In Act 5, scene 1, of Julius Caesar, what effect does Shakespeare achieve (& how) in the debate the warring parties have prior to battle?

In the debate between leaders of the opposing armies in
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act Five, scene one, this segment
allows the new leaders of Rome to address their anger at the slaughter of Caesar. The
debate heightens the tension prior to battle. This is achieved by
the insults that are hurled back and forth between the members of both sides in the
battle that is about to commence. (We also note difficulties foreshadowed between Antony
and Octavius as Antony asks him to fight on one side of the battle field, and Octavius
insists on fighting on the other.) This squabbling increases tension, but also gives us
some insight into our characters, specifically Cassius and Brutus, who were at the
bottom of Caesar's murder, which divided the empire and caused civil
war.

Cassius shows that his part in
Caesar's assassination was selfish. In the following lines, he tells Brutus how
different things would be right now if Cassius was Caesar (if
Cassius could have killed Antony when Caesar was
murdered):

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Flatterers? Now, Brutus, thank
yourself.

This tongue had not offended so
today,

If Cassius might have
ruled.

Cassius starts name
calling again, with his comments directed at Octavius and Antony. Antony chides Cassius
as if he were a child.

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CASSIUS:

A
peevish school boy, worthless of such honor,

Join'd with a
masker and a reveller!
 (65)

ANTONY:

Old
Cassius still!

When Octavius
and Brutus go at each other, Octavius claims that he is not destined to die at Brutus'
hand, but Brutus explains that Octavius could not hope to die in a
more noble manner because those Octavius fights with are not noble at
all.

Brutus had to be manipulated by Cassius to be a
participant in Caesar's murder, and he did it only because he was convinced that Caesar
did not have the well-being of Rome in his heart (Cassius lied to Brutus): Brutus, all
along has cared for nothing but the safety of Rome. He is willing
to sacrifice himself for the good of Rome.

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OCTAVIUS:

So
I hope, (60)

I was not born to die on Brutus'
sword.

BRUTUS:

O,
if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,

Young man, thou
couldst not die more
honorable.

While the arguing
creates tension as Shakespeare has representatives of the two warring sides hurling
insults at each other, we also can take a more personal interest in these men by knowing
what has motivated them.

In Cassius's case, he is a child
who begrudged all that Caesar had. However, Brutus cares nothing for himself, only for
Rome. All of this information intensifies the mood as the battle looms ahead for the
characters of Julius Caesar.