Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
Summary
The play starts with Julius Caesar being lauded by the people and Mark Antony offering him the kingship of Rome, which he refuses three times. Cassius, though, is unhappy with Caesar and his ambition and begins suggesting to Brutus that Caesar is a threat to Rome. Brutus takes some convincing, but eventually he agrees with Cassius that Caesar must be stopped. The conspirators lure Caesar to the Senate–against many ill omens–and get him off his guard by praising him, and then stab him. Mark Antony comes and makes a fake peace with the conspirators, making them allow him to speak at Caesar's funeral. At the funeral, though, Antony turns the people against Brutus et al., who have to flee the city. Brutus and Cassius finally meet Mark Antony and the newly arrived Octavius on the battlefield, and due to misunderstandings Cassius kills himself, and Brutus runs himself through to avoid capture. Thus Julius Caesar was avenged.