Julius Caesar: Acts 3, 4 & 5 Summary

• Act 3 is the play's turning point, featuring Caesar's assassination's aftermath and the start of the power struggle.
• Act 4 outlines the triumvirate's creation and machinations, while Act 5 details the last battles and their results.

Act 3, Scene 1

• Despite warnings and omens, Caesar goes to the Senate.
• Artemidorus attempts to deliver a letter to Caesar warning him of the conspiracy, but Caesar disregards him, stating personal matters are addressed last.
• The conspirators surround Caesar, and Metellus Cimber asks for his brother's banishment to be revoked, but Caesar refuses.
• The conspirators kneel before Caesar, each offering a reason to approach him.
• Casca is the first to stab Caesar, followed by Brutus and the other conspirators.
• Caesar's dying words are "Et tu, Brute?", expressing shock at Brutus's betrayal.
• After Caesar's death, the conspirators cover their hands and swords in his blood, fulfilling the Soothsayer's prophecy.
• Brutus tells the crowd that Caesar was killed for the good of Rome because his ambition threatened the Republic.
• Brutus persuades the crowd that Caesar's death was required to prevent him from becoming a tyrant.
• Antony arrives, and Brutus allows him to speak at Caesar's funeral after some deliberation.
• Brutus warns Antony not to speak negatively of the conspirators in his address.
• Antony declares his intention to avenge Caesar's death while alone with Caesar's body, foreshadowing the civil war.

Act 3, Scene 2

• Brutus addresses the plebeians, justifying Caesar's assassination by appealing to their fear of tyranny and desire for freedom.
• He claims Caesar was ambitious and that his death saved Rome from slavery.
• The audience is moved by Brutus' remarks and hails him as a hero.
• Brutus departs, leaving Antony to speak.
• Antony begins his funeral oration by stating he comes to bury Caesar, not praise him, but employs rhetoric to sway the audience.
• Antony emphasizes the conspirators are all "honorable men", creating irony.
• He reminds the crowd of Caesar's kindnesses and how he rejected the crown three times, implying he was not ambitious.
• Antony reads Caesar's will, which gives money and land to every Roman citizen, turning the crowd against the conspirators.
• Antony displays Caesar's murdered body, heightening the crowd's wrath and sorrow.
• The crowd transforms into a mob, seeking vengeance for Caesar's death.
• Antony is effective in inciting the crowd to riot and expel the conspirators from Rome.

Act 3, Scene 3

• Cinna the poet is mistaken for Cinna the conspirator and is attacked by the mob.
• The mob's irrational and violent behavior demonstrates the resulting chaos and anarchy in Rome.
• The scene depicts the mob's rage and the loss of reason and order following Caesar's assassination.

Act 4, Scene 1

• Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus meet to discuss Rome's destiny and select which foes to remove.
• They create a death list that includes members of their own families.
• Antony intends to reduce the amount of money Caesar left to the people in his will, demonstrating his ruthlessness.
• Antony sees Lepidus as useless, only helpful for running errands, displaying his ambition and contempt for others.
• The triumvirate's cold and calculating attitude to power underscores the moral depravity that has gripped Rome.

Act 4, Scene 2

• Brutus and Cassius are stationed with their army near Sardis.
• Brutus is disappointed in Cassius, accusing him of taking bribes and acting dishonorably.
• Brutus emphasizes that moral integrity is critical, even during conflict.

Act 4, Scene 3

• Brutus and Cassius have a heated argument over honor and money, exposing the tension in their alliance.
• Brutus accuses Cassius of corruption, while Cassius feels underappreciated and misunderstood.
• The argument is interrupted by news of Portia's death by swallowing hot coals out of concern for Brutus and Rome.
• Outwardly, Brutus is stoic.
• Brutus and Cassius reconcile and develop their plan for the approaching fight against Antony and Octavius.
• Brutus proposes marching to Philippi to confront the enemy due to its strategic advantage.
• Cassius reluctantly agrees with Brutus' strategy.
• Brutus has a vision of Caesar's ghost, who tells him he will see him again at Philippi, foreshadowing Brutus' defeat and death.

Act 5, Scene 1

• Octavius and Antony lead their army to Philippi, ready to face Brutus and Cassius.
• Antony and Octavius exchange insults with Brutus and Cassius, highlighting the animosity between them.
• Cassius is worried about the battle, recounting omens such as ravens being replaced by ominous birds of prey.
• Brutus declares he will never be taken alive, suggesting he will commit suicide rather than be captured.
• Before the battle, the leaders meet and parley.

Act 5, Scene 2

• Brutus orders an early strike on Octavius' troops, believing they are weakening.
• Brutus's premature attack proves to be a strategic blunder.

Act 5, Scene 3

• Cassius' army is defeated and encircled.
• Cassius orders Titinius to determine whether the approaching troops are allies or enemies.
• Pindarus believes Titinius' capture indicates defeat and tells Cassius, who orders Pindarus to kill him to avoid capture.
• Titinius comes with news that the troops were allies, and Cassius' death was caused by miscommunication.
• Titinius kills himself with Cassius' sword upon discovering Cassius' death, showing devotion to Cassius.

Act 5, Scene 4

• Brutus learns of Cassius' death and grieves the loss of his friend and ally.
• Brutus valiantly fights on, but his forces are progressively overcome.

Act 5, Scene 5

• Brutus understands he is losing the battle.
• Brutus begs several of his men to kill him, but they all refuse.
• Strato agrees to hold the sword while Brutus runs onto it, committing suicide to avoid capture.
• Brutus's dying words are, "Caesar, now be still: I kill'd not thee with half so good a will," believing his death atones for Caesar's assassination.
• Antony appears and, after seeing Brutus' body, praises his honorable intentions, calling him "the noblest Roman of them all".
• Octavius commands that Brutus be properly buried, acknowledging his virtue and valor.
• The play concludes with the restoration of order and the promise of a new era in Rome, albeit under the triumvirate's authority.

Highlights of Acts 3, 4, and 5 of Julius Caesar. Includes Caesar's assassination and its aftermath, the formation of the triumvirate, and the final battles. Focus on key plot points and character actions.