Brutus first presents himself superior; he dismisses Cassius' question about being troubled, raising himself above it: "I have been up all night." Then, he ignores the conspirators, asking Cassius, "Do I know these men that follow you"--making them not even important enough to consider himself, for they are not leaders but followers and in fact, followers of Cassius, who follows Brutus. Next, as Cassius introduces the men by name, Brutus does not repeat any name, thus again, minimizing any of them as individually significant: "They are all welcome." Next he deserts them to whisper with Cassius--they aren't in one the whole plan. So the first stage is to dimish them. Then he builds them up again by taking them to him: "Give me your hands." By this physical action, he turns their meeting from one of words to one of action. He physically impresses them with his power, dismissing the "oath" as "lazy" and feminine, which he will contrast to Roman strength in terms of a bloodbond made of real blood imagery--rather than abstract blood-ties. Brutus needs them to be assassins, not thinkers, so he aligns words with weakness, separation and sleep; actions with power, unity and blood--he scoffs at names, plans, and oaths; their cause demands action--murder. He turns a discussion group into an action plan and individuals into a single identity--a gang of murderers.
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