Julius Caesar: Act 1, Scene 3

A detailed summary of the events, omens, and secret plots taking place on a stormy night in Rome.

1. A Terrifying Storm in Rome

• The scene opens on a street in Rome late at night during an incredibly violent storm with roaring thunder and flashing lightning.
• Casca, a Roman with his sword drawn out of fear, bumps into Cicero. Casca is breathless and terrified, stating that the terrible weather is either a civil war among the gods or that the gods are furiously trying to destroy the earth.

2. The Unnatural Omens

• Casca explains that he is terrified not just by the storm, but by four highly unusual and supernatural sights he has just witnessed:
  • A common slave held up his left hand, which burned like twenty torches, yet his flesh remained completely unburnt.
  • A fierce lion walked right past him near the Capitol, simply glaring at him without attacking.
  • A large group of terrified women swore they saw men entirely on fire walking up and down the streets of Rome.
  • The "bird of night" (an owl) sat in the marketplace screeching and hooting right in the middle of the day.
• Cicero casually dismisses Casca's fears, saying that men often misinterpret things to fit their own imaginations. He confirms Caesar is going to the Capitol the next day and leaves to escape the foul weather.

3. Cassius Uses the Storm to Manipulate Casca

• Cassius enters, acting completely fearless. He boasts that he walked the streets with his jacket unbuttoned, exposing his bare chest to the dangerous lightning.
• Cassius scolds Casca for being afraid. He manipulates Casca by claiming that the heavens are acting this way to warn Romans of an "unnatural state" of affairs on earth.
• He compares the roaring, terrifying storm directly to Julius Caesar. Cassius implies that just like the storm, Caesar has grown too powerful, fearful, and dangerous to Rome.

4. The Conspiracy Forms

• Casca reveals a rumor that the senators plan to officially crown Caesar as a King the next day, giving him rule over everything by sea and land (except in Italy).
• Hearing this, Cassius furiously declares he will kill himself with his dagger before living as a slave under a tyrant. He states that the gods give every weak man the strength to defeat a dictator if they are willing to die for freedom.
• Casca agrees that every captive holds the power to end his own slavery.
• Cassius then reveals that he has already convinced some of the noblest Romans to join a secret, dangerous, but honorable enterprise to stop Caesar.
• Moved by Cassius's passion, Casca shakes his hand and officially joins the conspiracy, promising to be as bold as anyone else.

5. The Plot to Involve Brutus

• Cinna, another member of the conspiracy, arrives in a hurry. He confirms that the rest of their group is secretly waiting for them at Pompey's theatre.
• Cassius hands Cinna several forged papers (fake letters meant to look like they are from concerned citizens).
• He instructs Cinna to plant these papers where Brutus will see them: in the magistrate's chair, thrown through his window, and attached with wax to the statue of Brutus's famous ancestor.
• The ultimate goal: The conspirators know they desperately need Brutus on their side. Because Brutus is deeply respected and loved by the common people, having him in the group will make their murder of Caesar look like a noble and righteous act, rather than a brutal crime. They describe this as being like alchemy, which magically turns cheap metals into pure gold.
• Cassius and Casca head out to visit Brutus at his house before dawn, confident they can finally win his full support.