Julius Caesar is killed in the Senate by the group of conspirators who had mutually decided that, for the good of Rome, they were obligated to get rid of him. According to the text, Casca is the first to stab Caesar, followed by the other conspirators, with Brutus being the last to join in. Caesar is horrified to see his "angel" Brutus joining in, saying, "Et tu, Brute?" He does not realize that Brutus, in fact, is the ideological leader of the conspiracy; although, he had to be persuaded to join it by his friend Cassius.

Immediately following the death of Caesar, Brutus remarks that "ambition's debt" has now been paid, meaning that the great ambitions of Caesar, which ran contrary to the good of Rome, have now been defeated. Having killed Caesar, the conspirators bathe their hands and arms in his blood as a symbol that peace and liberty have, by Caesar's death, been restored to Rome. The conspirators' fear had been that Caesar intended to become a king, something that ran contrary to the principles by which the Roman republic was governed at this time. Brutus is stating that in killing him, the action was not because he did not love Caesar, but because he loved Rome more.

Who murdered Julius Caesar and why?

Are you referring to the play, Julius Caesar, by Shakespeare (which, by the way, is historical)?

Caesar was killed by eight conspirators and political opponents from the Roman Senate. The conspiracy was led by Gaius Cassius Longinus, known simply as Cassius in the play. Caesar's opponents feared he was becoming too powerful due to his many victories and popularity with the people. In the play, Caesar was said to have been offered the crown three times and refused. Nevertheless, his enemies feared that he would accept the crown and then Rome would be a dictatorship, not a republic. They also feared that becoming the king would corrupt Caesar.

Above all things, Rome should remain a republic. Caesar's friend, Brutus, let his love for Rome outweigh his friendship with Caesar and in spite of much soul searching, decided to join the conspirators. When Caesar entered the Roman Senate on the Ides of March (March 15), the conspirators surrounded him and killed him with daggers.

In the play, Caesar looks at his friend, Brutus, and says the famous "Et tu, Brute?" which means, "And you, too, Brutus?" History scholars disagree over whether Caesar actually said anything like this. In the play, however, Caesar then tells Brutus that Brutus' stabbing "is the unkindest cut of all."

Read the play at the link below. See the analysis on eNotes.