Julius Caesar Lesson 8

New words:
Bravado - a pretentious, swaggering display of courage
Accede - to give consent, approval, or adherence; agree; assent; to accede to a request; to accede to the terms of a contract

Pg 369
Meaning or irony and dramatic irony

Portia's tone is low
- very steady, down-to-earth
- the name Portia is associated with wise

Portia's power is soft
- she's worried and caring towards Brutus

Close relationship between Portia and Brutus
- the way they address each other (Brutus, my lord/ good Portia)
- Brutus promises Portia he will tell her about his problems and worries

Portia's conversation with Brutus to ask him to share his worries
- use of repetition of "woman" shows that women at that time were subservient
- Portia expresses that she knows her position as a woman, but she also states that she is the woman Brutus took to be his wife and therefore, she should share in his secrets and worries

Caesar is fat and not very handsome so audience will not feel too much pity for him and feel sympathy for Brutus instead

"Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten me
Ne'er look but on my back; when they shall see
The face of Caesar, they are vanished."
Caesar is saying that he is fearless and brave
Slight irony here as a brave and fearless person wouldn't participate in fortune telling

"Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
And, for thy humor, I will stay at home."
Some say that Caesar has a soft spot for Calphurnia and is merely acceding to her request
Some say that Caesar is simply using Calphurnia as an excuse to not go as he is scared

"Shall Caesar send a lie?
Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,
To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth?"
Calphurnia was just trying to help Caesar but he snaps at her and scolds her

Lesser intimacy between Calphurnia and Caesar
There is no equality between them unlike the relationship between Portia and Brutus