In Love With Shakespeare

Is it hot in here ?

"So tell me about Julius Caesar!" I said firmly.

"Yes, yes, of course!"

Professor East adjusted her glasses and began. "Well let's take Cassius as an example. He really is one of the great persuaders, and he successfully coaxes a respectable senator, Brutus, into assassinating a head of state to whom Brutus has previously been extremely loyal. That takes a bit of doing!"

"So how do you think Cassius did that?" I said. I think I widened my eyes a little at this point, trying to play the part of the eager student. But I was also keen to know.

"In a key passage," Professor East resumed a little grandly, "Cassius declared, 'I was born free as Caesar; so were you: We both have fed as well, and we can both endure the winter's cold as well as he.' Now it turns out this was not simply a rhetorical flourish but the introduction to a very concrete anecdote."

"And what was that, ma'am?" I interjected.

I know it probably sounds a bit slutty but I actually undid one blouse button as I said that, and I swear my professor's eyes darted down to look before quickly coming back up to my face.

She resumed: "Well, Cassius goes on to describe how Caesar once dared him to swim across the Tiber before running into difficulties and calling on Cassius to rescue him from the raging torrent. Cassius duly saved his life, and so now Cassius says to Brutus, 'And this man is now become a god, and Cassius is a wretched creature and must bend his body, if Caesar carelessly but nod on him.'"

I dared to undo another button. Another glance down. That was so hot! Then a little more explanation in that velvety voice: "So you can see how Cassius shows Caesar at his most human and vulnerable and then accuses Caesar of playing God and being ungrateful to his rescuer. Cassius then has another anecdote about when Caesar was sick in Spain and he cried out "as a sick girl" while

"His coward lips did from their color fly."

"I think I see what Cassius is trying to do," I said, glancing down to see if I could see my own bra. I could. Like just a little sliver of pink. Then I added, "He's making Caesar look like a weakling and a hypocrite."

"Exactly!... and Cassius says later 'Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.'"

"So he's a bit of a sexist pig!" I blurted out and Professor East just laughed. I felt like we were getting along really well now.

"More sherry?" my prof offered.

I looked at my glass. I hadn't noticed myself drinking, but it was almost empty. I nodded.