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All Site ContentJulius CaesarAct 3Scene 1
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"us ourself"
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Act 3,
Scene 1
Lines 3-8

An explanation of Caesar’s use of the royal we in Act 3, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Artemidorus

Hail, Caesar!  Read this schedule.

Decius Brutus

Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Artemidorus

O Caesar, read mine first, for mine's a suit
That touches Caesar nearer.  Read it, great Caesar!

Caesar

What touches us ourself shall be last served.

Shakespeare has Caesar speaking like an English king in his usage of the the third person plural ("we" instead of "I", "us" instead of "me"). This reflects the medieval view that a king is God's agent on earth; his opinions and actions are not his alone, but his and God's.