What Does 'E Tu Brute' Really Mean in Shakespeare's Works We weren’t able to create a summary for you. Refresh your page to try again. Caesar saying "Et tu, Brute?" inShakespeare's play Julius Caesar (1599)[11] was not the first time the phrase was used in a dramatic play. Edmond Malone claimed that it appeared in a work that has since been lost—Richard Edes's Latin play Caesar Interfectus of 1582. And so, Shakespeare uses these three words – et tubrute – for maximum theatrical effect. To ask that question of your best friend, who is in the process of murdering you, has to be one of the most moving utterances ever made. For context, William Shakespeare would have us believe, Julius Caesar, in his final moments called out: “Et tu, Brute? Then fall Caesar!” to his longtime friend Marcus Junius Brutus, prior to succumbing to stab wounds inflicted by Brutus and co-conspirators in the Senate house. The real Et TuBrute moment is when Cale learns that Pella killed their own soldiers to force Cale to retreat and therefore survive. He knows that his allies aren't the most moral of people, but he thought that she was more idealistic like him. But Shakespeareworked later, and his inclusion of a Latin hemistich was probably motivated by style consideration, mimicking a practice that came to life in 15th century Italy where poets would alternate verses in Italian and Latin. So why didShakespeare choose “Et tu, Brute?” It’s simple: it’s better drama. For his English-speaking audience, Latin was the language of authority and classicism. The line is punchy, easy to understand, and the alliteration makes it memorable. Unlike in the Shakespeare play, Caesar's last words were not "Et tu, Brute?" ("And you, Brutus?").