Phenomenon on the Eve of the Ides of March and before the Ides of Marsh

[evita mgfs]

Welcome. I invite everyone on a literary quest – to see if any events that happened in Rome on the eve of Caesar’s death in any way compare with events happening in Martin’s novels thus far.

I am using Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as the source, but I will add Plutarch later for added challenges.

I edited only lines that describe the portentous events via Casca and Calpurnia. I even color-coded them for easy reference!

Without getting too literary, Shakespeare borrows from Plutarch who recorded “unnatural” phenomena the eve of Caesar’s death, long after the fact.

Anyways, let’s have fun! I think I found them all, but now it’s YOUR turn! I’ll give you a few hints: walking dead, lions idling about, a sacrifice with no heart, bloody rain, fighting warriors, and people on fire!

There are no wrong answers here. All thoughts are welcome and greatly appreciated.

CASCA

Are not you moved, when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm?

But never till to-night, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.

Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.

CICERO

Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?

CASCA

A common slave--you know him well by sight--
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches join'd, and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd.

Besides--I ha' not since put up my sword--
Against the Capitol I met a lion,
Who glared upon me, and went surly by,
Without annoying me:

and there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
Transformed with their fear; who swore they saw
Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.

And yesterday the bird of night did sit
Even at noon-day upon the market-place,
Hooting and shrieking.

When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say
'These are their reasons; they are natural;'

For, I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.

CAESAR

Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:
Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,
'Help, ho! they murder Caesar!' Who's within?

CALPURNIA

What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth?
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.

Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me.

There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.

A lioness hath whelped in the streets;

And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;

Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;

The noise of battle hurtled in the air,

Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,

And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.

O Caesar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.

The Priests also perform a sacrifice, and the beast is without a heart!