How does the allusion in this excerpt from Julius Caesar affect the reader’s understanding of the plot? It implies that the war between Brutus and Antony is a religious conflict. It makes clear that Strato is disloyal to Brutus, since he is willing to kill him. It reinforces the notion that Brutus’s enemies would prevent him from dying honorably. It shows that Brutus is afraid he will be tortured if he is still alive when his enemies arrive.