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All Site ContentJulius CaesarAct 1Scene 3
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"rich alchemy"
Allusion
Act 1,
Scene 3
Lines 157-160

An explanation of the reference to "rich alchemy" in Act 1, Scene 3 of myShakespeare's Julius Caesar. 

Casca

O, he sits high in all the people's hearts;
And that which would appear offense in us,
His countenance, like richest alchemy,
Will change to virtue and to worthiness.

In medieval times, it was believed that chemical processes existed in which ordinary metals could be changed into valuable ones like gold and silver. This process of transformation was referred to as alchemy.