Few plays have left as many sentences in the memory of the West as Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Some have become proverbs, others summarize the entire dilemma of the tragedy. We have gathered the main ones, translated and with the context that gives them their exact meaning within the play.
"The fault is not in our stars"
"The fault is not in our stars, for being servants, but in ourselves." (Act I, Scene II)
It is Cassius who sows this idea in Brutus. It's not destiny that decides what we are, it's us. The phrase is a manifesto of human responsibility, and, in Cassius's mouth, also a weapon: if it depends on us, then Brutus can, and must, act. It is the first push towards crime.
"You have to kill it while it's still in its shell"
"And then I must think that it is the serpent's egg: when it is hatched, it will become poisonous, and it must be killed while it is still in the shell." (Act II, Scene I)
Here is the logic of preventative tyrannicide, condensed into an image. Brutus does not kill Caesar for what he did, but for what he might become. It kills by anticipation, and it is this bet on the future that the entire play will test and disprove.
"Et tu, Brute?"
"Et tu, Brute? Then break down, Caesar!" (Act III, Scene I)
The most famous phrase in the play, said by Caesar when he saw his closest friend among the daggers. It is Shakespeare's invention, consecrated by tradition, not a historical record. But it remained forever as a symbol of the pain that doesn't come from the blow itself, but from knowing who delivered it.
"The noblest Roman of them all"
"This was the noblest Roman of them all." (Act V, Scene V)
The praise that Mark Antony gives to the dead Brutus, at the end of the play. He recognizes in his adversary the only conspirator who acted for the common good, not out of envy. It is the phrase that reverses Dante's verdict, for whom Brutus was one of the worst traitors in history, and shows how the same man can be judged in opposite ways.
Each of these phrases is a gateway to the entire piece. Read together, they tell, in miniature, the tragedy of an honorable man who wanted to save freedom and helped bury it.
Readings from Nous
Read the classics in depth
Our list of more than 130 recommended books, commented and organized by theme, so you don't read in the dark.
See recommended readingsFrequently asked questions
What is the most famous quote from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar?
"Et tu, Brute?" ("Even you, Brutus?"), said by Caesar when he recognized his friend among the assassins. It is Shakespeare's invention, consecrated by tradition, and has become synonymous with the betrayal of those you love.
What does "the noblest Roman of all" mean?
This is the compliment that Marco Antônio gives to Brutus in front of his body, at the end of the play. He recognizes that Brutus was the only conspirator who acted for the common good, not out of envy, which gives his death a tragic dignity.
Is the phrase “the fault is not in our stars” from Julius Caesar?
Yes. Cassius says to Brutus: "The fault is not in our stars, for being servants, but in ourselves." It is a manifesto of human responsibility: it is not destiny that decides, it is us.
Go deeper: Julius Caesar, by Shakespeare: summary and analysis · Is "Et tu, Brute" historical? · The three traitors chewed by Lucifer
Source class (YouTube): Júlio César, de Shakespeare (NousCast)