Julius Caesar and his friends Brutus and Cassius.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Marcus Brutus

A supposed good friend of Julius Caesar. He is an idealistic man, motivated by nobility and principles rather than by personal relationships. He agrees to the plot to assassinate his friend because he believes it is for the good of Rome. Ultimately, his misguided sense of nobility and his poor judgement lead to his downfall.

Cassius

The chief architect of the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar. He is the opposite of Brutus in that his participation in the conspiracy is neither noble nor based on ideas. He is envious of Caesar and wants to achieve power for himself. He is a shrewd manipulator of people, easily able to understand their motivations and intents

SUMMARY: As Caesar and his procession move across the stage, Brutus and Cassius stay behind. Cassius takes this opportunity to gauge Brutus' feelings towards Caesar without directly stating his own stance. He remarks that Brutus has been acting strange and reserved in his dealings with his friends. Brutus tells Cassius he is preoccupied with some concerns he has and asks to be forgiven for his behavior. Sensing that Brutus may be open to what he has to say, Cassius