Tone in Julius Caesar
Tone Examples in Julius Caesar:
Act II - Scene II 1
"No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well That Caesar is more dangerous than he...." See in text (Act II - Scene II)
Caesar’s attitudes towards the readings of the augurs, which dictate that he should not go to the senate house, speak to his unique approach to fate. He requests to know his destiny, and then ignores it, countering with supreme confidence. Note, too, how Caesar refers to himself in the third-person, assuming an elevated tone.
Act III - Scene I 1
Act IV - Scene III 1
"O murderous slumber, Layest thou thy leaden mace upon my boy..." See in text (Act IV - Scene III)
This is a strangely gruesome metaphor for sleep, and yet it makes sense in context. Even this rare moment of tenderness—in which Brutus cares for the young Lucius—is troubled by the specter of violence: violence done, and violence yet to come. The soft musicality of these lines, rich with “m” and “l” sounds, is striking as well.