Julius Caesar: Solo/Duet Performance Assessment

Act 2 Scene 2 65~108                                Duet with: Kenny Yoon

CAESAR                                                                    Total lines: 43 lines      
    Shall Caesar send a lie?                                            Decius: Kenny Yoon 
    Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,            Caesar: Je Kyun Yu
    To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth?
    Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

DECIUS BRUTUS
    Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
    Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.

CAESAR     The cause is in my will: I will not come;
    That is enough to satisfy the senate.
    But for your private satisfaction,
    Because I love you, I will let you know:
    Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
    She dreamt to-night she saw my statua,
    Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
    Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans
    Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it:
    And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,
    And evils imminent; and on her knee
    Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day.

DECIUS BRUTUS
    This dream is all amiss interpreted;
    It was a vision fair and fortunate:
    Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
    In which so many smiling Romans bathed,
    Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
    Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
    For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.
    This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.

CAESAR
    And this way have you well expounded it.

DECIUS BRUTUS
    I have, when you have heard what I can say:
    And know it now: the senate have concluded
    To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
    If you shall send them word you will not come,
    Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
    Apt to be render'd, for some one to say
    'Break up the senate till another time,
    When Caesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.'
    If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper
    'Lo, Caesar is afraid'?
    Pardon me, Caesar; for my dear dear love
    To our proceeding bids me tell you this;
    And reason to my love is liable.

CAESAR
    How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!
    I am ashamed I did yield to them.
    Give me my robe, for I will go.

Context: Decius has entered Caesar's house to take him senated with him. It is the Ides of March, Decius is tempting to persuade Caesar to go Senate while Caesar is still suspicious about whether going to Senate or not.  

Significance of this passage: This is the one of the significance passage where Decius Brutus has entered Caesar's house to persuade Caesar to go Senate with him. However, Calpurnia refused Caesar to go Senate with Decius, because she is very suspicious about her dream of last night which foreshadows Caesar's death, and it's the Ides of March. Decius, the intelligent person has interpreted Calpurnia's dream in a different way which make Caesar flattered. This is the part where Caesar has divided in to public self and private self, which he has options to choose his own fate. Ides of March set the mood very tension and forms apprehension. Once you read or watch this part of passage or video, will have anxious mood to start with, and then regretful toward Caesar once he ruined his life raising his option to go Senate with Decius. Yet, there are anxiety moods in this passage, audience wants to know more about what will happens next, the culmination from this act is the majority of this act.