In the 2018 NT production, Nicholas Hytner has chosen to move the stage direction [Enter Portia] before [Exeunt all but Brutus]. In the production, Whishaw decides to ignore Portia's call and dismiss the conspirators first. This change, along with his stern facial expressions and lack of eye contact, reflects Brutus' deep concerns over Rome's politics, thus suggesting at a strained relationship between the couple.

In Hytner’s 2018 production, Mark Penfold, portraying an elderly Ligarius, brings a performance that enhances the audiences’ perception of Brutus being an honorable gentleman. At the start, the use of dark lighting, along with Penfold’s closed posture, reflects his feeble physical state and his uncertainty about joining the conspirators. As Brutus reveals he bears ‘exploits worthy the name of honour’, i.e, killing Caesar ( 'a business that makes sick men whole' ), Ligarius then discards his handkerchief, a symbol of sickness, exclaiming that Brutus has ‘conjured up his mortified spirits’. Informed of the exploit, Ligarius then shows his resoluteness ‘with a heart new fired’, although unaware of the ‘exploit’, he feels reassured: ‘it sufficeth That Brutus leads me on’. Nicholas Hytner’s choice of Penfold portraying an elderly Ligarius is very effective, as it not only shows the illnesses associated with old age but also demonstrates the support and respect that honourable Brutus receives from people of different levels of the social hierarchy and different age groups, i.e, from the commoners to the senators to the patricians, all through Penfold's change in body language, shifts in facial expressions, and the clever uses of lighting.

In the 2018 NT production, Nicholas Hytner has chosen to replace the original stage direction of [Exit Portia.] with Lucius holding and leading Portia towards the exit and Portia crying ‘Brutus, Brutus…’ . This implies a sense of reluctance that is not present in the play and further highlights Portia’s attempt to involve herself in politics and her struggle against stereotypes of women in Elizabethan era . The idea of Lucius framing Portia from going to Brutus could be hinting at the futility of her struggle due to the dominance of men in the time period.

Introducing Portia in a domestic context, the scene gives the readers a deeper insight into Portia’s remarkable struggle in the depicted, male-dominated society. At Portia’s entrance, Brutus’ remark ‘ It is not for your health/ to commit/ to the raw cold morning” immediately alludes to a perception of women being fragile, which associates their incapability of participating in the political sphere - a stereotype of women in the Elizabethan era. Portia, in retaliation, replies ‘Nor for yours neither’ and goes on to complain about Brutus’ reluctance to reveal about his unusual actions “I urged you further / And you too impatiently stamped with your foot / Yet I insisted, yet you answered not” Note that Portia confronts Brutus in an assertive manner and she is determined to insist on asking until Brutus reveals the secrets. Situational irony is employed here: Portia’s behaviours do not conform with Elizabethan ideals of a wife, since elizabethan women were expected to obey the orders of male members of the family without questioning. Portia’s repetitive questioning ‘Is Brutus sick? And is it physicalTo walk unbracèd/ To add unto his sickness?’ and her condemnation of Brutus having ‘sick offense within (his) mind’ create a sharp contrast against the ideals, along with Brutus’ minimal lines in the scene establish Portia as the dominant figure, thus breaking the stereotype of women being submissive and inferior by highlighting Portia’s strong masculine qualities. In addition, she further demonstrates her ‘constancy’ by stating she is a ‘well-reputed woman’, a woman that is ’fathered and so husbanded’ and by showing a wound she inflicts on her thigh, these actions place emphasis on her ability of enduring male dominance despite two male members in her family being great leaders. Overall, this scene highlights Portia’s grit and bravery, character traits that were usually associated with men, in a time where there are wide-held beliefs of women being inferior.

Lucius, despite being a minor character, acts as an important foil, i.e, he highlights Brutus’ qualities. Throughout the play, Lucius is characterised by his sleepiness; he is always the one ‘enjoying the honey-heavy dew of slumber.’ The motif of Lucius’ sleep effectively highlights the hardships that Brutus goes through when embroiling himself in the political sphere. This contrasts against the carefreeness of Lucius; Lucius ‘hast sleep’st so sound’ while Brutus struggles with ‘figures and fantasies.’

In the 2018 NT production, Nicholas Hytner has chosen to start the scene with Cassius shouting at Brutus ' Most noble brother, you have done me wrong'. This is a reasonable decision as it builds on the tension that is created by the preceding gunfires. This change, however, does overlook the importance of Brutus' quote 'Thou hast described a hot friend cooling', which highlights the ideological divide between the two characters due to the political strife.

In this scene, Lucilius tells Brutus that he has not been well received by Cassius - ‘not with such familiar instances’. Brutus then compares Cassius to a horse that is ‘hot at hand’, which makes ‘gallant show and promise of (its) mettle’. When fighting in Ancient Rome, the generals often had to bring ‘horse(s) of good mettle’ - horses that were physcially strong and courageous. In the battle, as a courageous horse charges forward, its head and neck arch down. But when it can not stand the test of tough battles, it shows fear by sagging its neck and moving its head back and up, which reveals its poor nature. Through the comparison, Brutus implies that Cassius hides his insincerity by straining himself to act nicely, but it is obvious that he is ‘making a gallant show’. Thus, the strong imagery used in Brutus’ quote adds tension to the scene by revealing Brutus’ discontent at Cassius’ actions and paves the way for their disagreement when Cassius arrives.

Believing that Brutus will increase the momentum of the plot against Caesar, Cassius tries to recruit him. However, Brutus quickly realises Cassius is planning something that might go against his principles.

In the philosophy of Epicureanism, the god does not interfere in people’s lives, so it was not necessay to look for omens. This scene explores Cassius’ belief in Epicureanism and his attitude towards life. While speaking to Messala about his birthday, Cassius’ mentions his worries of external forces- omens- ‘ravens, crows, and kites’, which are associated with death. This reveals his fragile state of mind that results from signs from the god, which contrasts his former self in an earlier scene, where Cassius asserts to Brutus that fate is not what drives men to their decisions, but rather their free will. ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings’. Shakespeare uses Cassius’ change in attiude towards death and fate to foreshadow his demise.

According to Plutarch, the superior general always fought on the right hand side of the battlefield. Therefore, Hytner’s production’s decision of starting the play with Octavius’ line ‘ Upon the right hand I, keep thou the left.’ is really effective in creating tension between the two leaders who are fighting for supremacy; The change not only carves a vivid impression of young Octavius’ ambition, but also illuminates Anthony’s belligerence through his reply ‘Why do you cross me in this exigent?. This is significant; Up until this scene, Anthony always appears in a suit and shows loyalty to Caesar by following his instructions and never arguing ‘When Caesar says “do this,” it is done.’ The idea of him appearing in military uniform and competing with another general for dominance, therefore, gives readers a deeper insight into his traits that are not perceived before, which also makes readers question Anthony’s actions in Caesar’s funeral and his sincerity in his eulogy to Brutus, due to the inconsistency in his character.

In addition to giving insight into the challenges that Portia faces in a society that prejudices against women, the scene also further highlights the complexity of Brutus’ life through Lucius. Portia’s aside ‘O constancy, be strong upon my side’ hints she is aware of the impending murder; not wanting to reveal her thoughts to Lucius, Portia urges him to bring her word of Brutus’ health, but also ‘take good note, What Caesar doth, what suitors press to him.’ Dramatic irony is employed in the repetitive questioning from Lucius ‘ Madam, what should I do? Run to the Capitol, and nothing else? And so return to you, and nothing else?’ to highlight the naivety of Lucius and the simplicity of his life, thus further contrasting this against Brutus’ life that is full of complications.

In Act 2 Scene 2, Nicholas Hytner’s production enhances the exploration of the lives of women in Ancient Rome by the use of costumes, changes, and body language. Although the scene in set in Caesar’s house, the contrast between Caesar’s military coat and Calpurnia’s pyjamas immediately establishes a difference in social status. Despite Calpurnia’s initial success in preventing Caesar from going to the Senate house by recounting the ‘horrid sights’ of Caesar’s murder, Caesar changes his mind when Decius enters. The sexual tension that is intended through portraying Decius as a woman in the production further highlights how easily Calpurnia is disregarded due to the presence of a Senator, someone who is ‘capable’ of participating in politics. Calpurnia, who does not speak afterwards, wraps herself in a body scarf and cries in the corner, under dark lighting, which signifies submissiveness, fragility, and her failure in enduring the challenges that come with her husband’s position. Thus, it effectively reflects misogyny in Ancient Rome through highlighting the inevitable failure women face when trying to involve themselves in the political sphere in Ancient Rome.