I listened to this and the murder of Julius Caesar took place as the last act of CD1. So he spends half the play missing in action, but casts a mighty long shadow. Like most people, I knew the outline of the story, this puts some personalities into the picture. The conspirators get involved for a number of reasons. You see them gathering and the sounding out that happens. Then comes the crisis point and the play turns. The second half sees the conspirators fall out amongst themselves and make some odd decisions that turn out for the worse. Mark Antony doesn't come across as an honest upright man, he put me in mind of a modern spin doctor, stirring up the crowd to his point of view. And it ends badly for most of the cast that we've followed thus far. I did wince a couple of times, and that was listening to it. Not sure I'd want to see parts of this - I'd be watching through my fingers.
Having said that, it is quite enthralling, the interplay of morals and ambition. It is interesting that no-one really comes out of it all sparkling, they all stand in shades of grey. There are no heroes and villains, they all seem to be people making flawed decisions. ( )