I've long thought that many of Cassius's actions in Julius Caesar (his too-easy concessions of important points to Brutus, his numerous attempts at emotional manipulation, his depressive fatalism) could only be explicable through Cassius having an overwhelming, unrequited crush on Brutus and attempting to possess him in any way he can, even to the extent of embroiling him on this doomed republican crusade. By this logic, Brutus's anger and uncharacteristic viciousness in the Quarrel scene may be due to the realization that Cassius's motivations were not 100% to do with the government of Rome, and trying to sever that emotional bond as brutally as possible.
I remember trying to discuss the Quarrel scene with my tutor at university and failing to get over my gut reaction that Cassius crumples so shockingly because Brutus's opinion means so much to him. It's there though, isn't it? My stomach knots for poor old Cassius in that scene: he may be a manipulative bastard, he may even have been guilty of embezzlement, but what he feels for Brutus is all encapsulated in that one pathetic speech:
My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge. Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup; I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.
I can't be the only one who hears Please say you feel the same underlying these words. But of course Brutus doesn't. And in the end it's not Brutus who kills himself for love of Cassius, it's Titinius. The whole play is Slash Paradise and I'm planning a short story on the JC theme myself, but would love to read your Cassius slash - write it, dammit, and please give me a shout once it's up and posted! :-)
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Yay! In-depth Cassius slash discussion!
Date: 2003-08-18 09:59 am (UTC)I remember trying to discuss the Quarrel scene with my tutor at university and failing to get over my gut reaction that Cassius crumples so shockingly because Brutus's opinion means so much to him. It's there though, isn't it? My stomach knots for poor old Cassius in that scene: he may be a manipulative bastard, he may even have been guilty of embezzlement, but what he feels for Brutus is all encapsulated in that one pathetic speech:
My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.
I can't be the only one who hears Please say you feel the same underlying these words. But of course Brutus doesn't. And in the end it's not Brutus who kills himself for love of Cassius, it's Titinius. The whole play is Slash Paradise and I'm planning a short story on the JC theme myself, but would love to read your Cassius slash - write it, dammit, and please give me a shout once it's up and posted! :-)