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<title> A CLOSE READING OF JULIUS CAESAR BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ACT ONE, SCENE 1, LINES 132-177 </title>
This scene (act 1, scene 2, lines 132-177) is in the beginning of the play. The only interacting characters here are Cassius and Brutus. Cassius has decided to persuade Brutus into joining a conspiracy and kill Caesar. Brutus makes no decision but promises to consider what Cassius has said. This extract is significant for the rest of the play. The differences between Brutus' and Cassius' characters are revealed through their words, and these differences will decide the events in the rest of the play. Among the themes that the play comprises, the theme of power is most clearly shown in this passage.
	 The character Cassius is passionate and idealistic, but most of all practical. He thinks that each man creates his own destiny:
"Men at some time are masters of their fates;
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, 
But in ourselves, that we are underlings. (138-140)
He is a good orator, persuasive and eloquent. His emotions can be read in his lines; he seems worried, humiliated and angry about what is happening in Rome since Caesar got to the power: 
"Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! 
When went there by an age, since the great flood, 
But it was famed with more than with one man?" (150-152)
Cassius is obviously a man with a strong feeling for justice and equality (between men):
"Brutus and Caesar. What should be in that 'Caesar'?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?" (141-142) 
He comes across as slightly calculating, when he tells Brutus that his ancestors never would let a king rule in Rome. Therefore, Cassius means, Brutus has the responsibility to act: 
"O, you and I have heard our fathers say, 
There was a Brutus once that would have brooked 
Th'eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king." (157-160)
Brutus is concerned about his role as a noble and honourable man, whose ancestors fought for the republic, but he is also aware of this manipulating side to Cassius:
"What you would work me to, I have some aim..." (162) 
One could read into Cassius' words a slight contempt for the big masses, or rather fear for how easily they are led:
"Conjure with 'em [the names of Caesar and Brutus],
'Brutus' will start a spirit as soon as 'Caesar'." (145-146)
With this he means that there is no value in a name only. The value lies in how the owner conjures with and manipulates the meaning of that name, to stir the easily led masses. He seems to believe that only noble men can save Rome; ordinary people certainly will not. That should not necessarily mean he is not a true democrat - he is, according to the values of the time.
Brutus' own words in this extract are few. What we learn about him is that he is an extremely well balanced person. We know that he is noble. We know also that since Cassius is trying to persuade Brutus, and uses Brutus' ancestors' deeds to do this, that Brutus is sensitive about his honour and heritage. The fact that Cassius talks about Rome implies that Brutus is a republican and likely to not want a king in Rome. He is a thoughtful man:
"What you have said
I will consider; what you have to say
I will with patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things." (166-169)
 There is great difference between the ways of speaking between Brutus and Cassius. Brutus is calmer, and he does not respond to the emotional and fiery words that Cassius uses. Brutus clearly thinks before he speaks; he seems to take great care in his words. He makes no quick decisions or judgements. He even reprimands Cassius for trying to provoke a reaction:
"For this present,
I would not- so with love I might entreat you- 
Be any further moved." (164-166)
One could, however, guess that he is moved by Cassius' words (or that he has been thinking of the matter himself, as suggest these lines: "How I have thought of this, and of these times..." (163)). He gives Cassius half a promise in his last words, when he says:
"Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us." (170-174)
These are important words, as they reveal much about Brutus' character. They show that he normally thinks rather highly of himself. He is not just any simple villager; he is a son of Rome, a noble man. These lines also show that, lately, he has noticed changes in Rome that he does not like. We do not know yet if Brutus is going to kill Caesar, but this is the starting point for his contemplating and discussing with himself whether to do it or not. 
Brutus is not emotional. This sometimes makes the interaction between Brutus and Cassius tense. Cassius wants a reaction from Brutus, which he does not get:
"I am glad
That my weak words have struck but thus much show
Of fire from Brutus". (175-176). 
Brutus' personal feelings for Caesar are not shown in this passage.

Caesar is not really portrayed in this extract. By the comments of Brutus and Cassius, we only learn about him on a political level, not on a personal level. Cassius clearly thinks that he has too much power, and that Rome is led by "one only man" (156), and that Caesar "doth bestride the narrow world/ Like a Colossus" (134-135). Caesar is popular with the people, however, as we learn by Brutus' comment: 
"Another general shout?
I do believe that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heaped on Caesar.(132)
To me, only one theme of the play is really noticeable in this short passage, namely power. Cassius' long pleading to Brutus concerns the problem of who is going to lead Rome and what grounds - who should have the power. There is also a kind of tension between Cassius and Brutus, which partly has to do with their different characters and partly with power. Cassius seems almost desperate to persuade Brutus, but hardly gets a reaction. That is the case in the remaining part of the play as well: Cassius makes several attempts to persuade Brutus in different matters - but each time, Brutus refutes his ideas. Brutus has greater power than Cassius, be it due to his reputation or his position in the senate. The fact is that Cassius can only try to persuade Brutus; when it comes to decisions of importance, he is powerless. The other themes of Julius Caesar, for example the conflict between personal feelings and the general good, are not really handled in this extract. Cassius, who turns against Caesar both on personal and "public" reasons, does not show his personal reasons here. His speech concerns only the concept of a king in Rome, not Caesar as a person. Neither are Brutus' feelings towards Caesar shown.
In this passage the readers get a good idea of what the characters are like. The difference between Cassius and Brutus, the main characters in this particular extract, are quite striking. Their manners of speaking are completely different. The impression of Cassius is that of a politically engaged man, quickly moved to action by injustice. Brutus gives quite another impression - calm, thoughtful and balanced. He is a man who does not make quick decisions. The conflict that this difference results in is noticeable, especially in Cassius' last lines. The extract is also significant for the rest of the play, since it concerns the theme of power.
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