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Julius Caesar Act IV: Quarrel and Tide Speech | ICSE 10

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English LiteratureICSE Class 10 · Julius Caesar Act IV

Julius Caesar Act IV, Scene 3: The Quarrel, the Tide Speech and the Ghost

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

In Act IV, Scene 3, Brutus accuses Cassius of an 'itching palm' after Cassius defends Lucius Pella, then complains that Cassius refused him gold. Cassius offers his dagger, they reconcile, Brutus reveals Portia's death, overrules Cassius with the tide speech to march to Philippi, and the Ghost of Caesar promises to meet him there.

Understand The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3)

Where it fits. Rome is ruled by the Second Triumvirate (Antony, Octavius and Lepidus) and the conspirators are raising armies in the east. Act IV has not yet supplied a Section B extract, but the 2025 paper and 2027 specimen set Section A MCQs from it (Antony on Lepidus; Brutus's hypocrisy; the triumvirs). The quarrel and the tide speech are the likeliest 16-mark extracts.

Sequence to learn (the quarrel scene).
1. Cassius reaches Brutus's camp near Sardis and accuses Brutus of wronging him. Brutus insists they speak inside his tent, so that the armies do not see their leaders quarrel.
2. Cassius complains that Brutus publicly condemned Lucius Pella for taking bribes from the Sardians and ignored Cassius's letters on his behalf.
3. Brutus replies that Cassius himself is said to have an itching palm (a greed for money), selling offices for gold. He asks them to remember the Ides of March: they killed Caesar for justice, so should they now soil their fingers with bribes?
4. Cassius claims to be the older and abler soldier; Brutus says he does not fear his threats.
5. Brutus complains that Cassius refused to send gold to pay his legions. Cassius says the messenger was a fool.
6. Cassius, hurt, offers his dagger and bares his breast, telling Brutus to strike as he struck Caesar. Brutus relents, admits he is ill-tempered, and they embrace. A poet who bursts in is sent away.
7. Brutus tells Cassius that Portia is dead: grieving at his absence and at the growing power of Octavius and Antony, she swallowed fire.
8. Titinius and Messala bring news that the triumvirs have put many senators to death, Cicero among them, and are marching on Philippi. Brutus receives the news of Portia calmly, as if for the first time.

The decision. Cassius wants to wait and let the enemy tire itself. Brutus argues that the people on the way support them only by force and would join the enemy, and that their strength is at its height. His tide speech compares fortune to a tide that must be 'taken at the flood'. Cassius yields.

The Ghost. At night Brutus asks Lucius to play music; the boy falls asleep. Caesar's Ghost appears, calls itself Brutus's evil spirit and says he will see Brutus at Philippi.

Character focus. Brutus is principled but self-righteous, a Stoic hiding grief; Cassius is practical, emotional and too ready to yield.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

  • Remember March, the ides of March remember:

    Brutus: During the quarrel.

    Brutus measures their conduct against the justice that justified the murder.

  • There is a tide in the affairs of men,

    Brutus: Arguing for an immediate march to Philippi.

    Success depends on seizing the right moment.

  • Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

    Ghost of Caesar: Answering Brutus's question 'What art thou?'.

    Suggests Caesar's spirit, and Brutus's guilt, will bring about his downfall.

  • Thou shalt see me at Philippi.

    Ghost of Caesar: Before it vanishes.

    Foreshadows Brutus's defeat and death.

The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3): key facts

The quarrel in order
  • Lucius Pella
  • itching palm
  • Ides of March
  • threats
  • gold refused
  • dagger offered
  • reconciliation
  • poet
  • Portia
  • Messala's news
Write this chain for any 'what happened before or after' part.
The two generals
Brutus: principled, self-righteous, Stoic | Cassius: practical, emotional, yielding
One trait plus one action for each.
Devices in the scene
extended metaphortide
dramatic ironyPortia
supernaturalGhost
foreshadowing
Link each to Act V.

How to answer The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3) questions

Use this for an extract question on the quarrel or the tide speech.

  1. 1Context part: name the place (Brutus's tent near Sardis), the people and the cause of the quarrel.
  2. 2Meaning part: paraphrase in your own words; explain 'itching palm' as greed for bribes.
  3. 3Sequence part: give the next one or two events in the chain above.
  4. 4Character part: one trait and one action (for example, Brutus's hypocrisy).
  5. 5Opinion part: take a stand and give two reasons.

The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3) in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Preaching a rule you need to break

Suppose a team captain loudly condemns a teammate for taking a small gift from a sponsor, and the next week asks the same teammate to find money for the team's kit.

Which trait of Brutus does this resemble, and how is it shown in the play?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. He condemns small corruption in public.
  2. He then asks for money raised by the same means.
  3. This is hypocrisy.

Answer: It resembles Brutus's hypocrisy. He condemns Lucius Pella and Cassius's 'itching palm' but then complains that Cassius did not send gold to pay his legions.

Memory hook: Condemn the bribe, then demand the gold.

Tricks to remember The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3)

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • P-I-I-T-G-D

    Pella, itching palm, Ides, threats, gold, dagger.

    Use it when: The six moves of the quarrel.

  • Tide at the flood

    Take the tide now or be stuck in shallows.

    Use it when: Brutus's reason for marching at once.

The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3): solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Who is Lucius Pella · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Why is Cassius angry with Brutus over Lucius Pella?
(a) Brutus refused to meet Pella (b) Brutus publicly condemned Pella for taking bribes, ignoring Cassius's letters on his behalf (c) Pella insulted Cassius (d) Brutus sold Pella's office

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Pella took bribes from the Sardians (0.5).
  2. Brutus condemned him despite Cassius's letters (0.5).

Answer: (b) Brutus publicly condemned Pella for taking bribes, ignoring Cassius's letters on his behalf.

Example 2: Setting of the quarrel (3 marks) · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Brutus will not argue in front of the soldiers. Say where the two generals therefore talk and state the first charge Cassius lays against Brutus.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Brutus's tent near Sardis (1).
  2. So their armies will not see them quarrel (1).
  3. Complaint about Lucius Pella (1).

Answer: The quarrel takes place in Brutus's tent in the camp near Sardis. Brutus insisted on going inside so that the soldiers would not see their two leaders quarrel. Cassius's first complaint is that Brutus has publicly condemned Lucius Pella for taking bribes from the Sardians, even though Cassius had written letters in Pella's favour.

Example 3: Brutus's hypocrisy (4 marks) · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain the 'itching palm' charge and show how Brutus can be called a hypocrite in this scene.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Meaning of itching palm (1).
  2. Brutus's moral stand (1).
  3. The request for gold (1).
  4. Judgement (1).

Answer: An 'itching palm' means a greed for money, and Brutus accuses Cassius of selling offices for gold to undeserving men. He reminds Cassius that they killed Caesar for justice and should not soil their fingers with bribes. Yet he then complains that Cassius refused to send him gold to pay his legions, since he himself cannot raise money by vile means. He thus condemns corruption while wanting its profit. This inconsistency shows a self-righteous streak in his idealism.

Example 4: The tide speech (4 marks) · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

What decision does Brutus argue for in the tide speech? Give two reasons he offers and explain the metaphor.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Decision: march to Philippi at once (1).
  2. Two reasons (1 + 1).
  3. Metaphor of the tide (1).

Answer: Brutus argues for marching at once to Philippi, while Cassius wants to wait for the enemy to wear itself out. He says the people between Sardis and Philippi support them only by force and would join the enemy, and that their own forces are at their height. He compares the moment to a tide: if taken at the flood it leads to fortune, but if missed all the voyage of life is stuck in shallows and miseries. The metaphor presents timing as everything.

Example 5: Was the decision wise? (4 marks) · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Cassius gives way to Brutus on the plan to march to Philippi. Was it wise for him to do so? Answer with reference to Cassius's character and the play's later events.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. A clear stand (1).
  2. Cassius's better judgement and reason for yielding (1).
  3. Evidence from Act IV and V (1).
  4. Conclusion (1).

Answer: It was not wise. Cassius's plan to let the enemy exhaust itself was sound, but he yielded because the reconciliation had made him anxious to keep Brutus's friendship, and he has a habit of giving way to Brutus against his better judgement. The Ghost's promise to meet Brutus at Philippi and the later defeat suggest that the decision brought their ruin. Brutus's confident tide speech hides an over-confident view of strategy, and Cassius's surrender to it shows the weakness that earlier let Brutus spare Antony.

Where students lose marks in The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3)

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Explaining 'itching palm' as a physical condition

    It is a figure of speech for greed.

    Wrong working

    Cassius has an itch on his hand.

    Right working

    An itching palm is a greed for money, here selling offices for gold.

    Do this: Say 'greed for bribes'.

    Usually costs: 1 mark

  • Mistake: Confusing the order of Portia's news

    Brutus tells Cassius first, then hears it from Messala.

    Wrong working

    Brutus first hears about Portia from Messala.

    Right working

    Brutus tells Cassius privately and then receives Messala's news as if for the first time.

    Do this: Learn the chain: Cassius, then Messala.

    Usually costs: 1 mark

  • Mistake: Explaining the tide metaphor without the decision

    The metaphor supports a particular choice.

    Wrong working

    Life is like the sea.

    Right working

    The tide compares the present moment to a full sea that must be used by marching to Philippi.

    Do this: Always name Philippi.

    Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks

Exam tips

  • Learn the quarrel as a chain of events from Lucius Pella to the Ghost.
  • For a trait question, name one word (hypocritical, practical) and add one action.
  • Link the Ghost and the tide speech to Act V.
  • Explain figures of speech in plain words before commenting on their effect.

Practice questions on The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3)

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    Which of the following matches the account of Portia's death in Act IV?
    (a) She was killed in battle (b) Distracted by grief and by the growing power of Octavius and Antony, she swallowed fire (c) She died of illness in Rome (d) She was murdered by the triumvirs

    Hint

    Grief at Brutus's absence.

    Answer

    (b) Distracted by grief and by the growing power of Octavius and Antony, she swallowed fire.

  2. Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

    What does Cassius do to show how deeply he is hurt by Brutus's accusations? How does Brutus respond? (3 marks)

    Hint

    Dagger and bare breast.

    Answer

    Cassius offers Brutus his dagger and bares his breast, telling Brutus to strike him as he struck Caesar. Brutus relents, admits that he too was ill-tempered, and they embrace, ending the quarrel.

  3. Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Explain how the revelation of Portia's death and the news from Messala add to our understanding of Brutus's character. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Stoicism and hidden grief.

    Answer

    Brutus has told Cassius privately that Portia is dead, yet he receives Messala's news calmly as if it were new. This shows Stoic self-control in public and hidden grief in private. His grief also helps explain his quick temper in the quarrel.

  4. Q4 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    How does Shakespeare use the Ghost of Caesar to foreshadow the end of the play? (4 marks)

    Hint

    Evil spirit; Philippi.

    Answer

    The Ghost appears in Brutus's tent as the candle burns low, after the boy Lucius has fallen asleep and Brutus is reading. It tells Brutus that it is his evil spirit and says he will see him at Philippi. The words warn of defeat and death at Philippi, the place they have just chosen for battle. The scene suggests that Caesar's spirit is still powerful and that Brutus's guilt will bring about his downfall. Brutus wakes Lucius, Varro and Claudius, who saw nothing, which shows that the vision is private to him.

  5. Q5 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Do you think Brutus or Cassius is more to blame for the quarrel? Give two reasons for your view. (4 marks)

    Hint

    Brutus's money complaint; Cassius's defence of Pella.

    Answer

    I think Brutus is more to blame. First, he condemned Lucius Pella publicly and ignored Cassius's letters, which was an insult to his fellow general. Second, he accused Cassius of an itching palm and then complained that Cassius did not send gold, which shows a self-righteous inconsistency. Cassius does share the blame, since he is accused of selling offices and he boasts of being the older soldier, but he is the first to offer peace by baring his breast, while Brutus's grief and temper keep the quarrel alive.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Where is Brutus's camp in Scene 2?Show answer

    Near Sardis.

  2. 2.Who is Lucius Pella?Show answer

    An officer condemned by Brutus for taking bribes from the Sardians.

  3. 3.What does Cassius offer Brutus in the quarrel?Show answer

    His dagger.

  4. 4.How did Portia die?Show answer

    She became distracted and swallowed fire.

  5. 5.Where will the armies meet?Show answer

    Philippi.

  6. 6.Who plays music for Brutus?Show answer

    Lucius, his servant boy.

The Quarrel Scene and the Decision to March (Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene 3): frequently asked questions

Has Act IV supplied a 16-mark extract in the 2025 paper or 2027 specimen?

No; it has supplied Section A MCQs, so prepare the quarrel and the tide speech as possible extracts.

Who are the members of the Second Triumvirate?

Antony, Octavius and Lepidus.

What does the Ghost say?

That it is Brutus's evil spirit and that he will see Brutus at Philippi.