Julius Caesar Soothsayer Quotes

SOOTHSAYER
Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR
He is a dreamer. Let us leave him. Pass. (1.2.28-29)

Even though Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to watch his back on March 15 ("ides" means "middle"), Caesar doesn't take the ominous warning seriously. As we know, Caesar was stabbed 33 times on March 15, so it's pretty clear to the audience that Caesar should heed this warning. And even though Caesar says a few moments later that he's wary of "lean and hungry" looking men like Cassius (1.2), it seems like his arrogance prevents him from taking the soothsayer's advice to heart. This, by the way, isn't the only time Caesar ignores warning signs – later, he blows off his own wife, who envisions his death in a prophetic dream. (See 2.2 below.)

Brain Snack: In a Season 6 episode of The Simpsons called "Homer the Great," Lisa warns Homer to "beware the Ides of March."