SCENE 4
(Casca’s courtyard)
Casca (sitting in a fancy chair, turned away from the stage. He slowly turns the chair as Cassius comes in. He is stroking a cat): Yes, yes my child, I thought you would come to me. They always come back. And that too on the day of my daughter’s wedding –
Cassius: Casca you don’t even have a daughter.
Casca (looking somewhat insulted): I could have a daughter.
Cassius: Casca you’re not even married!
Casca (yelling): MARRIAGE! Marriage means nothing. Do you think one needs to be married to have children! Look at me. I am the product of love – nothing but love between two individuals. Love is everything. ‘Marriage’ (spits) is nothing. If I wanted a daughter I could have one.
Cassius: But Casca you don’t even like women!
Casca stops mid-stroke (on cat). Scratches chin: A fair point. Yes, your problem my child – no – let me guess… you and the little Brutus had a falling out didn’t you? I’ve told you before child, you need to stop being so overprotective about that man.
Cassius: Casca hear me out would you? Look I’m telling you, the situation is out of hand. You heard Caesar’s speech this morning.
Casca (looking serious): That I did.
Cassius: Well? What do you think of it? I was right all along about that two-faced dried neat’s tongue.
Casca (covering his sleeping cat’s ears): Watch the language would you? I don’t want Esperanza to learn all this.
Cassius (aside): And people say I’m dramatic.
Casca: What was that?
Cassius: Nothing, just wondering what Caesar is up to now…
Casca: What he is up to is very clear to me. I have known him since our days together in (school) ludus. He and Pompey were classmates, many of us thought they were best friends too. Then time came and did its job – ruined relationships. By the time we were adolescents, Pompey was quite the Cassanova (even though he’s still a few thousand years away). All the girls would line up to have a look at him. The teachers loved him, ah, he seemed to be the incarnation of the masculine spirit. Broad, strong, ripped, handsome and oh, so charismatic. I can tell you it wasn’t just the girls who had their eyes on him (blushes at the memory). Not surprisingly, he broke many hearts. And child, do you know who was the first to have his heart broken?
Cassius: No!
Casca (laughing): Yes my child, it was Caesar.
Cassius: I knew it! So that’s where this whole thing comes together. Caesar was in love with Pompey and was too much of a coward to act on it and as revenge for his unrequited love, he wants to be the cause of his downfall.
Casca: Nearly. But you got one thing wrong. Caesar wasn’t that much of a coward. He made his love for his dear friend and comrade pretty conspicuous and as a result, a horrified Pompey inched further and further away from his best friend until they became enemies. He couldn’t stand the sight of Caesar. He tried whatever he could to throw Caesar off: humiliation, anger, mockery the works, but Caesar didn’t stop loving him. Until THE incident.
Cassius (cringing): Oh that incident. I’d rather not talk about it. My mother – I mean some friend had told me about it. A homosexual’s worst nightmare I’d say.
Casca: Indeed it is. (pause) But it does not justify this behaviour. Look at the damage it’s doing to the lives of people like yourself and the noble Brutus. We must do something about this.
Cassius: This is the way things are Casca, what could we do? Kidnap the great Caesar? (laughing) or better – assassinate him and restore peace to humanity?
Casca (laughing hesitantly at first but loosening up): Haha, what would we do? Dip that wreathed head in a vat of hot oil?
Cassius (laughing even harder): Or – or make it the perfect crime, catch him in the early hours of the morning, hold a senate meeting and the stab the old sot to death!
Both laugh but as they stop laughing, they exchange very grave expressions, realising that they have literally just come up with a successful murder plan.
Cassius: But enough of these fanciful jokes, honestly Casca, what needs to be done?
