The conversation between Brutus and Cassius comes to an end as Caesar and his followers cross past them on one side of the stage. Brutus notes that Caesar looks angry (Casca will explain later in the scene why Caesar is indeed angry).
As Caesar glances at Cassius, he whispers the following to Antony (so that Cassius cannot hear):
Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look.
He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous.
(195-96)
Antony responds that Cassius is a good Roman and that Caesar has no reason to fear him. Caesar then immediately replies, “I fear him not” (199). Caesar believes he is above ordinary men. He always wants to show that he is a man of great courage, afraid of nothing. Yet Caesar then adds that if he did fear anyone, that person would be Cassius. Caesar describes Cassius quite accurately and astutely:
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music. (203-05)
Caesar and Cassius share several qualities, especially that both of them can look “through the deeds of men.” Caesar means that Cassius understands what motivates men. Cassius understands human nature. Cassius has just given the audience a demonstration of this ability, for Cassius has accurately determined the cause of Brutus’ worry and has also quite smoothly persuaded Brutus to consider joining the conspiracy. But also, somewhat ironically, Caesar has also given a demonstration of this same ability in describing Cassius. Caesar is also quite accurate in looking through “the deeds of” Cassius. And, perhaps even more ironically, a great playwright also
needs to look “through the deeds of men.” Shakespeare, too, may have had a lean and hungry look.
But unlike Cassius, Shakespeare loved plays. The reference to Cassius not loving theater or music was (as the Norton editors note) considered an indication of evil or wickedness. Men who take no pleasure in life are more likely to spend their time scheming and plotting. They are more likely to take part in anti-social or criminal activities. And, in this particular case, they are more likely to become traitors to their ruler. The reader may wonder, though, how much Caesar himself loved plays and music.
After Caesar exits the stage, Brutus and Cassius continue their conversation. Cassius asks Casca to join them. Casca had been watching the speech and activities of Caesar, and he relates to Cassius what he had seen. The reader should note the switch to prose at this point (beginning in line 216). This is reported speech, an explanation of what had happened previously. Shakespeare usually presents reported speech, like the reading of letters and messages, in prose.
Casca explains how Mark Antony offered a crown to Caesar. In fact, he offered the crown to Caesar three times (lines 229-30). And each time Caesar refused to accept. And after each refusal the people shouted and begged Caesar to accept. Caesar was acting like a humble man, like someone who believes he is not worthy to be king. But this is not actually the case. Caesar is pretending. Caesar really wants the crown (to be king), but he is acting meek and modest in order to get the citizens of Rome to support him. The entire event was staged. It was set up for this purpose. Antony giving the crown to Caesar would not be an official or legal course of action anyway. His offer is meaningless. But most of the Roman citizens do not know this, and they believe that Caesar is a good and humble man.
However, not everyone was tricked by the proceedings. Casca explains, “It was mere foolery, I did not mark it” (235-36). By foolery, Casca means idiotic and unbelievable. And “not marking it” means that he did not believe it. Casca further explains that the crown offered to Caesar was not even real:
I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown – yet, ‘twas not a crown neither, ‘twas one of those coronets – and as I told you he put it by once; but for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. (236-39)
The word coronet here refers to a decorated headband, not an official crown that would actually be worn by a king. It is like a fake crown that would be used in a stage play. But even though Caesar himself knows it is a fake crown, Casca reports that he really wants it (the word fain means gladly). Casca is suggesting that Caesar is not a very good actor. To anyone with intelligence, Caesar’s acting was not believable.
Casca also reports how, during the third time that he was offered the crown, Caesar had a fit of epilepsy and fell to the ground (line 246). This explains why Caesar was so angry after the event. But Casca explains that Caesar apologized to the people and continued acting like a humble man
Casca also relates another piece of news to Brutus and Cassius. He explains how Flavius and Murellus, the Roman nobles who broke up the holiday and accused the artisans of being fickle (in scene one), were “put to silence” (280). The note suggests that this means that they had lost their office, but it could also imply that they were imprisoned or even executed. As mentioned before, it was most unwise of them to support Pompey, the fallen enemy of Caesar.