Act One

1
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

• Act One

2
Opening sceneFlavius and Marullus

• As the play opens, Flavius and Marullus, two
  tribunes (officials whose job it is to keep order
  in the streets), meet two citizens, a carpenter
  and a cobbler, who are dressed in their best. In
  earlier days, a workman in the street was
  required to wear clothes that indicated his
  profession. When questioned about their clothes,
  the two reply that they have come out to
  celebrate Caesars return to Rome. They are
  obviously in a happy mood. However they are
  scolded by the tribunes, who insult them and
  remind them that it was not so long ago that they
  honored their previous ruler, Pompey, by cheering
  him as he passed by. They are accused of being
  disloyal now, and are ordered back to their
  houses.

3
Caesar and the Soothsayer (fortune teller)

• Caesar arrives, surrounded by a crowd. He hears
  the voice of a Soothsayer, or fortune teller,
  calling to him from the throng, and he orders the
  fellow to appear. He emerges from the crowd and
  warns Caesar to beware the Ides of March, a date
  in mid-month when he will be in danger. Caesar
  decides to ignore the strange man and his warning.

4
Cassius and Brutus

• Cassius, a citizen who fears Caesars desire for
  power, talks to Brutus, a friend of Caesar and a
  prominent Roman known for his honor and
  integrity. Cassius declares that each of them is
  as good as Caesar, and entitled to the same
  freedoms. He relates an incident from earlier
  days when Caesar challenged him to a swimming
  race across the river Tiber in full armor. In the
  middle of the river, Caesar weakened, called to
  Cassius for help, and had to be carried to shore.
  It angers Cassius that he must now bow to this
  man, whom he considers a weakling, but who has
  been elevated to a position of power.

5
Cassius and Brutus, continued.

• Cassius is gathering a group of Roman citizens
  who share his distrust of Caesar and who will
  join in a conspiracy to kill the Roman leader. He
  has recruited Cinna and Casca, and is hoping
  Brutus will join the group and lead it. He works
  on Brutus feelings by telling him that men are
  not fated to be underlings (servants), and if
  they are, it is their own fault, not the fault of
  the stars. Brutus does not commit himself, but
  says he will think about all this.

6
Caesar and Mark Antony

• Caesar is suspicious of Cassius, calling him
  lean and hungry. Mark Antony, Caesars loyal
  friend, tries to reassure him, but Caesar replies
  that Cassius has no interest in theater or music
  and seldom smiles. Caesar believes such men are
  dangerous.

7
Casca, Brutus and Cassius

• Casca describes for Brutus how Mark Antony had
  offered a crown to Caesar three times and how the
  crowd had cheered each time. Caesar rejected the
  crown, but Casca believes that in his heart
  Caesar truly wanted it because he really wants to
  be a king.

8
Casca and Cicero

• A little later, Casca meets Cicero, a public
  official called a senator, and describes for him
  a series of strange events that appear to be
  omens of violence a slave whose hand seemed to
  be on fire but who was unburned, a lion who
  wandered calmly through the streets, strange
  women who claimed to have seen men walking
  engulfed in flames, and an owl, usually a night
  bird, hooting and shrieking in the marketplace at
  noon.

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Based on what you know of the plot and characters
so far, choose a character you would like to be

• ONE SPEAKER THREE SPEAKERS
• Cassius Cassius, Casca and Cinna
• Casca, Brutus and Cassius
• TWO SPEAKERS FOUR SPEAKERS
• Marullus and the cobbler Flavius, Marullus, two
  citizens
• Marullus and Flavius Caesar, Casca, Brutus,
  Soothsayer
• Brutus and Cassius
• Caesar and Mark Antony
• Casca and Cicero