Casca

Family: Roman conspirators · Role: conspirator · First appears: Julius Caesar · Act I, Scene III

In Act I, Scene III, Casca joins Caius Cassius’s faction and agrees to oppose Julius Caesar’s threatened tyranny. He seals their friendship and commitment with the words, “Be factious for redress of all these griefs,” then plans with Caius Cassius to visit Marcus Brutus after midnight and secure his support.

At Rome in Act II, Scene I, Casca joins the conspirators in deciding that Julius Caesar must die, while rejecting the need to kill Mark Antony. At the Capitol on the Ides of March, he stabs Julius Caesar in the neck before the other conspirators attack and Marcus Brutus delivers the final blow. Afterward, Mark Antony identifies Marcus Brutus, Caius Cassius, and Casca as Julius Caesar’s stabbers, pointing out, “See what a rent the envious Casca made.”

Relationship record

Life events

• Casca commits to Cassius’s faction and agrees to oppose Caesar’s threatened tyranny.(Julius Caesar · Act I, Scene III)
  • With: Caius Cassius
  • “CASCA. You speak to Casca, and to such a man That is no fleering tell-tale. 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.”
• Cassius and Casca plan to visit Brutus and secure his support for their enterprise.(Julius Caesar · Act I, Scene III)
  • With: Caius Cassius
  • “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.”
• The conspirators decide Caesar must die but reject killing Mark Antony.(Julius Caesar · Act II, Scene I · 📍 Rome)
  • With: Marcus Brutus Caius Cassius Decius Brutus Cinna Metellus Cimber Trebonius Julius Caesar Mark Antony
  • “And for Mark Antony, think not of him; For he can do no more than Caesar’s arm When Caesar’s head is off.”
• Artemidorus presents Caesar a warning naming the conspirators’ plot against him.(Julius Caesar · Act II, Scene III · 📍 Capitol)
  • With: Artemidorus Julius Caesar Marcus Brutus Caius Cassius Cinna Trebonius Metellus Cimber Decius Brutus Caius Ligarius
  • “ARTEMIDORUS. O Caesar, read mine first; for mine’s a suit That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar.”
• The conspirators stab Julius Caesar, and Marcus Brutus delivers the final blow.(Julius Caesar · Act II, Scene III · 📍 Capitol)
  • With: Julius Caesar Marcus Brutus
  • “Casca stabs Caesar in the neck. Caesar catches hold of his arm. He is then stabbed by several other Conspirators, and at last by Marcus Brutus. CAESAR. Et tu, Brute?—Then fall, Caesar! [_Dies.]”
• Antony identifies Brutus, Cassius, and Casca as Caesar’s stabbers.(Julius Caesar · Act III, Scene II · 📍 The Forum)
  • With: Marcus Brutus Caius Cassius Julius Caesar
  • “Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through: See what a rent the envious Casca made: Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb’d;”

Julius Caesar · Act I, Scene III

• friends with Caius Cassius “No, it is Casca, one incorporate To our attempts.”
• enemies with Julius Caesar “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.”

Julius Caesar · Act II, Scene I

• enemies with Julius Caesar “We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar, And in the spirit of men there is no blood.”

Julius Caesar · Act II, Scene III

• enemies with Julius Caesar “Caesar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber; Decius Brutus loves thee not; thou hast wrong’d Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Caesar.”
• enemies with Mark Antony “First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you; Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand. Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus; Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours; Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius. Gentlemen all—alas, what shall I say? My credit now stands on such slippery ground, That one of two bad ways you must conceit me, Either a coward or a flatterer. That I did love thee, Caesar, O, ’tis true: If then thy spirit look upon us now, Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death, To see thy Antony making his peace, Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes, Most noble, in the presence of thy corse?”

Julius Caesar · Act III, Scene II

• enemies with Julius Caesar “You all do know this mantle. I remember The first time ever Caesar put it on; ’Twas on a Summer’s evening, in his tent, That day he overcame the Nervii. Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through: See what a rent the envious Casca made:”

Julius Caesar · Act V, Scene I

• enemies with Mark Antony “ANTONY. Villains, you did not so when your vile daggers Hack’d one another in the sides of Caesar: You show’d your teeth like apes, and fawn’d like hounds, And bow’d like bondmen, kissing Caesar’s feet; Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!”
• enemies with Julius Caesar “Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind Struck Caesar on the neck.”

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Extracted from the original text of Shakespeare's Roman Plays. Made with Rho MD.