Saturday, July 9, 2011

In Julius Caesar, why does Caesar say "Even you, Brutus?" before his death?

He doesn't, actually. He says "and you, Brutus?", sometimes read as meaning "even you, Brutus?", or perhaps "and you, as well, Brutus?". And he says it in Latin. The one moment in this Roman play where Shakespeare has someone speak in Latin. It's as if this colossal moment in the play: the central thirty seconds of action which define a whole world and the whole evening's entertainment - take on a wider historical significance by becoming "real". The Romans really do speak in Latin, for one line only.


Why does Caesar say "and you, Brutus?" though? Well, Thomas North, whose translation of Plutarch Shakespeare took the play from (largely) might help us here:



Men reporte also, that Caesar did still defende him selfe against the rest, running everie waye with his bodie: but when he sawe Brutus with his sworde drawen in his hande, then he pulled his gowne over his heade, and made no more resistaunce...



Caesar gives up when Brutus strikes (after "et tu...", in Shakespeare, he says "then fall Caesar"). Why does he give up the struggle, and accept his death? That is the question.


Is it because he knows he is already dying? Is he disgusted with Brutus? Does he believe that, if Brutus (noblest of the noblest, we are told) is involved, he deserves to be murdered? Is he heartbroken (as Antony later argues) that Brutus, "Caesar's angel", has conspired against him?


It could be all of them or any of them. That one's up to how you interpret the play.

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