Question

BRUTUS. Remember March, the ides of March, remember.

Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?

What villain touched his body, that did stab,

And not for justice? What, shall one of us,

That struck the foremost man of all this world

But for supporting robbers, shall we now

Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,

And sell the mighty space of our large honours

For so much trash as may be graspèd thus?

I had rather be a dog and bay the moon

Than such a Roman.



–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,
William Shakespeare

What is the allusion in this passage?

“the ides of March”
“supporting robbers”
“be a dog and bay the moon”
“foremost man of all this world”

Answer 1

The allusion in this passage primarily comes from “the ides of March.” This phrase refers to a specific date in the Roman calendar, March 15, which is famously known as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. In the context of the passage, Brutus is invoking this date as a reminder of the moral and ethical implications surrounding Caesar's death and the reasons behind it, specifically the theme of justice.

While the other phrases have their own significance—"supporting robbers" refers to the conspirators’ claim that they acted against tyranny rather than for personal gain, “be a dog and bay the moon” expresses Brutus's disdain for those who would dishonor themselves for monetary gain, and "foremost man of all this world" refers to Julius Caesar’s status as a powerful leader—they do not carry the same historical and thematic weight as “the ides of March” in this particular context.