# Et Tu Brute? "Et Tu Brute?" is a Latin catchphrase from Shakespeare's 1599 play "Julius Caesar" that English speakers deploy whenever a friend betrays them. In 2013, the line jumped onto image macro sites, where users slapped it over photos of cats, dudes, and Pepe the Frog getting metaphorically stabbed in the back. ## Origin The phrase itself dates to 1599, when Shakespeare put it in Caesar's mouth in the assassination scene of "Julius Caesar"[4]. The quote stayed in rotation through centuries of European literature and classroom readings before anyone thought to meme it[2]. The earliest documented meme use came on July 20th, 2013, when deviantArt user ishthuyokkay uploaded a photograph of two men captioned "Et Tu Brute"[5]. The post pulled around 1,000 favorites over the next two weeks[2]. - **Platform:** Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (source) / deviantArt and ICanHazCheezburger (viral spread) - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2013 ## Overview "Et Tu Brute?" translates from Latin as "You too, Brutus?" and gets quoted whenever someone wants to dramatize a stab in the back from a friend[1]. The line was invented by William Shakespeare for Act III of "Julius Caesar," and no Roman historian actually recorded Caesar saying it before dying[1]. The joke in meme form leans entirely on that dramatic register, pairing a theatrical death cry with a petty or trivial grievance. The image macro format is simple. A photo shows two figures (friends, cats, cartoon frogs, politicians) at the exact moment one appears to turn on the other, with the Latin phrase laid across the picture[2]. Users also swap "Brute" for the name of whoever did the betraying, as in the "Et Tu Pepe?" variant that ran on Imgur[2]. Urban Dictionary entries from users describe modern usage as a stock reaction when a best friend rats you out or a fandom gets burned by a disappointing sequel[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Et Tu Brute?? It's a Latin catchphrase meaning "You too, Brutus?" that English speakers use to flag an unexpected betrayal, and in 2013 it ran briefly as an image macro format[1][2]. ### Where did Et Tu Brute? come from? Shakespeare wrote the line in 1599 for Caesar's death scene in "Julius Caesar," and the first known image macro use was a deviantArt post by ishthuyokkay on July 20th, 2013[4][5]. ### What does Et Tu Brute? mean? It literally translates to "And you, Brutus?" and is used to express shock at being betrayed by a close friend or ally[1][3]. ### How do you use Et Tu Brute?? Common usage pairs the phrase with a photo of two figures at the moment one betrays the other, or swaps "Brute" for the betrayer's name, as in "Et Tu Pepe?"[2]. ### Is Et Tu Brute? still popular? The 2013 image macro wave on deviantArt, ICanHazCheezburger, and Imgur was its main run, and the phrase is a classic cultural quote still dropped casually in betrayal scenarios[2][3]. ## References 1. [https://www.bartleby.com/70/4031.html]() 2. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/et-tu-brute]() 3. [https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Et%20Tu%20Brute]() 4. [https://www.bartleby.com/70/4031.html]() 5. [http://orig11.deviantart.net/273e/f/2008/080/e/0/e00cf4d96a99d9e4.jpg]() 6. [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/956/174/5f0.jpg]() 7. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOfOc1OYfk4]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/et-tu-brute Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library