{"id":684,"date":"2009-10-27T00:17:27","date_gmt":"2009-10-27T07:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/?p=684"},"modified":"2009-10-27T00:17:27","modified_gmt":"2009-10-27T07:17:27","slug":"slashing-shakespeare-the-seduction-of-marcus-brutus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/slashing-shakespeare-the-seduction-of-marcus-brutus\/","title":{"rendered":"Slashing Shakespeare: The Seduction of Marcus Brutus"},"content":{"rendered":"

EM Lynley very kindly asked for guest bloggers, and I asked her if she liked this piece. \u00a0The story is all true–right down to the drunken colleague and the outrageous conversation. \u00a0For those of you who haven’t read (or have blocked out!) their time with Julius Caesar in high school, here’s a link to the text of Act I, scene II–it may come in handy if you’re wondering how far off my rocker I really am!\u00a0#mce_temp_url#<\/a><\/p>\n

[Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win an e-book version of Amy’s novel Vulnerable<\/a>.] <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"The Seduction of Marcus Brutus<\/strong><\/p>\n

Okay\u2014I\u2019ll admit it.\u00a0 My colleague was drunk and I was sleep deprived, but the conversation over post-graduation beers hasn\u2019t left me alone.<\/p>\n

The two main conspirators in Shakespeare\u2019s Julius Caesar <\/em>have a relationship rife with subtext\u2014and very little of it is platonic.\u00a0 Brutus\u2019 introversion and Cassius\u2019 sly venom have all the hallmarks of a dysfunctional romantic relationship\u2014one that ends in a spectacular crash, replete with flames and a dramatic death sequence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, my colleague and I were not content with innuendo.\u00a0 He has the gutter-mind and I have the writing background to take this observation of our two heroes one step further, and to ask the age old question:\u00a0 Who would top?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not as frivolous a question as it would seem.<\/p>\n

Homosexual relationships were a given in the Roman aristocracy.\u00a0 The young up-and-(erm) comers were routinely rogered by the old guard\u2014it was almost a rite of passage, and Caesar and Anthony were no exceptions.\u00a0 In fact, Caesar was frequently criticized for letting Pompey penetrate him during their adult relationship, and Antony was known as being quite the boy-slut and man-twinkie, even as he aged into his majority.\u00a0 Given these historical details, is it really too hard to imagine that Brutus, brooding, quiet, agonized and introspective, would be fair game for the handsome, strong, wily Cassius?<\/p>\n

But the question remains\u2014who would top?<\/p>\n

My colleague maintained it would be Cassius\u2014simply because he seemed to have all the power.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I replied, thinking hard, \u201cbut so did Lady MacBeth, and you can bet old man Mac wasn\u2019t taking a night-stick in the sphincter when he could pound the shrilling harpy like badly aged beef!\u201d\u00a0 (Okay, maybe I didn\u2019t say this verbatim, but you get the picture.)<\/p>\n

The fact is, it\u2019s not always the character with the rogering-stick who\u2019s got the power.\u00a0 Let\u2019s face it\u2014rogering-sticks are impressive and all, but how easy is it for the, uhm, rogering-stick-sheathe to grab a hold of that thing and drag its owner wherever the sheathe wishes him to go?<\/p>\n

I mean, Lady MacBeth as a sterling example:\u00a0 Women have been doing it for years.<\/p>\n

And Cassius used Lady Mac\u2019s techniques\u2014he started out with flattery and then that faux-honesty, and then he held up his victim\/lover\/top\u2019s flaws and said, \u201cWith me as your back-up, as a mirror to your flaws, you can help me do this reprehensible thing to carve a shining future.\u201d<\/p>\n

And really, unless sex was involved, how would either MacBeth OR Brutus be that easily deluded?<\/p>\n

I see it so clearly\u2014I can hear Cassius\u2019 tone of voice, picture Brutus\u2019 agonized inner monologue\u2026 in fact, it\u2019s so damned romantic text-book perfect, I can damned near smell the pheremones.<\/p>\n

And, well, you know\u2026<\/p>\n

M\/M romance is my glitch, right?<\/p>\n

So given that, I present to you,<\/p>\n

The Seduction of Brutus<\/p>\n

By Amy Lane<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brutus watched the royal party go out towards the steps of the capitol with weary eyes.<\/p>\n

Antony had his hand easily on Caesar\u2019s thigh, and Caesar was covering it with his own, tough little hand.<\/p>\n

Of course they were sleeping together.\u00a0 Calphurnia thought she had to worry about Cleopatra\u2014HA!<\/p>\n

It had been eating at him, gnawing at his stomach for months.\u00a0 He knew\u2014he\u2019d known about Pompey, he knew about Antony.\u00a0 Brutus had been beneath Caesar\u2019s body, knew his insatiable drive, knew the power of his heart\u2026 Brutus had reveled in it.<\/p>\n

It was lovely not to be the captain of your own vessel, even for those blissful few moments of sex.\u00a0 Caesar was so good at taking charge, so good at dominating, officiating, penetrating.\u00a0 He was even better at taking it, allowing his body to be pounded, penetrated, used\u2014and then milking his dominator for every drop of vitality in his human body.<\/p>\n

In either capacity, Marcus Brutus had been pleased to go along for the ride.<\/p>\n

But now\u2026<\/p>\n

Now he watched the maddened throng chanting Caesar\u2019s name, and he couldn\u2019t seem to separate the lovemaking from the leadership.<\/p>\n

Caesar had wanted Brutus, Caesar had courted Brutus, Caesar had left Brutus, bereft and hungering for one more touch, one more fawn, one more favor.\u00a0 Did Brutus think Caesar would do any better for their beloved country?\u00a0 How was it that Rome was so much greater in Caesar\u2019s esteem than Brutus had been?<\/p>\n

And Caesar claimed to love Brutus best of all!<\/p>\n

Well, apparently not as much as he loved taking Marc Antony\u2019s body into his pouty, lying mouth, now did he?<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t you going out to the capitol to play?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus looked up, surprised.\u00a0 Cassius.\u00a0 He\u2019d been avoiding the man\u2014after Caesar had thrown him over, Cassius had seemed to think Brutus was fair game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not gamesome,\u201d Brutus said with a quirk of the lips for his own pun.\u00a0 \u201cI do lack some of Antony\u2019s quick spirit\u2014but don\u2019t let me get in your way, Cassius\u2014go play to your heart\u2019s content.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was something lush about Cassius, something female and willing, that suggested he\u2019d enjoy those games very much.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know, Brutus\u2014I\u2019ve been watching you.\u201d\u00a0 Cassius came closer to Brutus as he sat in the council chamber\u2014his walk could only be described as a saunter.\u00a0 \u201cYou used to enjoy my company\u2014but now you look like you hate the world!\u00a0 Surely\u2026\u201d Cassius got close enough to peer down into Brutus\u2019 eyes as he sat, \u201csurely you don\u2019t hate me too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh Gods.\u00a0 Cassius was flirting with him.\u00a0 It figured\u2014Caesar had never loved Cassius, had never hit on him, had never looked on him with kind eyes.\u00a0 Brutus used to tolerate him, look at him with pity, when Caesar shared his flesh.<\/p>\n

It occurred to Brutus\u2014violently\u2014that now he and Cassius had something in common.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo worries, Cassius\u2014I\u2019ve been pretty much buried in my own head lately.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got\u2026 well, I\u2019ve got some shit in my head that I need to keep there.\u00a0 It\u2019s not you, man\u2014it\u2019s me.\u00a0 I\u2019m so caught up in my own bullshit that I\u2019m neglecting my friends, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

A naked sort of hope crossed Cassius\u2019 pretty features, and Brutus felt bad.\u00a0 God, he only wanted to be loved\u2014didn\u2019t we all?<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019m glad it\u2019s not me!\u201d Cassius said in relief.\u00a0 \u201cBut you know, you\u2019re probably not the only guy in the world with great thoughts!\u00a0 I mean, you can\u2019t see yourself, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus smiled.\u00a0 It was an old joke, an old discussion between the men of the senate:\u00a0 other people are our only mirrors\u2014but sometimes they are warped.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly if you have a mirror,\u201d he said warmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I wish you had a mirror that showed you how awesome you are. Everyone in Rome loves you\u2014all the senators are trying to suck up to you, everybody wants your respect\u2014hell, the only one not trying to kiss your feet is Caesar!\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus barely suppressed a wince.\u00a0 Of course Caesar wasn\u2019t singing his praises.\u00a0 Caesar wasn\u2019t fucking him anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat could you possibly want from me, Cassius?\u00a0 That is the biggest load of bullshit I\u2019ve heard in my life!\u201d\u00a0 He said it with a smile, but Cassius turned wide eyes to him\u2014and took his leave to sit down next to Brutus on the marble bench that was currently threatening Brutus\u2019 ass with some very uncomfortable consequences.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2014seriously\u2014here, let me tell you what I see.\u00a0 You know I\u2019m not a fuck-up, I don\u2019t say shit I don\u2019t mean\u2026\u201d The ruckus outside from where Caesar was making love to a joyous public became truly outrageous, and Cassius shot an annoyed glare over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

Brutus tried not to laugh\u2014obviously this little tet-a-tet had been well planned. Then he heard what the people were shouting and swore.<\/p>\n

\u201cChrist\u2014fucking Christ no!\u00a0 Goddammit\u2014do you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassius rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like they\u2019re making him king!\u201d\u00a0 He held his hands out and shook them in mock fanfare.\u00a0 \u201cWhoopee!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuzzah,\u201d Brutus echoed sourly, and Cassius turned a predatory eye on him.\u00a0 Oh crap\u2014Brutus didn\u2019t want to go into that\u2014not with Cassius who was doing everything but sticking his ass in the air and wiggling it like a puppy.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t sound happy about it\u2014what, aren\u2019t you looking forward to kissing his ass in public?\u00a0 I know you used to kiss it in private, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus sucked in his breath.\u00a0 Well shit\u2014apparently it was \u2018bare-faced-honesty\u2019 time, right?<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t kiss his ass anymore,\u201d Brutus said, feeling empty.\u00a0 \u201cBut that doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t love him either\u2014either politically or personally, you feel me?\u00a0 But seriously\u2014what\u2019s on your mind?\u00a0 Are you here to talk about my pathetic love life, or did you want something a little more honorable.\u00a0 My love life notwithstanding, if it\u2019s a choice between death and dishonor, I\u2019m taking death, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cassius sighed and relaxed away from Brutus.\u00a0 Brutus had a moment to notice that the guy took care of himself\u2014nice body, pretty face, his hair neatly back in a man-do.\u00a0 If you liked that sort of thing\u2014and Brutus had his moments, witness the thing with Caesar, right?\u00a0 Cassius distracted this line of thought by raising a hand up to Brutus\u2019 chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook\u2014I know you value honor more than your love life, Brutus\u2014and that\u2019s why I\u2019m here.\u00a0 Listen to them out there\u2014they\u2019re gnawing on their own limbs for a chance to touch him.\u00a0 I don\u2019t ever want to be in that sort of subservience, you know?\u00a0 You and me\u2014we\u2019re the same as he is.\u00a0 We were born free, we\u2019ve served our time in the senate.\u00a0 The guy is not a god\u2014it\u2019s starting to bother me that the general public wants to line up to let him fuck them up the ass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus fought the temptation to say, But he\u2019s damned good at it, <\/em>and listened to Cassius seriously, although Jesus <\/em>the guy could talk!<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember that time the dumbshit challenged me to a race?\u00a0 I mean damn, <\/em>Brutus\u2014the Tiber was raging and the wind could have cut you in two, and he suddenly thinks he\u2019s going to prove something to me and then <\/em>he gets sucked under the current!\u00a0 I mean, I don\u2019t want to bow to anything that\u2019s not as tough as I am, you know?\u00a0 We\u2019re supposed to equals in the senate\u2014and he\u2019s so not that big a fucking deal!\u00a0 He almost died in Spain of fever, he falls down and froths at the mouth.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to put all my faith in that weak a vessel, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus wanted to open his mouth and defend his old lover\u2014it was as simple as that.\u00a0 Sometimes greatness wasn\u2019t physical.\u00a0 Sometimes greatness was the fire that attracted brave men to councils of war and insects to their death.\u00a0 Which one are we? <\/em>Brutus wondered, and then the shouts of the crowd distracted them both again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yay\u2026\u201d Brutus said with a faint smile.\u00a0 Even the populace knew that godhood wasn\u2019t locked inside the physical body\u2026 but not Cassius.\u00a0 Cassius was still feeling up his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod\u2014he\u2019s all set like Colossus, straddling Rome.\u00a0 What\u2019s he expect us to do, teabag him while his junk\u2019s all hanging over our heads and flapping in the breeze?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus grunted.\u00a0 \u201cNice,\u201d\u00a0 he muttered\u2014and his hard-on stirred, making him a liar with the truth.\u00a0 Cassius spotted the little tent in the toga and rubbed a daring, lazy circle on Brutus\u2019 thigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not fate that puts us under him, you know that, right?\u00a0 It\u2019s us. <\/em>If someone comes up and begs for it, it\u2019s not the gods that make his ass sore, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus\u2019 cock throbbed, and Cassius flicked at it under the white cloth with a lazy smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, Brutus\u2014why should the whole world be lined up to lick Caesar\u2019s balls?\u00a0 Why shouldn\u2019t they be licking yours?\u00a0 Your name,\u201d and this coupled with a whisper-soft stroke of the thing that was not <\/em>Brutus\u2019 name, \u201cis as fair as Caesar\u2019s.\u00a0 Sound them both out\u2026B-r-u-t-u-s,\u201d <\/em>Cassius\u2019 mouth moved slowly, his lips puffy and round, as though he knew very well what Brutus would do with that mouth in private, if Cassius but lined up to lick his balls.\u00a0 \u201cSee?\u00a0 Just the same.\u00a0 Weigh those\u2026names.\u201d\u00a0 His hand, ever so sly and now very daring, snuck under Brutus\u2019 toga, and Cassius kept eye contact while he weighted Brutus\u2019 \u2018name\u2019 in his cool, stroking hand.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re just as heavy together, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus took in a deep breath and tried very hard not to think with his dick anymore.\u00a0 Carefully, so as not to offend Cassius or his rather tender feelings, he seized Cassius wrist and pulled that grasping, petting, fawning hand away from the bearers of his name.<\/p>\n

Cassius made a little moue of disappointment and went back to stroking Brutus through his toga.\u00a0 \u201cNow don\u2019t tell me your \u2018spirit\u2019 isn\u2019t as great as his, Brutus.\u00a0 You both eat the same \u2018meat\u2019, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Brutus said darkly, standing up, \u201cbut I think it\u2019s a very different meat than you feed upon.\u201d\u00a0 Crap\u2014his hard-on wasn\u2019t going down.\u00a0 It had been long\u2014so long\u2014since his \u2018name\u2019 had been stroked with quite so much determination.<\/p>\n

And Cassius seemed to know it.\u00a0 He followed Brutus, pulled up behind him.\u00a0 Cassius was as big and strong as he bragged about\u2014he was a few inches taller than Brutus, and his body, flush against Brutus\u2019 back was both seductive and overpowering.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be a sorry age,\u201d he said softly, breathing into Brutus\u2019 ear, \u201cif the only worthy man in all of Rome was Caesar.\u201d<\/p>\n

His hands traveled slowly down Brutus\u2019 chest, and Brutus shivered.\u00a0 Ah, gods\u2026it felt so good to be touched.\u00a0 Cassius would take everything he had\u2014every anger, every frustration\u2014Cassius would give in to it.\u00a0 And what did he ask?\u00a0 What was his price for giving Brutus a place to grieve the loss of Caesar?<\/p>\n

Ah gods.\u00a0 Brutus didn\u2019t want to think about it.\u00a0 Losing Caesar once was hard\u2026 losing him again, for real, to Brutus\u2019 betrayal?\u00a0 Brutus wasn\u2019t sure he could\u2026<\/p>\n

Cassius moved those hands to Brutus\u2019 thighs and stroked up, under the toga, and Brutus made a strangled noise.\u00a0 Ah, gods\u2026what would he do, what would he pay, to not have to miss Caesar in his bed again?<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, fine, you want me,\u201d\u00a0 he panted.\u00a0 \u201cI get it\u2014I don\u2019t doubt that\u2026but\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Cassius grabbed his erection then and gave a sure and gentle pull.\u00a0 \u201cI know where you\u2019re going with this, dammit!\u00a0 Look, we can talk later\u2026 Please, Cassius, if you love me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do,\u201d Cassius murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI always have\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell then,\u201d Brutus grunted, jerking away from that grasping hand with his dignity barely intact, \u201cgive me some space to think!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, my weak words seemed to have had a strong effect,\u201d Cassius smirked, and Brutus got angry.\u00a0 Dammit\u2014that wasn\u2019t fair.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook\u2014I\u2019d rather be a peasant than a senator living with the politics thing here, okay?\u00a0 If he\u2019s a king, that goes against everything we\u2019ve ever believed in!\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh thank God.\u00a0 It was <\/em>possible to think with something besides his prick\u2014wasn\u2019t that a nice change?<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear you,\u201d Cassius said mildly, that superior smirk still in place as he held out his splayed hand and licked his fingers one by one.\u00a0 \u201cBut make sure the returning throngs don\u2019t, right?\u00a0 They might be surprised to find you don\u2019t love Caesar like they think you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brutus closed his eyes, hearing the thrill of the return.\u00a0 He did love Caesar, he thought in something like despair.\u00a0 Brutus loved him enough to kill him, just to carve him out of his heart.<\/p>\n

Finis<\/em><\/p>\n

I hope you all enjoyed this bit on Marcus Brutus–if nothing else, it may make Shakespeare a little more sexy the next time you’re forced to be in company (rrroooowwwrrr!)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to inflicting Shakespeare on high school students or butchering it in my spare time, I also mother four children (ineptly), knit (obsessively) and write the occasional book. \u00a0You can find me at amazon.com, and as of this December, you can find me at Dreamspinner Press as well.<\/p>\n

Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win an e-book version of Vulnerable<\/a>, where a punk-goth gas station clerk learns her true value when she falls in love with a vampire–and his elfin lover.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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EM Lynley very kindly asked for guest bloggers, and I asked her if she liked this piece. \u00a0The story is all true–right down to the drunken colleague and the outrageous conversation. \u00a0For those of you who haven’t read (or have blocked out!) their time with Julius Caesar in high school, here’s a link to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[52],"tags":[109,103,918],"class_list":["post-684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-event","tag-amy-lane","tag-cocktoberfest","tag-guest-posting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pzLgx-b2","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.emlynley.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}