He must be taught, and trained, and bid
go forth—
A barren-spirited fellow . . .
. . . a property.
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Summary: Act IV, scene i
Antony meets Octavius and Lepidus at his house. They review
a list of names, deciding who must be killed. Lepidus agrees to
the death of his brother if Antony will agree to allow his nephew
to be killed. Antony suggests that, as a way of saving money, they
examine Caesar’s will to see if they can redirect some of his funds.
Lepidus departs, and Antony asks Octavius if Lepidus is a worthy
enough man to rule Rome with him and Octavius. Octavius replies
that he trusts him, but Antony harbors doubts. Octavius points out
that Lepidus is a “tried and valiant soldier,” to which Antony responds, “So
is my horse”: he goes on to compare Lepidus to a mere animal, calling
him a “barren-spirited fellow” and a mere tool (IV.i.28–36). Antony
now turns the conversation to Brutus and Cassius, who are reportedly
gathering an army; it falls to Octavius and Antony to confront them
and halt their bid for power.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
. . .
And we must take the current when it serves .
. .
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Act IV, scene i →
Summary: Act IV, scene ii
Meanwhile, Brutus waits with his men in camp and meets
with Lucillius, Titinius, and Pindarus. Lucillius bears a message
from Cassius and steps aside to speak to Brutus. He says that Cassius
is becoming more and more displeased with Brutus, and Brutus worries
that their ties may be weakening. Cassius arrives with his army
and accuses Brutus of having wronged him. Brutus replies that he
would not wrong him, as he considers him his brother, and insists
that they continue the discussion privately in Brutus’s tent.
Cassius charges Brutus with having condemned one of their
men for taking bribes, even though Cassius sent letters asking him
not to, since Cassius knew the man. Brutus responds by accusing
Cassius of having taken bribes himself at times. Brutus tells him
to recall the Ides of March, when they killed Caesar because they
believed that he was corrupt. He asks Cassius if they should now
allow themselves to descend into the very corruption that they tried
to eliminate. Cassius tells Brutus not to bait him any more, for
Cassius is a soldier and will fight.
The two men insult each other, and Brutus expresses the
reasons for his disappointment in Cassius. Because he claims to
be so honest himself that he cannot raise money by ignoble means,
he was forced to ask Cassius for money, but Cassius ignored him.
Cassius claims that he did not deny Brutus, but that the messenger
misreported Brutus’s words. Cassius accuses Brutus of having ceased
to love him. He hopes that Antony and Octavius will kill
him soon, for, having lost his closest ally and friend, he no longer
desires to live. He offers his dagger to Brutus to kill him, declaring,
“Strike as thou didst at Caesar; for I know / When though didst
hate him worst, thou loved’st him better / Than ever thou loved’st
Cassius” (IV.ii.159–161).
Brutus tells Cassius to put his dagger away and says that
they both are merely ill-tempered. The two men embrace and forgive each
other. Outside, Lucillius is attempting to prevent a
poet from entering the tent, but the poet squeezes past him and
scolds Brutus and Cassius for arguing: “Love and be friends, as
two such men should be, / For I have seen more years, I’m sure,
than ye” (IV.ii.183–184).
But, having already repledged their friendship, the two generals
laugh together at the poet’s presumptuousness and send him away.
Cassius and Brutus drink wine together. Cassius expresses
his surprise at Brutus’s earlier rage. Brutus explains that he has
been under many emotional burdens lately, the foremost of which
has been the death of his wife, Portia; he recently received news
that she killed herself by swallowing fire. Titinius and Messala
enter with news from Rome; Messala says that the triumvirate of
Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus has put a hundred senators to death.
Messala asks Brutus if he has had word from Portia, and when Brutus answers
negatively, Messala comments that this seems strange. When Brutus
inquires if Messala knows something, Messala replies that he does
not. But Brutus insists that Messala tell him the truth, and Messala
reports that Portia is dead.
