The inclusion of this short scene heightens the tensions of the play and gives the audience a false sense of security. Shortly hereafter, in Act 3, Scene 1, the dramatic irony will reach its peak when Caesar refuses to read the letter. By including this scene, Shakespeare both foreshadows Caesar's assassination and establishes the beginning of a long chain of dramatic irony to come: Artemidorus, just like the audience, knows full well that Caesar's life is at risk and tries to inform him before it is too late Caesar's death may be preventable. In this letter, Artemidorus spells out the entire scope of the threats to Caesar borne by his supposed allies and peers. It is never quite clear whether or not Caesar’s fate is preordained: even he himself can see that something is coming, and yet Antony seemingly allows it to happen by absolving Cassius of any criticism. Shakespeare uses passages like these to toy with the audience's sense of suspense and the possibility that Caesar-if he were just a bit more perceptive-would be able to avoid his death. Caesar, for his part, dismisses this concern and follows Antony’s lead, insisting that he has no fear of Cassius-Caesar constantly asserts his manhood in Julius Caesar, and this sequence is no exception. As this is a historical play, Caesar's death is likely familiar to the audience as a historical event-nonetheless, Shakespeare seizes upon this opportunity to stoke the ironic potential of the moment: Antony denies Cassius’s danger and advocates on behalf of the man, even as Caesar suspects (and the audience knows) that Cassius could plot against him. Caesar's sense for Cassius's political ambition is absolutely correct, of course: in anticipating his potential for ruthlessness, Caesar unwittingly foreshadows Cassius's instrumental role in the plot against him that will eventually lead to his assassination.
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