Julius Caesar (theatre)/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Alternate Character Interpretation: The Brutus example above, but also Caesar. Is he a skeptic who refuses to pay heed to the soothsayer (see Arbitrary Skepticism below) or a highly superstitious figure who refuses to "beware" the Ides of March because it would be challenging fate and willingly goes to his destiny, only showing sadness at discovering Brutus among his killers? Or is he just too arrogant to pay heed to any warning of danger?
  • Ho Yay: Tons of it, especially between Brutus and Cassius. Also, Brutus tells the plebes at the forum that he has killed "my best lover". After Cassius commits suicide, one of his generals also kills himself because of how much he loves his commander (Cassius's likability is something of an Informed Ability).
    • Let's not forget act 4 scene 1: "I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love" indeed.
    • Though this stems largely from Have a Gay Old Time, that and immature high school students who find Shakespeare rather dry, boring, and difficult to understand, and though this is rather Troper Tales-y, I must remind readers that the instrument Brutus's servant mentions as being in my tent is a musical instrument one of the stringed variety in fact, as is specifically mentioned if you are actually paying attention, probably a lyre given the setting. Furthermore, Shakespearian England was so uptight and stuffy about that sort of think that even the tamest of plays got a nasty reputation, which would have meant that he would have never gotten away with as raunchy a scene as I have had the displeasure of hearing that particular passage be read.
      • To be fair, sexual relationships between men were not out of the ordinary in ancient Rome.
    • Huge, huge YMMV: The first time Brutus and Cassius interact can be seen in modern terms as this, ignoring plot and other Shakespearean importances:

Cassius: "You don't love me anymore. Where are my flowers?" (Brutus, I do observe you now of late: I have not from your eyes that gentleness and show of love as I was wont to have.)
Brutus: "Cassius, it's not you. It's me." (Cassius, be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance merely upon myself.)
Cassius: "Hey, dude. You've got nice eyes. You ever think of doing anything, uh, fun with them?" (I have heard where many of the best respect in Rome, except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus, and groaning underneath this age's yoke, have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.)
Brutus: "Are you coming onto me?" (Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, that you would have me seek into myself for that which is not in me?)