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Body, Blood, & Pain
In the play, Rome, because of its centrality in the history of Western civilization, often symbolizes the world in microcosm. For example, in Act 1, Cassius appeals to Brutus’s sense of honor by urging him to “think of the world,” i.e., the well-being of Rome. In fact, Brutus’s entire obsession with the good of Rome versus his love for Caesar symbolizes the conflict between social good and individual desire. On an interpersonal level, after Cassius commits suicide, Titinius laments that “the sun of Rome is set” and that the world is darkened by his friend’s absence.
Rome Quotes in Julius Caesar
The Julius Caesar quotes below all refer to the symbol of Rome. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 1, scene 2
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But those that understood him smil'd at one another, and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me.
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Act 3, scene 1
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Et tu, Bruté? — Then fall, Caesar!
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Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war.
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Act 3, scene 2
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Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest, —
For Brutus is an honorable man;
So are they all, all honorable men, —
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honorable man.
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Act 4, scene 3
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Remember March, the ides of March remember:
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
And not for justice? What, shall one of us
That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
And sell the mighty space of our large honours
For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.
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Act 5, scene 5
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This was the noblest Roman of all
All the conspirators, save only he,
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;
He only, in a general honest thought,
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle; and the elements
So mix'd in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, "This was a man."
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Rome Symbol Timeline in Julius Caesar
The timeline below shows where the symbol Rome appears in Julius Caesar. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1, scene 1
...and a cobbler, to find out why crowds of people are flooding the streets of Rome. After a pun-filled exchange, the cobbler reveals that they are celebrating Caesar’s triumphal return.
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Act 1, scene 2
...to tell him what’s on his mind—whatever it is. If it’s for the good of Rome, he’ll accept it, since he loves honor more than he fears death.
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...words, it’s their fault if they are beneath Caesar. He argues that the people of Rome should be ashamed if they only have enough room for one great man. Brutus replies...
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Act 2, scene 1
...the letter by the light of whizzing meteors. It says, “Awake, and see thyself! Shall Rome, etc. Speak, strike, redress!” Brutus interprets this to mean that he, like his ancestors who...
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Act 2, scene 2
...blood. Decius replies that this dream is actually fortunate—it signifies that Caesar’s blood will revive Rome. Besides, the Senate is planning to give Caesar a crown today, and if Caesar stays...
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Act 3, scene 1
...if Antony could see their hearts, he’d know that they’ve acted out of pity for Rome in general and that they receive him with love. He adds that they will explain...
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...a servant of Octavius Caesar enters, telling Antony that Octavius is on his way to Rome. Antony tells the servant that after his funeral speech, they’ll have a better sense of...
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Act 3, scene 2
...against Caesar not because he loved Caesar less than anyone present, but because he loved Rome above all. Insofar as Caesar was good, Brutus honors him, but insofar as he was...
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Act 5, scene 1
...will he be content to be led as a defeated captive through the streets of Rome. The two say farewell to each another.
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Act 5, scene 3
...they discover Cassius’s body on the ground. Titinius grieves his friend’s death: “the sun of Rome is set” because Cassius didn’t trust that Titinius would be successful in his scouting errand....
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...ghost “walks abroad and turns our swords / In our own proper entrails,” and that Rome will never produce an equal to Cassius. He sends Cassius’s body outside the camp for...
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