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Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Apollodorus' Boat:
In Act 3, Caesar Britannus hands Caesar a bag containing letters, written from Pompey's party to the Roman army of occupation in Alexandria. Caesar refuses to open the bag or read the letters, a decision that later leads to a moment of dramatic irony. He justifies his choice in the following manner:
Would you have me waste the next few years of my life proscribing and condemning men who will be my friends when I have proved that my friendship is worth more than Pompey's was—than Cato's is.
Immediately after making the above statement, Caesar throws the satchel into the sea. This entire interaction provides important insight into Caesar's character and moral values: he is a merciful man who understands human nature and believes in second chances. The mood in this passage is more serious and less comedic. The serious mood is almost instantly undermined when, later, in a moment of dramatic irony, Apollodorus reveals what actually happened to the satchel:
APOLLODORUS: Caesar: I cannot return. As I approached the lighthouse, some fool threw a great leathern bag into the sea. It broke the nose of my boat; and I had hardly time to get myself and my charge to shore before the poor little cockleshell sank.
CAESAR: I am sorry, Apollodorus. The fool shall be rebuked.
In this scene, Apollodorus is unaware of information that the audience is privy to: that Caesar himself was the one to throw the satchel into the ocean. This dramatic irony is made all the more potent by the fact that Caesar himself states that "the fool shall be rebuked." Despite making a serious and morally significant decision in the previous scene, Caesar acknowledges the humor and irony inherent in the situation, taking these things in stride. This moment is fundamental to the audience's understanding of Caesar's character.
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