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Julius Caesar Study Questions Packet

Act I sc 1-3

1. What conflict does Shakespeare establish in the play’s opening scene?

2. What is funny about the cobbler’s response to Marullus and Flavius’s questioning? How do they respond?

3. Why do the tribunes (M and F) criticize the citizens’ celebration? Do you think it is right to criticize them?

4. What does Caesar ask Mark Antony to do during the race? Why?

5. How does Caesar respond to the soothsayer’s warning? In what ways does this make him a strong leader? In what ways does this make him a weak leader?

6. What are the different ways Cassius “butters Brutus up”? Find at least two.

a.

b.

7. What are Cassius’s arguments against Caesar? Is there any truth to his arguments? Consider time period.

8. Who says, “Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings” (I.ii.li 146-8)? What does that mean? Do you agree? (Side note, this is where the title of John Green’s novel, The Fault in Our Stars, comes from.)

9. What does Caesar say about Cassius to Mark Antony? Do you agree with what he says about “fat” men and thinkers?

10. What does Caesar’s performance with Mark Antony reveal about each character?

11. What two ailments does Caesar have? Hint: return to the soothsayer part and the refusal of the crown part.

12. Return to Cassius’s soliloquy at the end of Act I sc 2. What advantage does Brutus have that Cassius does not? What does Cassius say about people in general? Do you agree?

13. What is Cassius planning on doing to further encourage Brutus to join in bringing Caesar down?

14. What is Casca so worked up about?

15. How does Cassius play into this fear to persuade Casca to join in the plot against Caesar?

16. What does Cassius say about suicide?

17. Why do they need Brutus?

Act II sc 1-4

18. Explain Brutus’s metaphor with the snake and ladder.

19. Why doesn’t Brutus want to swear an oath?

20. Who wants to kill Mark Antony? Why?

21. Who doesn’t want to kill Mark Antony? Why not?

22. Why is Portia angry with Brutus? What does that reveal about her?

23. How does Brutus respond? Why do you think he does this?

24. What does Caesar say about death in the beginning of scene 2?

25. What does Calphurnia ask Caesar not to do? What reason can he give so he doesn’t seem cowardly?

26. Describe Calphurnia’s dream:

27. How does Decius reinterpret Calphurnia’s dream? What does he say might happen if Caesar doesn’t go (two things)?

28. What does Caesar’s decision reveal about him? What does it reveal about his relationship with Decius? How does his relationship with Calphurnia compare to Brutus’s relationship with Portia?

29. Who is Artemidorus? What does his letter to Caesar say?

30. What does the soothsayer plan on doing?

31. What does Portia ask Lucius to do? How will she know everything is ok?

32. What role does fate play? Which characters mention fate? What attitude do they have: do they accept fate or try to take matters into their own hands? Explain.

33. We know about the conspiracy, but Caesar obviously doesn’t. Given all the warnings, is Caesar being careless or confident? Does he possess qualities you would want in a leader? Explain.

Act III sc 1-3

34. Caesar disregards Artemidorus’s letter. What reason does he give for ignoring the letter? Does this seem true to Caesar’s character? Explain.

35. What is the conspirators’ cover for meeting with Caesar? How does he respond? (Remind you of anyone we know from previous works…)

36. How do we know that Popilius, a senator, is on the conspirators’ side?

37. Explain the significance of Caesar’s final line: “Et tu, Brute’? Then fall, Caesar” (III.i.li 85).

38. How do Cassius and Brutus imagine they will be remembered for their actions?

39. What similarities do you notice between Calphurnia’s dream and Caesar’s actual death?

40. What does Antony’s servant ask the conspirators?

41. What does Cassius promise Antony? Why do you think he does this if he doesn’t trust him?

42. How does Antony behave in the presence of Caesar’s corpse?

43. Before Antony’s soliloquy, Antony’s behavior should make the conspirators (and the audience) question his true intentions. Give one example of something he does and explain why it is troublesome.

44. In what order will Brutus and Antony speak? What must Antony do and not do if he wants to deliver Caesar’s funeral speech?

45. What does Antony reveal in his soliloquy? (See lines 280-301.)

46. Write your favorite line or several lines from Antony’s many speeches. Why do these lines appeal to you? J

47. How do we know that Octavius Caesar is on Mark Antony’s side?

48. On what day does Caesar’s assassination occur?

49. According to Brutus, why should the citizens listen to him?

50. What does Brutus offer up at the close of his speech? Under what circumstances would this be necessary? Was this a dangerous offer? Explain.

51. Why does Brutus leave without hearing Antony’s speech? Do you think things might have gone differently if he stayed?

52. Are the plebeians convinced after Brutus’s speech? How do you know?

53. What statement does Mark Antony repeat throughout his speech? How does the repetition change the meaning of the statement?

54. How does Antony use Caesar’s will to manipulate the citizens? Do you believe the document is really Caesar’s will?

55. What happens to Brutus and Cassius?

56. Antony gets word that Octavius has arrived and is with a man named Lepidus. What do you suppose his next move will be?

57. In the past, students have observed that the plebeians are fickle. What greater purpose might Shakespeare have had here? Why portray the plebeians as weak and fickle?

58. Why do you think Shakespeare included the short scene where Cinna the poet is mistaken for Cinna the conspirator?

Act IV

59. Why is Lepidus sent to retrieve Caesar’s will?

60. What does Mark Antony think of Lepidus? What purpose will he serve? How does this scene help to further develop Antony’s character?

61. Based on the discussion between Antony and Octavius, do Brutus and Cassius have supporters? How do you know?

62. Where do you see examples of Brutus having doubts?

63. When Cassius accuses Brutus of wronging him, how does Brutus respond? Do you agree? Has Brutus proven himself to be loyal?

64. What is the argument between Cassius and Brutus about? Why do they go to the tent to have their discussion?

65. Why does Cassius feel he has made the right choice? Why does Brutus feel that Cassius has not?

66. What’s different about Brutus in this scene? What explanations can you come up with?

67. How is the fight resolved?

68. Brutus and Cassius do not agree about how to begin the battle. What does Cassius think they should do, and for what reasons? Answer the same question for Brutus. What do they end up doing?

69. Who pays Brutus a visit? Do you think we’re supposed to believe the ghost is real or believe it is a figment of Brutus’s imagination? Use evidence from the play to support your answer.

Act V

70. As Antony and Octavius discuss battle plans, which one appears to be the stronger leader? Why?

71. Why do the opposing generals meet in a pre-battle parley? What happens during the parley?

72. During the parley, what does Cassius blame Brutus for? Do you agree with Cassius?

73. What omen makes Cassius fearful of the upcoming battle?

74. What would cause Brutus to take his own life? Why? How does this compare to Cassius’s and Brutus’s previous statements about death and suicide?

75. How would you describe the farewell between Brutus and Cassius? Does the farewell make it seem like they feel confident about the upcoming battle? Explain.

76. What mistake of Brutus’s does Titinius point out?

77. What report does Pindarus give Cassius? What does Cassius ask Pindarus to do, and why?

78. What are Cassius’s last words? What do they reveal about his final thoughts concerning the conspiracy?

79. Explain what Pindarus really sees and how he misinterprets what he sees.

80. Both Brutus and Cassius believe Caesar is getting his revenge on the battlefield. Do you think this means they regret their decision to kill him? Explain.

81. What happens to Brutus’s army?

83. Why do you think Shakespeare had three men decline to assist Brutus in his suicide before Strato agrees?

84. Why does Brutus commit suicide? What are his final words, and what’s significant about them?

85. What are the funeral arrangements made by Antony and Octavius?

86. According to Antony, how does Brutus compare to the other conspirators? What is it important that Antony acknowledge this at the end of the play?

87. This play deals with corruption, honor, and power. What message(s) do you think Shakespeare wanted us to take away from this play?