Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

FLAVIUS

in Julius Caesar — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayJulius Caesar
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1599
Decade1620s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Flauius. | Fla.
Words208
Characters1143
Typicality0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11954.30
BritDrama no.1198
ClusterCluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

HEnce: home you idle Creatures, get you home: Is this a Holiday? What, know you not (Being Mechanical) you ought not walk Upon a labouring day, without the sign Of your Profession? Speak, what Trade art thou? What Trade thou knave? Thou naughty knave, what Trade? Thou art a Cobbler, art thou? But wherefore art not in thy Shop to day? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? Go, go, good Countrymen, and for this fault Assemble all the poor men of your sort; Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears Into the Channel, till the lowest stream Do kiss the most exalted Shores of all. See where their basest mettle be not moved, They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness: Go you down that way towards the Capitol, This way will I: Disrobe the Images, If you do find them decked with Ceremonies. It is no matter, let no Images Be hung with Caesars Trophies: I'll about, And driven away the Vulgar from the streets; So do you too, where you perceive them thick. These growing Feathers, plucked from Caesars wing, Will make him fly and ordinary pitch, Who else would soar above the view of men, And keep us all in servile fearfulness.

Plot summary

Plot — Julius Caesar
Caesar returns to Rome triumphant over Pompey. He is warned to beware the Ides of March, and later offered the crown, which he refuses. Meanwhile Cassius sounds out Brutus’ attitude to Caesar’s ambition, and determines to screw him up to conspiracy. Supernatural portents disturb the night before the Ides of March. Brutus convinces himself that Caesar must be assassinated to prevent him establishing himself as a monarch. The conspirators meet at his house, and Brutus insists on limiting the scope of the plot. Cicero is not to be taken into their confidence, Mark Antony is to be spared, and only Caesar murdered. After the conspirators have left, Portia forces Brutus to take her into his confidence. The portents and Calpurnia’s anxiety persuade Caesar to stay at home, but Decius convinces him to go to the Senate as arranged. Artemidorus tries to give him a letter warning against the conspirators, but he refuses to read it. He is stabbed to death, and confusion ensues. Against Cassius’ wishes, Brutus agrees that Antony may speak at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus’ speech justifying the assassination temporarily convinces the mob, but Antony’s rhetoric, and a bequest in Caesar’s will, turns them against the conspirators. Brutus and Cassius flee Rome. In the riots that follow, the conspirators’ houses are burned and Cinna the poet killed, mistaken for the conspirator of the same name. Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus seize power, draw up a death list, and make preparations for war with Brutus and Cassius. Portia commits suicide. Brutus and Cassius quarrel, but reconcile themselves as friends. They determine to give battle at Philippi rather than waiting for Antony and Octavius to come to them at Sardis. Brutus is visited by Caesar’s ghost, which tells him that they will meet again at Philippi. The two armies face off at Philippi, and Cassius, mistakenly thinking that his side is beaten, commits suicide. Once the day really is lost, Brutus has difficulty in finding a friend willing to help him do the same; finally Strato holds his sword while he runs on it and dies. Antony and Octavius, victorious, pay him tribute and promise him an honourable burial.