Act 4, Scene 2 Summary and Analysis
Summary
At a camp near Sardinia, Brutus, his commander Lucillius, and Lucius receive Titinius and Pindarus, commanders in Cassius’s army. When Pindarus requests a meeting between Cassius and Brutus, Brutus asks Lucillius, who visited Cassius earlier, about the welcome Cassius offered him. Lucilius tells Brutus that though Cassius was polite and respectful, he was not as friendly as he used to be. Brutus notes that this signifies that Cassius has cooled toward him, as “When love begins to sicken and decay, / It useth an enforcèd ceremony.” Brutus, however, consents to meet Cassius. Cassius, who is also camped at Sardinia, enters the scene, complaining to Brutus that he has done Cassius wrong. Mindful of the presence of their soldiers and commanders, Brutus asks Cassius to speak to him privately.
Analysis
While the triumvirate is gathering strength, the conspirators are growing apart, prophesying the direction in which the wind is blowing. A new coldness has crept up between Brutus and Cassius, who now probe each other’s moods via messengers before meeting in person. The breach also recalls Antony’s curse of “civil strife,” which in this case can be taken to mean a war between friends. Already, the curse is breaking through the ranks of the conspirators, a sort of dying which is reinforced by the use of death imagery. For instance, Brutus notes that Cassius’s empty formality is that of
A hot friend cooling. Ever note, Lucilius,
When love begins to sicken and decay
It useth an enforcèd ceremony.
Expert Q&A
What is the significance of the following quote from Act 4, Scene 2 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?
But hollow men, like horses hot at hand,
make a gallant show and promise of their mettle,
but when they should endure the bloody spur,
they fall their crests and, like deceitful jades,
sink in trial.
1 Educator Answer
Quick answer:
The significance of the quote from Act 4, Scene 2 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is that Brutus is criticizing Cassius for being "hollow" and cowardly. He compares Cassius to horses that appear strong but falter under pressure. Brutus implies that Cassius boasts about his abilities but retreats when faced with real challenges, foreshadowing a role reversal between them.
This quote is spoken by Brutus after his servant has returned from Cassius' camp, indicating that Cassius was not as friendly as he normally is. Brutus feels that Cassius' friendship is cooling and that he has little faith in their enterprise. He then goes on to say the above lines about Cassius.
Brutus calls Cassius "hollow", meaning there's not much (physically or emotionally) to him, and compare him to "horses hot at hand"--horses that are wild and ready to be let loose. Brutus says that these kind of men make a "gallant" or large show and big promises of their "mettle" (worth). Brutus is implying that Cassius has been showy and saying he's hot stuff and can handle the assassination and the after math. However:
"when they endure the bloody spur"--when the horses get spurred, or in the case of Cassius, when he gets pushed, and not in a nice way, to do something...
"they fall their crests"--their show-off-ness falls down or gets taken down and "sink in trial", meaning when things get rough, Cassius backs away.
Brutus is essentially saying that Cassius can talk big and bold and brave, but when things get tough and painful, he backs off and becomes a coward. It's a bit of foreshadowing, as Cassius now becomes the cautious one and Brutus wants to meet thing head on, reversing their roles from earlier in the play.
How would you convey a setting change in Act 4, Scene 2 if you were staging Julius Caesar?
2 Educator Answers
In Act IV, scene 2, the action shifts from Italy to a battleground in Sardis, Greece. The only stage directions the play's text provides are "Camp near Sardis. Before Brutus's tent." We also learn that Brutus, Lucilius and "the army" enter, as well as Titinius and Pindarus.
Clearly, Brutus's tent would need to be pitched in a prominent location in the middle of the stage, but set far enough back to leave room for the characters to meet in front of it. Bringing in an "army" would be difficult: this could be suggested by having Brutus followed by a group of men armed with swords, spears and shields. The set design could suggest the outdoors with a painted backdrop that showed clouds and sky and below that, the rocky terrain of Greece. I might scatter some papier mâché boulders at the rear of the stage, and if there were room without crowding the stage, mount a small, second tent in the back to suggest an encampment. All of this would signal a move from the confines of urban Rome to a battle camp.
I guess a lot depends on the resources that are open to you in your imaginary theatre. Most amateur productions have a range of different backdrops that can be slotted into place to indicate a change of setting. If I were directing my version of this play, I would want a backdrop which clearly indicates the change in scene from Act IV scene 1, which we are told takes place in a Roman house, to Act IV scene 2, which we are told takes place in a Camp near Sardis. The backdrop for the camp would obviously have tents in the background, with maybe watchtowers and weapons and armour piled neatly in various locations to indicate the shift from urban Rome to a military camp that is ready for action and war. Clearly, you would have blue sky with a sun, or perhaps an overcast sky to indicate the battle and tragedy ahead that awaits Brutus and his side.
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