Julius Caesar doesn't pay any attention to the various warnings he receives, with fatal consequences. Caesar's a proud man—certainly much too proud to refrain from going to the Senate on the Ides of March because his wife had a bad dream. Very much a man of his time, the macho Caesar would find it humiliating to have to disregard public business on account of his wife.
But Caesar's pride also extends to warnings from men. As dictator of Rome, Caesar is very much his own boss, and so he doesn't feel the need to listen too closely to what his subordinates tell him. So when a soothsayer tells him to beware the Ides of March, he can confidently dismiss his warnings as the deranged ramblings of a dreamer.
The problem here is that Caesar's not just dismissing the words of a man, but a divine portent sent by the gods. It's a sign of Caesar's overweening arrogance and vanity that he feels able to ignore a divine message.
Much the same applies to the warning letter handed to Caesar by Artemidorus. It too contains information that Caesar would do well to heed. But once again, the vain, arrogant Caesar thinks that he knows better than the gods and sleepwalks to his brutal death in the Senate.
Julius Caesar receives his first warning in act 1, scene 2 of the play when a soothsayer tells him to "Beware the ides of March." Caesar hears the warning through the crowd of people but cannot tell who is speaking. The soothsayer approaches Caesar and repeats his warning. Caesar casually dismisses the soothsayer as a "dreamer" and continues moving forward. Caesar is depicted as an arrogant, self-centered politician, who continually dismisses the warnings he is given regarding the serious consequences of attending the capital on the Ides of March.
Caesar is warned for the second time in act 2, scene 2 by his concerned wife, Calphurnia. Calphurnia begs Caesar not to leave the home and recalls several disturbing omens foreshadowing disaster. Calphurnia tells Caesar that she heard a lioness gave birth in the streets and graves "yielded up their dead." Calphurnia goes on to say that ghosts shrieked and sounds of battle filled the air. Caesar remains indifferent to the omens and confidently tells his wife,
Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once.
Later in the scene, Caesar recalls Calphurnia's disturbing dream, which is yet another warning. Calphurnia dreamt that she saw a statue of Caesar with hundreds of holes in it and blood pouring out of each hole. In the dream, she saw "lusty Romans" bathing in her husband's blood. Despite the omens and Calphurnia's warnings, Caesar remains undaunted and travels to the Senate.
The third warning Caesar receives before his tragic death comes from the same soothsayer, who reminds him that the Ides of March is not over. The diviner Artemidorus also hands Caesar a letter warning him about the hostile senators. As...
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Caesar is ushered forward, Artemidorous begs him to read his letter first. Despite the numerous warnings and omens, Caesar is destined to die at the Capitol, and Brutus and his conspirators assassinate him.
Further Reading
The theme of fate versus free will is very evident in the play Julius Caesar, especially when it comes to whether or not Caesar will use his free will to allow himself to listen to the three warnings he receives, or if fate will prevail and he will succumb to the conspirators daggers.
The first warning he receives is in Act I, Scene 2 from the soothsayer when he says, "Beware the ides of March." Caesar thinks him insane, dismisses him with "He is a dreamer," and continues to move with his entourage. Later in Act III Scene 1, the soothsayer meets Caesar again before he enters the senate, and Caesar mocks him with "The ides of March are come," meaning that he is safe and the soothsayer's prediction did not come true. At this, the soothsayer responds, "Ay, Caesar, but not gone," meaning that there is still time for his doom to come this day. Caesar dismisses his warning once again.
Another warning Caesar receives is from his wife, Calphurnia. In Act II, Scene 2, Caesar says that Calphurnia cried out three times in her sleep, "Help, ho! They murder Caesar!" She also cites all of the omens that have recently been seen in Rome and says, "When beggars die there are no comets seen," meaning that the omens signify the death of someone powerful such as he. Caesar states that he cannot avoid what the gods want (fate), but for some reason, he considers not going to the senate that day to appease his wife. However, Decius then interprets the dream as a lucky dream meaning that Caesar will bring success to Rome and that "so many smiling Romans bathed" in his blood (success). Caesar agrees with this interpretation of the dream and asks Calphurnia, "How foolish do your fears seem now...?"
Finally, Artemidorus, a friend of Caesar's, writes him a letter and hopes to give it to him as he heads to the senate. In the letter, he cites Brutus, Cassius, Casca, and others as conspirators with an intention "bent against Caesar." In this soliloquy, Artemidorus acknowledges that Caesar's survival rests on whether or not he chooses to read the letter (free will), and "if not, the Fates with traitors do contrive." Unfortunately, when Artemidorus approaches Caesar with his letter in Act III, Scene 1, Caesar rudely dismisses him with, "What, is the man insane?" and the conspirators push Artemidorus out with their own petition.