ICSE Class 9 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings
Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Class 9 ICSE– Are you looking for Summary Theme and Lesson Explanation for ICSE Class 9 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3. Get summary, theme, explanation along with difficult word meanings.
ICSE Class 9 Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3
By William Shakespea
In Act 1, Scene 3 of Julius Caesar, the scene occurs on a stormy night in Rome. Thunder and lightning strike as Casca talks to Cicero about unusual events happening around them. Casca believes these are signs of bad things to come. At the same time, Cicero thinks that people often misunderstand signs like these. Cassius then arrives, using these signs to strengthen the conspiracy against Caesar. He convinces Casca to recruit Brutus, and together they start to plan how to involve Brutus in their scheme.
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Summary
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Summary in Hindi
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Theme
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Explanation
Related:
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Question Answers
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Character Sketch
- ICSE Class 9 English Lesson Notes
Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Summary
The scene begins on a stormy night in Rome. Casca encounters Cicero and is clearly terrified by the thunder, lightning, and other strange occurrences, such as a slave with a flaming but unharmed hand, a lion in the Capitol that ignored him, and ghostly women who swore they saw men on fire. Casca believes these are bad omens sent by the gods to warn humanity. Cicero, however, dismisses this, suggesting that people tend to interpret events to suit their own fears and beliefs. After a brief exchange, Cicero leaves.
Cassius then enters, and he and Casca discuss the storm. Unlike Casca, Cassius isn’t afraid; he sees the storm as a sign of divine anger at the current political state. He intentionally exposes himself to the lightning, equating the dreadful night to the monstrous state of Rome, which he attributes to Julius Caesar. Cassius argues that Caesar is a tyrant who has grown powerful only because the Roman people have become weak and submissive.
Cassius then reveals his plan to free Rome from Caesar’s tyranny, declaring that he would rather take his own life than live under Caesar’s rule. Casca is inspired and agrees to join the conspiracy. They shake hands and seal their pact to take action against Caesar. The two are soon joined by Cinna, another conspirator, who confirms that the others are waiting for them at Pompey’s porch. Cassius gives Cinna letters to place in various locations where Brutus will find them. They believe that winning over the highly respected Brutus is crucial, as his involvement will make their act of assassination seem honorable and virtuous in the eyes of the Roman people. The scene ends with Cassius and Casca on their way to convince Brutus to join their cause.
Summary of Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 in Hindi
यह दृश्य रोम में एक तूफानी रात से शुरू होता है। कास्का सिसेरो से मिलता है और स्पष्ट रूप से गड़गड़ाहट, बिजली और अन्य अजीब घटनाओं से डर जाता है, जैसे कि एक जलता हुआ लेकिन बिना किसी नुकसान के हाथ वाला गुलाम, कैपिटल में एक शेर जिसने उसे अनदेखा किया, और भूतिया महिलाएं जिन्होंने कसम खाई थी कि उन्होंने पुरुषों को आग में देखा था। कास्का का मानना है कि ये देवताओं द्वारा मानवता को चेतावनी देने के लिए भेजे गए अशुभ संकेत हैं। हालांकि, सिसेरो इसे खारिज करते हैं, यह सुझाव देते हुए कि लोग अपने डर और विश्वासों के अनुरूप घटनाओं की व्याख्या करते हैं। एक संक्षिप्त आदान-प्रदान के बाद, सिसेरो चला जाता है।
कैसियस तब प्रवेश करता है, और वह और कास्का तूफान पर चर्चा करते हैं। कास्का के विपरीत, कैसियस डरता नहीं है; वह तूफान को वर्तमान राजनीतिक स्थिति पर दिव्य क्रोध के संकेत के रूप में देखता है। वह जानबूझकर खुद को बिजली के संपर्क में लाता है, और उस भयानक रात की तुलना रोम की राक्षसी स्थिति से करता है, जिसका श्रेय वह जूलियस सीज़र को देता है। कैसियस का तर्क है कि सीज़र एक अत्याचारी है जो केवल इसलिए शक्तिशाली हुआ है क्योंकि रोमन लोग कमजोर और विनम्र हो गए हैं।
कैसियस तब रोम को कैसर के अत्याचार से मुक्त करने की अपनी योजना का खुलासा करता है, यह घोषणा करते हुए कि वह कैसर के शासन में रहने के बजाय अपनी जान लेना पसंद करेगा। कास्का प्रेरित होता है और साजिश में शामिल होने के लिए सहमत होता है। वे हाथ मिलाते हैं और कैसर के खिलाफ कार्रवाई करने के लिए अपने समझौते पर मुहर लगाते हैं। दोनों जल्द ही एक अन्य साजिशकर्ता सिन्ना के साथ शामिल हो जाते हैं, जो पुष्टि करता है कि अन्य लोग पोम्पेई के बरामदे में उनका इंतजार कर रहे हैं। कैसियस सिन्ना के पत्रों को विभिन्न स्थानों पर रखने के लिए देता है जहाँ ब्रूटस उन्हें पाएगा। उनका मानना है कि अत्यधिक सम्मानित ब्रूटस को जीतना महत्वपूर्ण है, क्योंकि उसकी भागीदारी रोमन लोगों की नज़र में उनकी हत्या के कार्य को सम्मानजनक और गुणी बनाएगी। दृश्य कैसियस और कास्का के साथ समाप्त होता है जो ब्रूटस को अपने उद्देश्य में शामिल होने के लिए मनाने के लिए जाते हैं।
Theme of Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3
Superstition vs. Logic
One of the first themes we see is the conflict between believing in signs from the gods and using logical thought. Casca is completely terrified by the stormy weather and the weird things he has seen, like a slave’s hand on fire and a lion in the street. He believes these are frightening warnings sent by the gods to punish Rome. However, Cicero, a more reasonable man, suggests that people often choose to see what they want to see and that these events might just be natural occurrences. This shows how different people interpret the same events in very different ways.
Freedom vs. Tyranny
Cassius sees the storm as a perfect symbol for the political situation in Rome. He believes that the Roman people have become weak and lazy, allowing Caesar to become a “wolf” and act like a tyrant. Cassius says that the gods are angry with the Romans for giving up their freedom so easily. He is determined to fight against this tyranny, even if it means risking his life. This scene highlights the conflict between those who want to live under a single, all-powerful ruler and those who believe in personal freedom and power for the people.
The Power of Reputation and Influence
This theme is especially important in the second half of the scene when Cassius and Casca discuss Brutus. They agree that they need Brutus to join their plan to assassinate Caesar because Brutus is so well-respected by the people of Rome. Casca explains that if they, the conspirators, were to kill Caesar, it would look like a crime. But if Brutus is part of it, his good reputation will make the act look like a good and necessary deed. This shows that in Roman society, a person’s reputation can make a huge difference in how their actions are judged.
Setting of the Scene
The scene takes place in Rome on a stormy night. The weather is a key part of the setting: there’s thunder, lightning, and what seems to be a strange, fiery rain. It’s late at night, and because of the storm, the streets are empty and quiet. The characters move through different parts of the city. The scene begins on a street, but they mention other significant places, such as the Capitol building, Pompey’s porch, and Pompey’s theater. These locations add to the tense atmosphere, as they are places of power and public life that are now empty and menacing in the storm. The dark, wild, and unpredictable weather mirrors the political tension and the dangerous plot being hatched by the characters.
Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Explanation
Play:
Thunder and lightning. CASCA and CICERO enter.
CICERO
Good even, Casca. Brought you Caesar home?
Why are you breathless? And why stare you so?
CASCA
Are not you moved when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests when the scolding winds
Have rived the knotty oaks, and I have seen
Th’ ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam
To be exalted with the threatening 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, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.
Word Meanings
Sway of earth: Refers to the way the world or the ground is being shaken.
Thing unfirm: Something that is not solid or stable.
Rived: A past tense of rive, meaning to split or tear apart.
Ambitious: aspiring or striving, describing the ocean as if it were trying to rise up and reach the clouds.
Exalted: Lifted up or elevated.
Saucy: Impudent, disrespectful, or cheeky.
Incenses: To make someone very angry.
Explanation of the above dialogues—On a stormy night with thunder and lightning, Cicero greeted Casca and asked if he had brought Caesar home. Cicero noticed Casca was out of breath and staring blankly, so he asked why he looked so stunned. Casca responded by asking Cicero if he wasn’t disturbed by the way the entire world was shaking as if it were unstable. He said that he had seen many storms in his life where the angry winds split strong oak trees and the sea swelled and foamed to meet the threatening clouds. But he added that he had never, until tonight, experienced a storm where fire was falling from the sky. Casca concluded that either there was a conflict among the gods in heaven or the world had offended them, causing them to send destruction.
Play:
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 joined, and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remained unscorched.
Besides—I ha’ not since put up my sword—
Against the Capitol I met a lion,
Who glaz’d upon me and went surly by,
Without annoying me. And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
Transformèd with their 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 noon-day upon the marketplace,
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
“These are their reasons; they are natural.”
For I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.
Word Meanings
sensible: able to feel, sensitive to.
glaz’d: A shortened form of glazed, which means to stare blankly or with a fixed expression.
surly: bad-tempered or unfriendly.
transformed: disfigured or changed in a monstrous way.
prodigies: An omen or sign of a future event, often a bad one.
conjointly: Together or in a combined way.
portentous: a sign or warning that something important or dramatic is likely to happen.
Explanation of the above dialogues— After Cicero asks if he saw anything more unusual, Casca replies that he had. Casca says that he saw a slave, whom Cicero would know by sight, hold up his left hand. The hand flamed and burned like twenty torches together, yet it did not feel the fire and remained unscorched. Casca continues, saying that he had not put away his sword since the encounter. He explains that he met a lion near the Capitol, which stared at him and walked by angrily without bothering him. Additionally, a group of about a hundred terrified women, disfigured by their fear, were gathered together. They swore they had seen men made of fire walking up and down the streets. Casca also mentions that just the day before, an owl i.e. the ‘bird of night’ sat in the marketplace at noon, hooting and shrieking. He concludes by saying that when these strange and unnatural events happen all at once, people should not say they are simply natural occurrences. Casca believes these are ‘portentous’ things, or warnings, for the country to which they are pointing.
Play:
CICERO
Indeed, it is a strange-disposèd 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 Antonius
Send word to you he would be there tomorrow.
CICERO
Good night then, Casca. This disturbèd sky
Is not to walk in.
CASCA
Farewell, Cicero.
CICERO exits.
Word Meanings
Strange-disposèd: Strange and unusual, of an odd nature.
Construed: Interpreted or understood.
Fashion: A particular way of doing something.
Clean from the purpose: Completely separate from the actual meaning or intent.
Disturbèd: Disordered or unsettled.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Cicero tells Casca that the strange events occurring during the stormy night are part of a peculiar time. He adds that people often interpret events in their own way, completely missing their true meaning. Cicero then asks if Caesar is coming to the Capitol the following day. Casca replies that he is, and that Caesar had asked Antony to let Cicero know he would be there. Cicero says goodnight to Casca, noting that the stormy sky is not a good one for walking. Casca bids him farewell.
Play:
CASSIUS enters.
CASSIUS
Who’s there?
CASCA
A Roman.
CASSIUS
Casca, by your voice.
CASCA
Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this!
CASSIUS
A very pleasing night to honest men.
CASCA
Who ever knew the heavens menace so?
CASSIUS
Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
For my part, I have walked about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night,
And, thus unbracèd, Casca, as you see,
Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone.
And when the cross blue lightning seemed to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.
Word Meanings
Menace: To threaten or pose a danger.
Perilous: Full of danger or risk.
Unbracèd: In this context, it means with his clothes loosened or undone, showing a readiness to face danger without protection.
Bared my bosom: Exposed his chest. In this context, it’s a defiant act, showing that he is not afraid.
Thunder-stone: A thunderbolt or a stone believed to have been cast down by lightning.
Present myself: To put oneself in a certain position. In this case, Cassius is positioning himself to be struck by lightning.
In the aim and very flash of it: Directly in the path and at the very moment of the lightning strike.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Cassius entered and asked who was there. Casca replied that he was a Roman. Cassius, recognizing him by his voice, said his ear was good. Casca then remarked on what a terrifying night it was. Cassius responded that it was a very pleasing night for honest men. Casca asked who had ever known the heavens to be so threatening. Cassius replied that those who had known the earth to be so full of faults would have. For his part, Cassius said, he had walked about the streets, submitting himself to the dangerous night. He said he had even bared his chest to the thunder and lightning, and when the bright, blue lightning seemed to open up the sky, he had presented himself directly in its path.
Play:
CASCA
But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?
It is the part of men to fear and tremble
When the most mighty gods by tokens send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.
CASSIUS
You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life
That should be in a Roman you do want,
Or else you use not. You look pale, and gaze,
And put on fear, and cast yourself in wonder
To see the strange impatience of the heavens.
But if you would consider the true cause
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
Why birds and beasts from quality and kind,
Why old men fool and children calculate,
Why all these things change from their ordinance
Their natures and preformèd faculties
To monstrous quality— why, you shall find
That heaven hath infused them with these spirits
To make them instruments of fear and warning
Unto some monstrous state.
Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man
Most like this dreadful night,
That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
As doth the lion in the Capitol—
A man no mightier than thyself or me
In personal action, yet prodigious grown,
And fearful as these strange eruptions are.
Word Meanings
Gliding ghosts: Ghosts that are moving smoothly and quietly.
From quality and kind: Acting unnaturally or against their true nature.
Old men fool and children calculate: This line refers to a reversal of the natural order. Older, wise men are acting foolishly, while children are acting with unnatural wisdom or plotting.
Ordinance: A rule or law. In this case, it means the natural, established order of things.
Preformèd faculties: Innate or natural abilities and characteristics.
Monstrous quality: A monstrous or unnatural nature.
Monstrous state: A terrible or abnormal political situation.
Prodigious grown: Grown to be enormous, unnatural, and fearsome.
Eruptions: Sudden, violent outbreaks or disturbances.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Casca asked Cassius why he would provoke the gods in such a way. He said it was a man’s duty to be afraid and tremble when the powerful gods send such terrible signs to shock them. Cassius replied that Casca was foolish and lacked the spirit that a true Roman should possess. He said Casca looked pale, stared in fear, and was in awe of the strange anger of the heavens. However, Cassius continued, if Casca would consider the real reason for all these fires, ghosts, and unnatural behaviors of animals, he would find that heaven has given them these spirits as a warning about a monstrous political situation. Cassius added that he could name a man who was just like this frightening night, a man who thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars like the lion in the Capitol. This man was no more powerful than Casca or himself in his actions, yet he had grown to be a monstrous and fearsome figure, much like the strange events they were witnessing.
Play:
CASCA
‘Tis Caesar that you mean. Is it not, Cassius?
CASSIUS
Let it be who it is. For Romans now
Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors,
But—woe the while!—our fathers’ minds are dead,
And we are governed with our mothers’ spirits.
Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.
CASCA
Indeed, they say the senators tomorrow
Mean to establish Caesar as a king,
And he shall wear his crown by sea and land
In every place save here in Italy.
CASSIUS
I know where I will wear this dagger then.
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius.
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong.
Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat.
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit.
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny that I do bear
I can shake off at pleasure.
Thunder sounds again.
Word Meanings
Thews: A person’s muscles, tendons, or physical strength.
Woe the while: An expression of sadness or grief for the present time.
Yoke: A symbol of subjugation or oppression, referring to a wooden frame used to harness oxen.
Sufferance: The state of enduring something painful or unpleasant; patient endurance.
Bondage: The state of being a slave or under control.
Retentive: Having the ability to hold or contain something.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Casca asked Cassius if he was referring to Caesar. Cassius replied that it could be anyone. He lamented that while modern Romans are physically as strong as their ancestors, they lack their forefathers’ courage and spirit. He said that their willingness to be ruled made them seem weak and ‘womanish’. Casca confirmed that the senators reportedly planned to crown Caesar as king the following day, granting him authority everywhere except in Italy. Cassius responded by declaring that he would rather die than live under a tyrant. He proclaimed that he could always use his dagger to free himself from such slavery. He said that no prison could hold a strong spirit, because a person who is tired of life always has the power to end it. Cassius concluded by saying that he could escape Caesar’s tyranny whenever he chose to.
Play:
CASCA
So can I.
So every bondman in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.
CASSIUS
And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep.
He were no lion were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome,
What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
So vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief,
Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak this
Before a willing bondman. Then I know
My answer must be made. But I am armed,
And dangers are to me indifferent.
CASCA
You speak to Casca, and to such a man
That is no fleering telltale. Hold, my hand.
Be factious for redress of all these griefs,
And I will set this foot of mine as far
As who goes farthest.
CASSIUS
There’s a bargain made.
Now know you, Casca, I have moved already
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans
To undergo with me an enterprise
Of honorable-dangerous consequence.
And I do know by this they stay for me
In Pompey’s porch. For now, this fearful night,
There is no stir or walking in the streets,
And the complexion of the element
In favor’s like the work we have in hand,
Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
Word Meanings
Bondman: A male slave or serf.
Hinds: Female deer, often used to describe someone passive or cowardly.
Offal: The entrails or organs of a slaughtered animal, often used to refer to rubbish or something worthless.
Fleering: Sneering or mocking.
Telltale: A person who reveals secrets or gives away information.
Factious: Divided, or a person who takes part in a group’s action against the government. Here, it means to be actively involved in a faction or conspiracy.
Redress: Remedy or compensation for a wrong or a grievance.
Complexion: The appearance or character of something.
Pompey’s porch: A part of the Roman theater complex built by the Roman general Pompey. It was a well-known public meeting place.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Casca agreed with Cassius, stating that every slave holds the power to end their own bondage. Cassius then questioned why Caesar should be a tyrant. He said that Caesar would not act like a wolf if he did not see the Romans as weak sheep. He also suggested that Caesar would not be a lion if the Romans were not passive like female deer. Cassius compared the situation to starting a huge fire with weak kindling, implying that the Roman people, whom he called trash,rubbish, and offal, have allowed Caesar to rise to power. He then suddenly grew concerned that he might have spoken too freely to someone who was a willing slave to Caesar. He declared, however, that he was prepared for any danger. Casca reassured Cassius that he was speaking to a man who was not a betrayer. He held out his hand and told Cassius to be ‘factious’, or to take action, to correct all of their problems. Casca promised to go as far as anyone else in the conspiracy. Cassius accepted this agreement as a done deal. He then revealed that he had already convinced several noble Romans to join an honorable but dangerous plan. He mentioned that these men were waiting for him at Pompey’s porch. Cassius pointed out that the stormy, bloody, and fiery weather was a fitting backdrop for the terrible act they were about to commit.
Play:
CINNA enters.
CASCA
Stand close awhile, for here comes one in haste.
CASSIUS
‘Tis Cinna. I do know him by his gait.
He is a friend. —Cinna, where haste you so?
CINNA
To find out you. Who’s that? Metellus Cimber?
CASSIUS
No, it is Casca, one incorporate
To our attempts. Am I not stayed for, Cinna?
CINNA
I am glad on ’t. What a fearful night is this!
There’s two or three of us have seen strange sights.
CASSIUS
Am I not stayed for? Tell me.
CINNA
Yes, you are.
O Cassius, if you could
But win the noble Brutus to our party—
CASSIUS
Be you content. Good Cinna, take this paper,
And look you lay it in the praetor’s chair
Where Brutus may but find it. And throw this
In at his window. Set this up with wax
Upon old Brutus’ statue. All this done,
Repair to Pompey’s porch, where you shall find us.
Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?
CINNA
All but Metellus Cimber, and he’s gone
To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie,
And so bestow these papers as you bade me.
CASSIUS
That done, repair to Pompey’s theatre.
CINNA exits.
Word Meanings
Stand close awhile: To hide or stay out of sight for a moment.
Haste: To hurry or move quickly.
Incorporate: To be included or made part of something; here it means to have joined their group.
Stayed for: To be waited for or expected.
Praetor’s chair: The official chair of a praetor, a high-ranking Roman magistrate. Brutus held this office.
Bestow: To place or put something in a certain spot.
Hie: To go quickly or to hurry.
Explanation of the above dialogues— Casca sees someone approaching and tells Cassius to stay hidden for a moment. Cassius immediately recognizes the person by his walk, identifying him as Cinna, a friend. He asks Cinna why he is in such a hurry. Cinna replies that he was looking for Cassius. He asks who the other person is, mistakenly thinking it’s Metellus Cimber. Cassius corrects him, saying it is Casca, who has become part of their conspiracy. He then asks Cinna if the others are waiting for him. Cinna expresses his relief at finding Cassius and comments on how frightening the night is, mentioning that a couple of others have also seen strange sights. Cassius, however, redirects the conversation, repeating his question about whether he is expected. Cinna confirms that he is. Cinna then says that if only Cassius could get the noble Brutus to join their group, their plan would be complete. Cassius reassures him, telling him not to worry. He then gives Cinna some papers and instructs him to place one in the praetor’s chair, where Brutus will surely find it. He also tells Cinna to throw another paper in through Brutus’s window and to use wax to attach a third one to the statue of Brutus’s ancestor. After he has done all this, Cinna is to meet them at Pompey’s porch. Cassius asks if Decius Brutus and Trebonius are already there. Cinna says that everyone is there except for Metellus Cimber, who has gone to Cassius’s house to look for him. Cinna says he will hurry to follow Cassius’s instructions. Cassius tells him to meet them at Pompey’s theatre once he is finished.
Play:
CASSIUS
Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere day
See Brutus at his house. Three parts of him
Is ours already, and the man entire
Upon the next encounter yields him ours.
CASCA
Oh, he sits high in all the people’s hearts,
And that which would appear offense in us,
His countenance, like richest alchemy,
Will change to virtue and to worthiness.
CASSIUS
Him and his worth and our great need of him
You have right well conceited. Let us go,
For it is after midnight, and ere day
We will awake him and be sure of him.
They exit.
Word Meanings
alchemy: The ancient practice of trying to turn common metals (like lead) into gold. In this context, it is used as a metaphor for transforming something bad into something good.
countenance: A person’s face or facial expression. Casca uses it to refer to Brutus’s respected reputation and public image.
conceited: Understood or thought of. Cassius is telling Casca that he has correctly understood Brutus’s importance to their plan.
ere: Before.
Explanation of the above dialogues— After meeting with Cinna, Cassius told Casca that they should go to Brutus’s house before sunrise. He said that they had already won over most of Brutus’s support and that the next time they met with him, Brutus would completely join their side. Casca replied by saying that Brutus was highly respected by all the people. He believed that something that would be seen as a crime if they did it would be transformed into a virtuous and worthy act if Brutus were part of it, much like an alchemist turning a base metal into gold. Cassius agreed with Casca’s thoughts about Brutus’s value and their great need for him. He urged Casca to go, stating that since it was already after midnight, they should wake Brutus and make sure he was on their side before morning. The two of them then exited.
Conclusion
In Act 1, Scene 3 of Julius Caesar, it is a stormy night in Rome. Thunder and lightning strike as Casca talks to Cicero about unusual events happening around them. Casca believes these are signs of bad things to come. At the same time, Cicero thinks that people often misunderstand signs like these. Cassius then arrives, using these signs to strengthen the conspiracy against Caesar. He convinces Casca to recruit Brutus, and together they start to plan how to involve Brutus in their scheme. Students can take help from this post to understand Act 1, Scene 3 of the play Julius Caesar by Shakespeare and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp. This post includes a summary of Julius Caesar, which will help students of ICSE class 9, to get a quick recap of the play.