RALPH: Thanks for joining us, Brutus. I know you've got a lot going on. 

BRUTUS: Yes, I have a great deal on my mind. Can we make this quick, Ralph? 

RALPH: Of course. But that's exactly what I was hoping we could talk about—what's on your mind. It's late at night. You're at home, thinking over the day's events. 

BRUTUS: Yes. What time is it, actually? Lucius would know. Is he around? 

RALPH: Ah, Lucius, yes. That's your personal assistant, isn't that right? He lives at your house? Or your estate, actually, I guess. 

BRUTUS: Mhm. Yes, he is. Is he around? 

RALPH: He is, although it must be quite late. He's sound asleep. 

BRUTUS: Ah, I wish it were my weakness to be sound asleep. 

RALPH: I'm sorry, weakness? Sleeping is a weakness? 

BRUTUS: It is when you have your duties to think about. We should wake him. 

RALPH: Well, actually that's exactly what you do. 

BRUTUS: I want him to put a candle in my study. And let me know when it's ready. 

RALPH: So, he does. As we find you now, you're looking out over your garden, or orchards, really. And Lucius agrees to prepare your study. But while we're waiting for him to do that, perhaps you can tell us what's been on your mind and keeping you up so late. 

BRUTUS: I'll be blunt with you, Ralph. It must be by his death. 

RALPH: Oh, my. That is blunt. So you mean only death will stop Caesar from becoming the tyrant that you, Cassius, and the others will believe he becomes. 

BRUTUS: And for my part, I know no personal cost to spurn at him, but for the general. 

RALPH: I see. So for you, there's no personal reason to want Caesar dead, but you're concerned about Rome in general. 

BRUTUS: He would be crowned. 

RALPH: That is looking inevitable. Caesar is going to get some kind of crown tomorrow. 

BRUTUS: How that might change his nature, there's the question. 

RALPH: I see. So for you, it's not who Caesar is, it's who he might become once he wears the crown. 

BRUTUS: Crown him that, and then I grant we put a sting in him, that at his will he may do danger with. 

RALPH: Well, that's a good point. If you give him the crown, you give him the power to do a lot of harm. But the question still remains, will he use the power to do harm? 

BRUTUS: The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power. 

RALPH: Mm. Another excellent point. People don't really abuse power until they lose their sense of empathy, of compassion. Power can be a good thing if it's not abused. 

BRUTUS: And to speak truth of Caesar, I've not known when his affections swayed more than his reason. 

RALPH: Well, there you have it, then. Caesar is not the kind of guy to lose sight of acting reasonably. Surely he won't abuse his power. 

BRUTUS: But tis a common proof that lowliness is young ambition's ladder, where to the climber upward turns his face. But when he once attains the utmost round, he then unto the ladder turns his back, looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees by which he did ascend. 

RALPH: Okay. You're starting to lose me a little bit, but I think I get the idea. And you might be right. This is something we've all experienced. People achieve a certain level of success, they climb to a certain point, and then they forget how they got there and they turn their backs on the people and the values that got them there in the first place. 

BRUTUS: So Caesar may. 

RALPH: Well, yes, I suppose that's true. Could happen to him as well as to anybody, I suppose. But you do seem to think he's an honorable guy at heart. 

BRUTUS: Then lest he may, prevent. 

RALPH: You mean in case that's what's going to happen, you might as well prevent it. Now you're talking again about killing him. Now, it's not my job to intervene, but let's just think about this for a minute. May seems to be a key word here. So Caesar may, lest he may prevent. You're talking about killing a man, and it seems like this is putting a lot of pressure on the idea that what he might become. 

BRUTUS: And since the quarrel will bear no color for the thing he is—

RALPH: Hold on, that's a little tricky for our audience. But it sounds like you're saying—once again, I must point out—that Caesar hasn't really given you any immediate cause for worry. I mean, he hasn't really done anything objectionable yet. 

BRUTUS: —and since the quarrel will bear no color for the thing he is, fashion it thus. 

RALPH: Okay. Fashion it thus. Sounds like you're coming to a conclusion. 

BRUTUS: That what he is augmented would run to these and these extremities. 

RALPH: Well now, that sounds a little vague. But it also sounds like you're saying that you already have enough evidence to know that he will eventually become a monster. 

BRUTUS: And therefore think him as a serpent's egg, which hatched would, as his kind, grow mischievous, and kill him in the shell. 

RALPH: Well, Okay. So I can understand killing a snake in the shell, but I thought you just said that Caesar to you wasn't anything like a snake. I mean, I thought you kind of liked the guy. 

BRUTUS: Isn't Lucius back by now? 

RALPH: Oh, yes, I suppose he is. And he says your study is ready for you. But he also says that he has a letter for you that someone must have thrown in the window. I have the text of the letter right here. 

BRUTUS: A letter. Hm. Lucius should get back to bed. Isn't tomorrow the Ides of March? 

RALPH: Ah, let's see. Is that important? 

BRUTUS: Lucius can check the calendar. Let me see that letter. Ah, nice papyrus. Is this Egyptian? 

RALPH: Uh, I'm not sure, actually. 

BRUTUS: The exhalations whizzing in the air give so much light that I may read by them. 

RALPH: Oh, right, we've been hearing about these crazy firestorms. Pretty weird stuff. 

BRUTUS: Mm. 

RALPH: Do you think this means something? 

BRUTUS: Brutus, thou sleeps. 

RALPH: That's pretty funny. Get it? Brutus, thou sleeps? But here you've been not able to sleep? 

BRUTUS: Awake and see thy self. Shall Rome, et cetera. 

RALPH: Et cetera? Really? I'd prefer it if you don't skip over anything. 

BRUTUS: Speak, strike, redress. 

RALPH: Oh, my. That sounds like someone is encouraging you to take action against Caesar, to set things right. And just at the same moment that you've been coming to that conclusion yourself. But I wonder who wrote this letter. That can be important, right? 

BRUTUS: Brutus, thou sleeps. Awake. Such instigations have been often dropped where I've took them up. 

RALPH: You've been getting a lot of these letters, have you? Still, that doesn't necessarily mean that a lot of people have been writing them. 

BRUTUS: Shall Rome, et cetera. 

RALPH: Not that et cetera again. Can I take a look back at this? 

BRUTUS: Thus must I piece it out. Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What, Rome? My ancestors did from the streets of Rome the drive when he was called a king. 

RALPH: That's right, I heard about this. That was your ancestor, also called Brutus, who took Rome back from the tyrants in the first place. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. 

BRUTUS: Speak, strike, redress. Am I entreated to speak and strike? 

RALPH: The letters, you mean. Well, yes. But again, you have to ask yourself, how many fellow Romans really think that? 

BRUTUS: Oh, Rome, I make thee promise. If the redress will follow, thou receivest thy full petition at the hand of Brutus. 

RALPH: Okay, you're starting to sound pretty sure of yourself. But I just want to remind you, it's late, you haven't been getting very much sleep, you're under a lot of pressure, and you're getting these crazy letters thrown through your window by who knows whom. 

BRUTUS: Surely Lucius is back by now. 

RALPH: Your timing is impeccable. Yes, he is. Lucius is back, and he reports that tomorrow is indeed the 15th of March. 

BRUTUS: 'Tis good. 

RALPH: So does it really matter what day it is? Does this have to do with the whole soothsayer Ides of March thing? Brutus, you're a pretty philosophical guy, and this is a very important decision. Are you really going to let superstition play a role in this? 

BRUTUS: Somebody knocks. 

RALPH: Oh. They did? I didn't hear anything. 

BRUTUS: We should send Lucius to the gate. 

RALPH: Um, yeah, sure. 

BRUTUS: Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar, I have not slept. Between the acting of a dreadful thing and the first motion, all the interim is like a phantasma or a hideous dream. The genius and the mortal instruments are then in counsel, and the state of man like to a little kingdom suffers then the nature of an insurrection. 

RALPH: Okay, hold on a second. I want to make sure that our audience understands this. And I also want you to pay close attention, too, because it sounds like you're still pretty conflicted. As you put it, your ideas, your genius, and your hands, the mortal instruments, are like a little kingdom suffering from a revolt. Your mind and your body are having different impulses. If you're going to make such a bold move as to kill Caesar, shouldn't your whole being, your mind and your body, be on the same page? Shouldn't your own inner conflict be enough to give you pause here? 

BRUTUS: Isn't Lucius back yet? 

RALPH: Gonna play the Lucius card again, are we? Let's see. Yes, he is back. He says that it's your brother Cassius at the door. Actually, your brother-in-law, to be precise. And he wants to see you. 

BRUTUS: Is he alone? 

RALPH: Actually, no. There are some people with him. 

BRUTUS: Who?

RALPH: Lucius isn't sure. It sounds like they have their hats pulled low to hide their faces. 

BRUTUS: He should let them in. 

RALPH: Really? It's the middle of the night. I mean, he could tell them to come back for brunch tomorrow. 

BRUTUS: They are the faction. O, conspiracy. Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, when evils are most free? Oh, then by day where will thou find a cavern dark enough to mask thy monstrous visage? 

RALPH: Well, I guess that rules out brunch. But I see what you're saying. If you're going to do this terrible thing, then you'd better make sure that it stays hidden. A dark cavern might be a really good idea. 

BRUTUS: Seek none conspiracy. Hide it in smiles and affability. For if thou path thy native semblance on, not Erebus itself were dim enough to hide thee from prevention. 

RALPH: Oh, my. This is treachery indeed. And what a powerful image. You want to hide your conspiracy behind smiles and friendliness, because if your faces showed even a hint of what you're really up to, the darkest pit of the underworld wouldn't keep your intentions from being found out. 

BRUTUS: I think it's time that we talk to your fellow conspirators to see what you're like as a group. But only after a short break. This might give you a chance to mull things over a little bit more. 

RALPH: I have a question for you, actually. 

BRUTUS: Sure, go right ahead. 

RALPH: What is this thing you mentioned, brunch? 

BRUTUS: Oh, you've never had brunch? You're going to love it. It's like a combination of breakfast and lunch. 

RALPH: Wow.