The Conversation Between Cassius and Brutus

In the scene that we will be acting out, it is the day of the feast of Lupercal. During the festival, Cassius is attempting to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar. Loyal and noble Brutus is unsure of what to do. He had two passions: Caesar, and the Republic. Brutus had to choose one of the two. He could either kill Caesar and preserve the Republic or save him and watch the Republic fall as Caesar becomes the king of Rome.

This passage is a significant part in the book for several reasons: first, it characterizes Cassius and Brutus. Also, it "plants" a conflict and confusion inside of Brutus, and finally, it is the start of the whole conspiracy of Caesar's assassination.

Act 1, Scene 2

Lines 25-77

CASSIUS

Will you go see the order of the course?

BRUTUS
Not I.

CASSIUS
I pray you, do.

BRUTUS
I am not gamesome: I do lack some part
Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;
I'll leave you.

CASSIUS
Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness
And show of love as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.

BRUTUS
Cassius,
Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
Of late with passions of some difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself,
Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors;
But let not therefore my good friends be grieved--
Among which number, Cassius, be you one--
Nor construe any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shows of love to other men.

CASSIUS
Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;
By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?

BRUTUS
No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things.

CASSIUS
'Tis just:
And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.

BRUTUS
Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
That you would have me seek into myself
For that which is not in me?

CASSIUS
Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear:
And since you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modestly discover to yourself
That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men and hug them hard
And after scandal them, or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

My Partner: Karl Tan

Senior Band- Power of The Void "Story Questions"

1. What would you call this story (title) Why?

I would probably name this story "The Lottery" since the lottery is the main theme of the whole story. It was the center of attention and was really mysterious until the end.

2. What did you think was going to happen? What clues in the text led you to think this?

I wasn't complete sure about what was going to happen until I read the ending, but I knew that something unpleasant was going to happen. The lottery, black dot, and the people's nervous reactions supported my guess.

3. How did you feel when the end of the story was not given to you?

I was really anxious to find out what was going to happen to Mrs. Hutchinson now that she had been picked in the lottery. I wanted to know what the tradition of the town was.

4. How did you feel when you were handed the mystery paper? What did you think was in it? Did you follow the instructions? Why or why not?

When I received the mystery paper, first I thought that the ending of the story was most likely to be in it. But later, I started having thoughts that something else other than the ending might be in it too. I "followed" the instructions because the tension of it had somehow left me and I forgot about the paper until later in the evening that day.

5. How did you feel about the black box and the black spot/blank paper? Explain.

When I saw the black box, a sudden tension was created inside me and had me wondering about what was going to happen next. When I pulled out my paper and found out that I didn't get one with a black dot, I was partially relieved because I thought that "bad" things were going to happen only to the people who got the paper with the black dot (which wasn't me). But I was still wondering what was going to happen to the people who got the black dot.

6. How did you feel when you read the end of the story? Explain.

When the ending was given, I felt relieved from the anxiousness created by the whole "do not open until 5:00 p.m." instructions. It felt as though all of my questions have been answered. Also, I felt shocked in a way after reading what happened to Mrs. Hutchinson in the end.

7. Were your predictions correct? How did you feel about that?

My prediction that something bad was going to happen was partially correct, but I felt that the short ending did not give me a full answer to all of my questions.

8. What would have helped you to make a better prediction?

The author could have provided a bit more foreshadowing and I, myself could have thought out of the box to find myself at a reasonable conclusion.

9. Why did the author leave these voids in the story?

I think the author left these voids in the story in order to create tension, which catches the reader's attention. Ultimately the "anxious" reader will continue reading until the end of the story. There would be no tension or a build-up to the climax if the author simply gave away the ending.

10. Explain the power of the void in this experience:

a. No title/author information – It made me ask 'what is the story going to be about?'

b. No ending – It made me wonder about how the story was going to end and what was going to happen to Mrs. Hutchinson.

c. Text clues and foreshadowing throughout – Made me wonder what the ending would be but the clues were not enough to guess the exact ending.

d. Mystery paper – The paper made me curious about what was written in it.

e. Delayed ending – The delayed ending kept on making me asking 'what happens in the end?'

f. Anything else that created tension and conflict for you… The instruction which stated not to open the paper until 5:00 p.m. created a tension and made me ask questions to myself.