It is the trademark of Shakespeare as a writer to squeeze huge amounts of significance into just a word or three. To ask that question of your best friend, who is in the process of murdering you, has to be one of the most moving utterances ever made. Shakespeare prefers the more dramatic account of Suetonius who has him saying “Kai su teknon?” (‘You too, my son?’) It’s Greek, which was spoken more by high ranking Romans than the more vulgar Latin, which was the language of the common people, but Shakespeare puts it into Latin.Īnd so, Shakespeare uses these three words – et tu brute – for maximum theatrical effect. Plutarch has Caesar just pulling his toga over his head and dying in silence. For the Roman plays, he uses North’s translation of the Roman historian Plutarch’s biographical writings about Roman figures, and he also uses another Roman historian, Suetonius, both of whom wrote about the assassination of Julius Caesar. When Shakespeare writes about real historical characters he takes his information from the writings of historians. Unbelieving, Caesar says, ‘Et tu Brute? Then fall, Caesar.’ which means ‘You too Brutus?’ and gives up, saying, ‘Then fall Caesar.’ as he dies. Julius Caesar staggers towards his friend, appealing to him, but Brutus stabs him. He stands, watching Caesar dying, stabbed by several senators. The conspirators use flattery and appeal to Julius Caesar’s ego to lure him, and once he is in the building they surround him and stab him to death.Īlthough Brutus is one of Caesar’s closest friends Brutus has recognised the dangers in Caesar’s ambition and joined the conspiracy in a leading role. They lure him to the capital, where he goes against his better judgment and the pleas of his wife, who has had a dream in which she’s seen her husband murdered. Rome has a proud republican tradition and the group, led by Cassius and Brutus, have decided that the only solution is to assassinate him. In the play, a group of senators – Caesar’s good friend Brutus among them – have decided that Julius Caesar’s ambitions have driven him to the point where he is about to declare himself Emperor of Rome. The translation of ‘Et tu Brute’ from Latin is ‘Even you, Brutus?’.
It is uttered by Julius Caesar in one of the most dramatic, violent and bloody scenes, in which a group of murderers – including Brutus – gang up on their victim, Julius Caesar, to stab him to death, then wash their hands in his blood.
Each Shakespeare’s play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: All’s Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labour’s Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winter’s TaleĪlthough Latin, ‘ Et tu Brute‘ is one of the most famous quotations from English literature, from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar play.
This list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in alphabetical order.