives Brutus and Cassius gossip on Caesar’s dramatic behavior and puts further doubt of his leadership in Brutus’ mind.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar (Dislike): Casca thinks that Caesar is too theatrical and is unfit for his position because he is secretly weak. Brutus & Cassius (Like): His slander of Caesar serves as ammunition in their motivations.

5. Soothsayer

   • Who is the character? The Soothsayer is a sage who predicts Caesar’s fate and tells him to “Beware the Ides of March” (March 15th).
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar (Unspecified): He tries to warn Caesar about his impending doom twice, but is brushed off both times.

6. Cassius

   • Who is the character? Cassius is a politician for Caesar is jealous of Caesar’s new reign and questions the latter’s abilities. He convinces Brutus that Brutus himself would be just as good a king and even throws fake letters into Brutus’ window. Eventually Brutus complies and Cassius alongside the others murder Caesar. Cassius gets into an argument with Brutus over his greed until they begin to fight for themselves in Antony’s war. Cassius is killed by Antony’s troops.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Brutus (Like): Brutus is Cassius’ friend who is the subject of his plans. Brutus’ doubts were originally minimal, but Cassius maximized them in order to take Caesar down. They both die in war, but Cassius is killed while Brutus kills himself. Caesar (Dislike): Cassius plans to take Caesar down and is eager to kill him in order to end his “potential tyranny.” Casca (Like): Cinna feed Cassius and Brutus stories of Caesar’s incompetence.
   • Cinna (Conspirator)
     • Who is the character? Cinna is a fellow conspirator in Caesar’s demise. He plots with Cassius on how to get Brutus to join their conspiracy. Cinna is the one that plants the fake letters in Brutus’ window.
     • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Cassius (Like): Cinna helps Cassius due to their shared dislike of Caesar and makes plans leading up the conspiracy. Caesar (Dislike): Cinna shares the same stance as Cassius on Caesar being king.

7. Cinna (The Poet)

   • Who is the character? Cinna isn’t of much significance, but he is a symbol of the wreckage that Caesar’s assassination has lead to.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar & Antony (Unspecified): Cinna doesn’t interact with them much or at all, but Caesar’s death & Antony’s civil disruption caused his unfair death.

8. Octavius

   • Who is the character? Octavius is Caesar and Calpurnia’s adopted son who is heir to the throne. He returns home to find his father dead, and when approached by Antony, they begin to fight together in the war to avenge him. He is a young but vigilant young man.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar (Like): Octavius and Caesar share a son-father bond and Octavius is hurt at the news of his death. Antony (Neutral): Octavius joins Antony in war and both work together well enough, but have their differences.

9. Flavius & Murellus

   • Who is the character? Flavors and Murrellus are both obnoxious tribunes who mock Caesar’s newfound recognition. They both act entitled towards everyone else, but are eventually silenced by Caesar due to their slander.
   • What connections do they have to other characters? Which characters do they like/dislike? (Directly) Connected to: Caesar (Dislike): Both of them think Caesar is overrated and gape at the praising citizens, even attempting to discipline some of them.