Final answer:
Cassius uses the story of Caesar in the Tiber River to illustrate Caesar's vulnerability and his own superiority. His contempt for Caesar's power and reverence is apparent as he seeks to dismantle Caesar's god-like image and promote his own status.
Step-by-step explanation:
The story about Cassius and Caesar in the Tiber River serves as a metaphorical narrative that reveals Cassius' feelings toward Caesar.
In the story, Cassius recounts an incident where he and Caesar were crossing the Tiber River, and Caesar, struggling, asked for Cassius' help.
This tale is used by Cassius to suggest that Caesar is not the god-like figure that he is often portrayed to be, highlighting Caesar's human vulnerability and Cassius' own superiority at that moment.
The underlying purpose is to depict Caesar as someone who once depended on others and to question why someone like that should now be so revered or wield such power.
Additionally, Cassius' contempt for Caesar is evident, as he seeks to undermine Caesar's reputation and promote the idea that he, Cassius, is at least Caesar's equal, if not superior.