Winston Churchill once said: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Throughout William Shakespeare's tragedy of Julius Caesar, Portia Catonis, Brutus' wife, acts as a secondary character who also brings conflict into the subplot of their marriage. Not only does he resist Brutus, but he also inflicts self-harm and commits suicide, both of which mark his life. William Shakespeare pays much attention to the historical figure of Portia in the Tragedy of Julius Caesar, including her marriage to Brutus, her exceptional courage, and her other characteristics. Shakespeare portrays Portia as courageous and understanding in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Historically Portia was known to love philosophy and also gain courage just like Shakespeare's portrayal of Portia does. In Roman Life in the Days of Cicero, Alfred John Church includes Plutarch's The Lives of Julius Caesar describing Portia as having "understanding of courage". This shows how Shakespeare includes similar characteristics to the historical Portia in his literature. He constantly shows his affection towards Brutus, an affection that he is unable to reciprocate, due to his guilty and questionable conscience. She approaches him and says: «I, Brutus, who am the daughter of Cato, have been given to you in marriage, not as a concubine, to participate only in the common relationships of food and lodging, but to have a part in all your affairs. activity. good and all your bad fortunes; and on your part, so far as your care for me is concerned, I find no reason to complain; but for my part, what proof of my love, what satisfaction can you receive, if I cannot participate with you in bearing your hidden pains, nor be admitted to any of your councils which require secrecy and paper... to get to Brutus. She courageously demonstrates her undying love by ending her life to start over with her dead lover. Works CitedChurch, Alfred John. "CATO, BRUTUS AND PIGGY." Roman life in the time of Cicero. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1883. Page no. Print.Plutarch, Thomas North and TJB Spencer. Shakespeare's Plutarch; the lives of Julius Caesar, Brutus, Mark Antony, and Coriolanus in Sir Thomas North's translation. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1964. Print. River, Charles, ed. Famous Assassins: The Life and Legacy of Marcus Brutus. Np: CreateSpace independent platform, 2013. Kindle.Robertson, Donald. "Lady Stoics #1: Porcia Catonis." Stoicism and the art of happiness. Wordpress.com, December 11, 2013. Web. March 3, 2014. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (1599). Np: np, nd George Mason University. Network. March 3. 2014.