What if ... In drama, as in other written works, events are caused by certain actions or other events. The cause leads to an effect, which then becomes a cause of another effect, and so on. Since "Julius Caesar" is based on historical fact, Shakespeare had most of his plot when he began writing. If the play had been entirely made up of fictitious events, however, the outcome could have changed at many points. Consider each of the following changes in plot, and briefly describe how each might affect the other events and outcome of the play.

1. Instead of ignoring the soothsayer, Caesar has a long talk with him about why he should beware the ides of March.