This scene illustrates the marked contrasts between the characters of Brutus and Cassius. The scene commences with the two generals entering Brutus' tent on the plains of Sardis where their forces are gathered to oppose those led by Antony and Octavius.
Cassius is upset and accuses Brutus of wronging him by accusing Lucius Pella of taking bribes, whilst the same person had carried Cassius' support and recommendation. Brutus counters by saying that Cassius was wrong in providing Lucius support. Cassius is upset and tells Brutus that, in the circumstances, his criticism was not apt. It is then that Brutus accuses Cassius of having an 'itchy palm.' He suggests that Cassius is corrupt and open to taking or making bribes.
Cassius is angered and informs Brutus that if he were not who he is, he would have killed him. In this instance, Brutus shows his resolve and courage for he does not flinch at Cassius' threat but says that since it is Cassius who is so dishonest, no one admonishes him for his corruption. Cassius is vilified but Brutus then reminds him of why they assassinated Caesar. It was an honorable act and they should therefore not taint such a noble deed by being dishonest:
Remember March, the ides of March remember:
Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
What villain touch'd 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 grasped thus?
I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman.
Brutus displays his noble and loyal nature when he speaks thus. He is forthright and clearly does not fear Cassius who then tells him not to scold him for he is older and more experienced than him and he should be the one to lay down conditions. This is clearly a veiled threat by Cassius, who seems to want to silence Brutus' criticism in this manner.
Brutus is undaunted, however, and contradicts Cassius. Cassius makes a more direct threat, telling Brutus:
Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.
Brutus calls him 'slight' (weak) and Cassius is shocked and offended, but Brutus tells him through rhetorical questions, that he will not be frightened by Cassius' anger. When Cassius cries out about whether he should endure Brutus' insults, Brutus is unrelenting and informs him that he has to, for he could burst with anger and Brutus would mock him. Cassius is offended but Brutus continues to criticize him, stating that he, Cassius, would not even have had the courage to challenge Caesar if he were alive.
It is clear that Brutus is intent on reminding and admonishing Cassius about his erroneous behavior and wants him to admit his wrongdoing. He tells him about money he had requested from him which Cassius never sent. Cassius blames the messenger for having delivered the wrong message and denies any misconduct. He tries to play on Brutus' sentiment by stating that the general makes his weaknesses seem worse than they are. He then blames Brutus for not loving him.
Cassius clearly wants to manipulate Brutus by playing on his emotions, but Brutus is clever enough to sidestep his accusations and tells him that he does not like his faults. When Cassius tells him that a friend would never make such an issue of his mistakes, Brutus tells him that flatterers would ignore others' faults. Cassius realizes that he is not going to convince Brutus to think differently and then goes into a passionate and overdramatized appeal:
Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
For Cassius is aweary of the world;
Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
Cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast; within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:
If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;
I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.
His infantile act, however, does not impress Brutus at all and he coldly asks Cassius to put away his dagger and that he should control his temper and use it when it is best needed. It is then that Cassius offers something of an apology, stating that he was angry because of his concerns and his 'ill-tempered' blood. Brutus, likewise, apologizes saying that he had also been angry. The two generals come to a resolve and extend pleasantries - Cassius offers his hand whilst Brutus extends his, at the same time offering Cassius his heart.
This confrontation most eminently displays that Brutus has greater strength of character than Cassius. He is much more dutiful, honest and loyal to their cause. He is, most definitely, a man of honor. Cassius, conversely, comes across as deceitful and manipulative. He is sly and corrupt. It is also evident that he is a coward. The only way he seems to be able to perform is by appealing to others' emotions and not through honorable actions.
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