Duet Acting Piece

There is a thunder storm with thunder and lightning going on and very strange sightings. Casca has met with Cicero and telling him about what he has seen on the streets. Casca thinks that either there is a civil war in heaven or that they have upset the gods and that they are going to destroy the world. Casca claims he has see an ordinary slave have his left hand on fire but the fire didn't burn him it didn't even hurt him, a lion at the capitol who passed without hurting him, men walking up and down the streets on fire, ghosts, and an owl in the middle of the day hooting and shrieking. Casca believes there is something very wrong here but Ceciro is not scared.

Me and Alia choose this piece because we thought it was significant to Caesars death

This passage is significant to the play because it is one of the first signs that something bad is going to happen. In this case it is towards the conspirers because they are planning the killing of Caesar. People are getting worried. Casca thinks that this is because of them and is having second thoughts about it but Cicero is staying strong and tells him to calm down and that this isn't because of them because they are doing the right thing.

Act One
Scene 3
Lines 1-40

A street. Thunder and lightning. Enter Casca and Cicero

Cicero Good even, Casca: brought you Caesar home?
Why are you so breathless? and why stare you so?

Casca Are you not mov'd, when all the sway of earth
shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv'd the knotty oaks; and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,
To be exalted with the threat'ning clouds:
But never till tonight, never till now,
Did i go through a tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, to saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.

Cicero Why, saw you anything more wonderful?

Casca A common slave, you know him well by sight,
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches join'd; and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd.
Besides (I ha' not since put my sword)
Against the Capitol I met a lion,
Who gazed upon me, and went surly by,
Without annoying me. And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
Transformed with fear, who swore they saw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night did sit,
Even at noonday upon the market place,
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let no men say,
'These are there reasons, they are natural';
For I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

Cicero Indeed, it is strange-disposed time:
But men may construe things, after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Caesar to the capitol tomorrow?

Casca He doth; for he did bid Antonious
Send word to you he would be there tomorrow?

Cicero Good night then, Casca; this disturbed sky
is not to walk in.

Casca Farewell, Cicero

(Exit Cicero)


Partner for Duet
Alia Kramer