Both women, Portia and Calpurnia, both are wives of key statesmen. Both women try to persuade their husbands and succeed, as Portia persuades Brutus to tell her the details of the conspiracy, and Calpurnia persuades Julius Caesar to not go to the capitol because she has had bad dreams for the last few nights. Calpurnia and Portia are obviously not fully fleshed out characters, but we meet each of them in various states of pleading with their husbands. They both definitely know their place in the roman society, presumably as women, but also as the lesser in the power pair. The result of this is that both only really plead with their husbands when they’re truly worried for their well-being. Portia begs and pleads for her husband to share his
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Portia is also a very humble and obedient wife. One of her most notable moments in the play is when she reveals to her husband, Brutus, that she has wounded herself in order to demonstrate her strength and courage. Her act proves to Brutus that she is and ready and worthy to hear his troubles and plans, and he is about to tell her his plan when they are interrupted by Ligarius. Since Brutus is also a conspirator he is under a lot mental stress because of his plans to assassinate Caesar, his relationship with his wife is strained and tense throughout the play. The obvious reason being that he cannot reveal or discuss any of the finer details of the conspiracy with his innocent wife Portia. This tension is palpable in Act II when Portia on her knees begs from her husband to know the reason why he has not been sleeping that night. Brutus offers evasive replies, and as he is able to explain everything, fortunately for him, Ligarius, whom he had sent for, is heard at his door, knocking. Brutus asks Portia to leave at once and says to her that he will reveal everything to her later, "and by and by thy bosom shall partake/The secrets of my heart...Leave me with haste." She being the obedient wife does so, so she doesn’t upset Brutus. Although, Portia meets a sticky end. We find out in the quarrel scene between Brutus and Cassius that she has committed suicide by swallowing hot coals. Brutus describes her strange death to Cassius, telling him she "swallow’d fire". This is the last we hear about Portia in the
Portia is also a very humble and obedient wife. One of her most notable moments in the play is when she reveals to her husband, Brutus, that she has wounded herself in order to demonstrate her strength and courage. Her act proves to Brutus that she is and ready and worthy to hear his troubles and plans, and he is about to tell her his plan when they are interrupted by Ligarius. Since Brutus is also a conspirator he is under a lot mental stress because of his plans to assassinate Caesar, his relationship with his wife is strained and tense throughout the play. The obvious reason being that he cannot reveal or discuss any of the finer details of the conspiracy with his innocent wife Portia. This tension is palpable in Act II when Portia on her knees begs from her husband to know the reason why he has not been sleeping that night. Brutus offers evasive replies, and as he is able to explain everything, fortunately for him, Ligarius, whom he had sent for, is heard at his door, knocking. Brutus asks Portia to leave at once and says to her that he will reveal everything to her later, "and by and by thy bosom shall partake/The secrets of my heart...Leave me with haste." She being the obedient wife does so, so she doesn’t upset Brutus. Although, Portia meets a sticky end. We find out in the quarrel scene between Brutus and Cassius that she has committed suicide by swallowing hot coals. Brutus describes her strange death to Cassius, telling him she "swallow’d fire". This is the last we hear about Portia in the