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All Site ContentJulius CaesarAct 1Scene 2
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"he should not humor me"
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Act 1,
Scene 2
Lines 305-319

An explanation of the relationship between Cassius, Brutus, and Caesar in Act 1, Scene 2 of myShakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Cassius

Well, Brutus, thou art noble, yet I see
Thy honorable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed.  Therefore it is meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
For who so firm that cannot be seduced?
Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humor me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely
Caesar's ambition shall be glancèd at.
And after this let Caesar seat him sure,
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.
[Exit.]

Caesar does not care for Cassius, but he has bestowed a high government post and special favors on Brutus. Here, Cassius ponders what would happen if their positions were reversed.

This statement can be read in two ways. It could mean that he (Brutus) could not convince Cassius to plot against Caesar since Cassius would be content with the benefits he had received.

Alternatively, it could mean that he (Caesar) would not be able to humor Cassius with gifts since Cassius would always view Caesar as a despicable dictator.