Obituaries
By Ellie Zhang
Portia Brutus, wife of Brutus
Rome, March 19 – Portia, the loyal wife of Brutus, died just a few days ago, but it is unknown when. It is assumed that she died shortly after Caesar’s death but a day or two after settling with her husband at camp.
Portia was known as being the confidante of Brutus, and daughter of the noble Cato. It was reported that Portia committed suicide out of grief that Antony and Octavius had become so powerful. She killed herself by swallowing burning coals.
Portia was so loyal to Brutus that she cut herself just to prove her loyalty. Her servant informed us that, cutting herself; she showed that if she could keep the pain to herself, she could keep his secrets.
Always worried about her husband, she was loved in return equally by Brutus. Upset about his wife’s death, Brutus instigated a huge argument with Cassius, until he finally said, “No one bears sorrow better than me. Portia is dead.”(Act IV, scene 3, line 168).
Titinius, noble soldier and friend
Rome, March 19 – Titinius, a soldier in Brutus and Cassius’s army, died the same day as Cassius. When he discovered that Cassius misconstrued a situation on the battlefield involving Titinius, and that it resulted in Cassius's death, Titinius was so overcome by grief that he killed himself.
Originally, Cassius noticed a group of tents burning and a series of advancing troops so he asked Titinius to check on the situation.
Cassius was worried about Titinius so he sent Pindarus to check on him. When Pindarus came back, he told Cassius that Titinius was surrounded by a crowd of unknown men cheering. In actuality, they were Brutus’s troops. The men’s embrace of Titinius misconstrued Pindarus to believe that the joyful cheers were from the enemy who had captured and killed Titinius.
Titinius was known as a great soldier, and a loyal best friend to Cassius. One of Cassius’s last lines were, “Come, down, behold no more/ Oh, coward that I am, to live so long/ To see my best friend ta’en before my face”(Act V, scene 3, line 36-38).
Soon later, Titinius came back to the tent to find Cassius dead. Noticeably distraught, he stabbed himself and died.
Cinna the poet, killed for a mistaken identity
Rome, March 19 – Cinna, a poet from Rome, was killed while walking through the city when mistaken for Cinna the conspirator. A crowd of plebeians surrounded him and asked him for his name. When he told them that his name was Cinna, the plebeians confused him for the conspirator Cinna.
When he expressed to them that he was not the conspirator Cinna, one plebeian answered back to him, “It is no matter. His name’s Cinna. Pluck out his name out of his heart, and turn him going”(Act III, scene 3, line 34-36).
Despite telling them that they had the wrong man, the plebeians dragged him off and beat him to death.
Cinna the poet was never married, and was a friend of Caesar’s. He had a house near the capital where he lived for most of his life.