Calpurnia dreams of Caesar's death and asks Caesar to stay home from the Senate today. Caesar is not a coward so he says he will go anyway. Yet he asks the priests to sacrifice, so he is not sure he should go either. When the priests send word that the sacrifice 'had no heart'; it was a bad omen. Caesar still says he is going. When Calpurnia says to him he should stay home because of her fear and lie about being sick, Caesar agrees to have Decius tell them he isn't coming but not to lie. He saves face by saying it is her whim he is giving in to. Decius asks for a reason so he won't be laughed at. Caesar says he 'chooses not to' as his only reason. He tells Decius about Calpurnia's dream and Decius gives a totally opposite inter- pretation of it. Then Decius appeals to Caesar's vanity and mentions that the people will think of this 'cowardly' act. Caesar changes his mind about going at the mention of this. Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus Cimber, Casco, Trebonius, Cinna and Publius then Antony come to go with Caesar to the meeting. When Caesar asks them to stay close to him that day, Trebonius agrees and, in an aside, reveals his true intentions (your friends will wish I were not so close). Caesar offers them wine and says they will leave as friends. Brutus (aside) says everyone who seems a friend may really be an enemy and Brutus' heart is sorry as he thinks of this.