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submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Grumpus_Maximus@thelemmy.club to c/historymemes@piefed.social
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[-] BillyClark@piefed.social 6 points 2 weeks ago

The historical Julius Caesar never said "Et tu, Brute?" Those words are famous from Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. (Although Shakespeare didn't invent this phrase. He likely did think they were Caesar's actual last words.)

Although there were conflicting reports that Caesar did say something similar, but he said "young man" instead of "Brutus" and he said it in Greek, not Latin.

I think part of the reason everyone today thinks it's a real quote is that Shakespeare added this Latin phrase to a play that is written in English.

Meanwhile, the actual Julius Caesar, who we expect to speak Latin, is reported to have said his dying words in Greek.

[-] wjrii@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

The historical Julius Caesar never said “Et tu, Brute?” Those words are famous from Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. (Although Shakespeare didn’t invent this phrase. He likely did think they were Caesar’s actual last words.)

Thus inspiring today's largely unneeded reminder that William Shakespeare shows all the signs of being who he was, a half-educated provincial who researched his plays with the middle-brow English translations floating around local print houses, and who was free to follow his (brilliant) instincts in part because he often didn't know what he didn't know. Anti-Strafordians are classist kooks.

this post was submitted on 07 May 2026
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