In “Julius Caesar,” Caesar’s wife who dreams of his murder is Calpurnia.
Calpurnia is Caesar’s final wife, whom he married in 59 BC while serving as consul. She was the daughter of the Roman politician Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus. Unlike Caesar’s earlier marriage to Cornelia, Calpurnia’s marriage produced no children, though she remained connected to Caesar during the turbulent final years of his life.
In Shakespeare’s play, Calpurnia’s dream occurs on the night before the Ides of March. She sees frightening signs, including Caesar’s statue running with blood while Romans wash their hands in it. Terrified, she begs Caesar not to attend the Senate meeting. Her warning briefly persuades him, but Decimus Brutus convinces Caesar that staying home would make him appear fearful.
Calpurnia is sometimes confused with Portia, Brutus’s wife, who also appears in the play. Portia is distressed by Brutus’s secrecy, but she is not Caesar’s wife and does not dream of his murder. Historical accounts by Plutarch and Suetonius also describe Calpurnia warning Caesar after a disturbing dream, although details vary between sources.