The Colossus
In Act One, Cassius uses a simile to compare Caesar to the Colossus of Rhodes, an ancient statue of the sun god that straddled a port and allowed ships to pass through its legs. He says, "Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world / Like a Colossus, and we petty men / Walk under his huge legs and peep about / To find ourselves dishonorable graves" (1.2). In comparing Caesar to the statue, Cassius also equates himself and Brutus to the small ships that pass beneath him, emphasizing his jealousy over Caesar's rise to power.
Predator and Prey
Cassius uses a string of metaphors to compare the relationship between Caesar and the Romans, saying, "I know he would not be a wolf / But that he sees the Romans are but sheep. / He were no lion were not Romans hinds" (1.3). Again, the jealous Cassius criticizes Caesar rather than praises him for his ascension, at the same time insulting the Roman people for being easy prey like hinds, or deer.
The Ladder
In Act Two, Brutus attempts to convince himself that the decision to betray and assassinate Caesar is the correct one. Thinking about Caesar's ascension, he says, "But ’tis a common proof / That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder, / Whereto the climber upward turns his face. / But when he once attains the upmost round, / He then unto the ladder turns his back, / Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees / By which he did ascend" (2.1). Here, Brutus uses a metaphor comparing ambition to a ladder and suggests that once one reaches their goals, they will turn on the people that helped them get there. Brutus imagines that this very thing might happen to Caesar, so he convinces himself to join the conspirators in order to protect Rome.
The North Star
Just before he is assassinated, Caesar boasts that he is "constant as the northern star, / Of whose true-fixed and resting quality/ There is no fellow in the firmament" (3.1). In this simile, Caesar emphasizes his self-assurance and constancy by comparing himself to the only star that remains fixed in its position in the sky. He goes on to compare other men to weaker, movable stars whose positions are constantly changing. Ironically, Caesar is not entirely incorrect in his assessment, as the other characters (Brutus in particular) are shown to switch political positions quickly and frequently.
Caesar's Death
When Antony discovers what the conspirators have done, he laments Caesar's death with a metaphor, saying, "Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bayed, brave hart; / Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand, / Signed in thy spoil, and crimsoned in thy lethe" (3.1). Antony compares Caesar to a deer who was slain by princes, which both flatters the conspirators and portrays Caesar as a victim. This speech is one example of Antony's skill in rhetoric, as he is able to balance his tone and avoid angering the remaining senators. Furthermore, this speech ironically recalls an earlier remark made by Cassius in which he compared Romans to deer who would be eaten by Caesar, the lion.
