On the original sketches for the Overture, underneath the staves of the first page Robert Schumann noted what he had thought of as the central elements of the play:
These were "Caesar : Life in Rome. Brutus : Conspiracy, Calpurnia, The Ides, Death, Philippi : Octavian's revenge, Victory over Brutus". Originally written “Cäsar. : Römisches Leben, Brutus, : Verschwörung. Calpurnia, Die Idus, Tod, Philippi : Octavinius Rache, Sieg über Brutus."