[act I scene I]
at the very start of the scene, flavius is yelling to the commoners. put flavius' first five lines into modern speech.
why are you being lazy? its not a holiday!
[act I scene I]
puns and word play are a popular part of shakespeare's plays. identify and explain the puns the cobbler uses.
he calls himself a mender of bad soles (souls)
[act I scene I]
flavius asks why the cobbler is out of his shop. what is the cobbler's response?
he is celebrating julius caesar's return
[act I scene I]
how do the tribunes, marullus, and flavius react to the cobbler's word play?
they don't like the joking around
[act I scene I]
why do the tribunes chase the commoners away, and for what does marullus reprimand them?
they were being lazy; they were unfaithful to pompey (traders)
what is an anaphora?
a repetition of a word or group of words
[act I scene I]
what does flavius suggest to the commoners?
go weep in the tiber river until it overflows and pray that the gods don't strike you dead
[act I scene I]
what are flavius and marullus planning to do?
undecorated caesar's statues and ruin the celebration
what is a lupercal?
a festival honoring the god of fertility
[act I scene I]
why do marullus and flavius seem to fear caesar?
they feared they would lose their freedom
[act I scene II]
what does caesar say to antony in front of everyone? what does this say about caesar's character? what does antony's response reveal?
he tells him to touch calpurnia because she was barren; he is insincere; he is loyal
[act I scene II]
what is the soothsayer's warning to caesar? what does it mean?
beware the ideas of march; something bad is going to happen
[act I scene II]
when they are alone, of what does cassius accuse brutus? what is brutus' response?
he accuses him of being unfriendly and pushing him away; he says he has a lot on his plate
[act I scene II]
what point is cassius making when he asks brutus: "...can you see your face?" what does cassius propose to do?
he wants to help him get back to normal
[act I scene II]
what fear does brutus note?
the people have chosen caesar as their king
[act I scene II]
how does brutus explain this fear? what literary term can be used to describe brutus' way of thinking?
he wants what is best for rome (liberty); idealism
what is idealism?
acting on what things should be rather than what they are
[act I scene II]
according to cassius, what happened when caesar and cassius went swimming in the tiber? what is the point of this caesar?
caesar almost drowned; caesar is just as weak as everyone else
[act I scene II]
why does cassius refer to caesar as "a sick girl"? how would you describe cassius at this point?
caesar is weak; he is a manipulator
[act I scene II]
what does cassius say about fate, free will, and being "underlings"?
it is their own fault (no fate)
[act I scene II]
after delaying an answer, what is brutus' conclusion about his own feelings on freedom?
he would rather be a commoner than be under caesar's rule
[act I scene II]
what does caesar say to antony about cassius?
fear not, he is a noble roman
[act I scene II]
what does caesar's response about fear show about him?
he doesn't want to admit his fears
[act I scene II]
according to casca, what does antony offer caesar three times? what is caesar's response?
the crown; he refuses it in order to put on a show
[act I scene II]
casca describes the scene in which caesar refuses the crown. how does the crowd respond after caesar's third refusal? what happens to caesar?
they throw up their caps and mutter many words; he passes out
[act I scene II]
what two physical ailments of caesar's are mentioned in this scene?
epilepsy and deaf in one ear
[act I scene II]
what does caesar say when he comes to?
he blames it on his epilepsy
[act I scene II]
in response to the "falling sickness," what is the meaning of cassius' sarcasm?
we need to man up and take charge
[act I scene II]
what happens to marullus and flavius? why?
they are killed; they pulled the scarves off of caesar's statues
[act I scene II]
what action will cassius take to get brutus to join the conspirators against caesar?
he will throw fake notes that referred to brutus' high reputation out of his window
[act I scene III]
as cicero and casca meet, casca explains why he travels in fear with his sword drawn. what does casca say he has seen before and what has he seen that night? why do the sights he has seen frighten him so much?
there is a storm going on but it is raining fire; the gods must be mad at him
[act I scene III]
list the four specific things casca has seen
a man's hand was on fire yet remained untorched; a lion saw him yet didn't attack him; men walked in fire; the bird of night was in the marketplace at noonday
[act I scene III]
how does casca interpret the four strange happenings he had seen?
they are signs of warning
[act I scene III]
what is cassius' interpretation of the night's strange events that he reveals to casca?
they are warnings for caesar
[act I scene III]
on whom does cassius blame caesar's power?
the roman people
[act I scene III]
what theme does the following quote support?
"...so every bondman in his own hand bears the power to cancel his captivity.
fate vs. free will
[act I scene III]
what does cassius think of rome if caesar is to become ruler?
it will become a dump
[act I scene III]
why does casca say he is no "fleering tell-tale"?
he won't rat him out
[act I scene III]
why is it important to the conspirators to have brutus come in with him?
he is held in high esteem by the people
[act II scene I]
why does brutus believe that caesar must be stopped from becoming king?
for the good of the people
[act II scene I]
brutus receives the messages planted by cassius and seems inclined to take action to stop caesar. what does brutus tell the audience about his mental and emotional state at this point?
he is fighting within himself (like a civil war)
[act II scene I]
the letters cassius writes become a tool that helps in supporting a major theme of the play. what is the literary term for such a tool?
motif
what is a motif?
when things are repeated
[act II scene I]
if the letters from cassius to brutus are a motif supporting a major theme, what do you think the theme is?
the power of words
[act II scene I]
what does cassius suggest the conspirators do that brutus disagrees with?
if they should ask cicero to join them
[act II scene I]
cassius recognizes that antony should die too, but brutus vetoes this. why?
it will make them look too violent
[act II scene I]
as the conspirators are meeting, a clock strikes. what literary term is illustrated by including a clock in this scene?
anachronism
[act II scene I]
there is some concern that caesar, having grown superstitious lately, may not leave his house the following day. how does decius say he can manipulate caesar? what does this say about caesar's personality?
by flattering him; he is prideful and self-absorbed
[act II scene I]
what is brutus' answer when portia asks why he has been behaving strangely lately? what is her response to this?
he says he is sick; she wants to help him
[act II scene I]
to sway brutus, what action does portia take to get him to trust her enough to confide in her?
she stabs herself in the thigh
[act II scene II]
what does calpurnia cry out in her sleep? how is this a significant element of the play? what literary device is being used here?
help, ho! they murder caesar"; it is an omen; foreshadowing
[act II scene II]
what does calpurnia believe that proves her point that the evening's strange events relate to caesar alone, not the world in general?
when someone important is about to die, the heavens themselves open up and proclaim their death
[act II scene II]
the priests, "augurs," offer an animal to the gods. what about the examination suggests that caesar should not leave his house?
there was not a heart in the animal
[act II scene II]
what is decius' interpretation of calpurnia's bloody dream?
caesar is the lifeblood of rome
[act II scene II]
what, according to decius, might some of the senators conclude if caesar refuses to come to the capitol?
that he is a coward
[act II scene II]
caesar, against his wife's warnings, decided to go to the capitol that day. what themes can be identified in this scene?
the power of words, fate vs. free will, and pride goes before the fall
[act II scene II]
where is the irony in caesar's perception of all those who come to his house?
he thinks they are his friends, but they are planning to kill him
[act II scene III]
why is artemidorus waiting for caesar?
to give him the letter which warns him about the conspiracy
[act II scene III]
what important characteristic about julius caesar is learned in this scene?
he is over-confident and haughty
[act II scene III]
what two themes are dealt with in this very short scene?
pride goes before the fall and fate vs. free will
[act II scene IV]
what order does portia give lucius? why is she so unsettled?
to go to the capitol and check on brutus and caesar; she knows about the conspiracy and is anxious
[act II scene IV]
in this scene, how is portia different from her previous scene? how then is shakespeare choosing to portray women?
she says most women can't keep secrets; women are weak
[act III scene I]
why does caesar say he will not read artemidorus' letter first?
what concerns caesar himself shall wait until the last
[act III scene I]
what does popilius lena say to cassius?
he knows about the conspiracy
[act III scene I]
what does tribonius do while popilius lena speaks with caesar?
getting mark antony out of the way
[act III scene I]
in response to cimber's request to lift his brother's banishment, what posture does caesar resume?
an attitude of arrogance
[act III scene I]
all the conspirators stab caesar, as does brutus. what is caesar's anagnorisis comment after brutus stabs him?
you too, brutus?
what does anagnorisis mean?
the moment in a work when the main character realizes that what he/she had believed up to that point was false
[act III scene I]
after stabbing caesar, the conspirators prepare for an attack from caesar's friends. what does brutus say about death?
it is determined by fate
[act III scene I]
what does brutus suggest the conspirators do before going to the marketplace? why?
bathe their hands, arms, and swords in caesar's blood; to show they are unashamed of what they did
[act III scene I]
explain antony's message to brutus
he loved and honored brutus and caesar, but wanted to know why caesar deserved to be killed, then he would align with them
[act III scene I]
antony thinks brutus' group is conspiring to kill others. what is antony's comment to brutus? what does this comment say about antony's character?
he thinks it is an honor to die in the same time period as caesar; he is loyal
[act III scene I]
why does antony not seem angry with caesar's murderers?
he is a manipulator and doesn't want to seem suspicious
[act III scene I]
brutus explains the reason for caesar's murder. what is the reason he gives antony?
for the good of rome
what is an apostrophe?
when a character directly addresses a dead body
[act III scene I]
what is brutus' plan for caesar's funeral?
he will speak first and explain why he did what he did, then antony would speak
[act III scene I]
what conditions are placed on antony if he is to speak at caesar's funeral?
he can't blame/speak bad about them and let the people know they gave him permission to speak
[act III scene I]
after all the rest exit, antony reveals his true intentions in his famous soliloquy. what are his intentions?
he wants to start a civil war and get revenge on the murderers of caesar
[act III scene I]
what message does antony want octavius' servant to take to octavius?
not to come yet and observe how the people react to the funeral speeches
[act III scene II]
what is brutus' reasoning for murdering caesar?
caesar was ambitious and it was for the good of rome
[act III scene II]
what is the crowd's reaction to brutus' speech? how is their reaction ironic?
they want to make him king, but brutus killed caesar in order to get rid of a king in rome
[act III scene II]
what anaphora about brutus in antony's oration is repeated so frequently that its meaning becomes ironic?
brutus is an honorable man
[act III scene II]
what does antony claim to have?
caesar's will
[act III scene II]
how does antony describe the stab wound brutus gave?
the unkindest cut of all
[act III scene II]
at the end of his monologue, antony claim to lack what talent?
he can't speak well
[act III scene II]
what do the reactions of the mob indicate
they are gullible
[act III scene II]
according to antony, what does caesar's will read?
parks and money
[act III scene II]
a servant enters to tell antony of octavius' arrival in the city. what other piece of information does the servant give antony?
they have fled the gates of rome
[act III scene III]
why is cinna, the poet, killed by the mob?
for his bad poetry
[act IV scene I]
how does antony show himself to be ruthless in this scene?
he came up with a list of who should be killed
[act IV scene I]
what unfavorable terms does antony describe lepidus?
a slight unmeritable man and a donkey
[act IV scene I]
what are brutus and cassius up to?
they are getting an army
[act IV scene I]
what does antony suggest in response to brutus and cassius' actions?
to combine their alliances
[act IV scene II]
who is brutus speaking of when he says, "thou hast described a hot friend cooling"?
cassius
[act IV scene II]
why does brutus suggest that he and cassius hold their discussion inside the tent?
he doesn't want the soldiers to think they are divided
[act IV scene III]
for what reason does brutus claim that cassius is often condemned by the people? why?
he has an itching palm; he takes bribes from the people for political positions
[act IV scene III]
why is brutus so outraged at official corruption?
he had killed caesar to make rome pure
[act IV scene III]
how does cassius try to intimidate brutus? what is brutus' response to this?
he says he is more experienced; he told him to go away
[act IV scene III]
when speaking of honesty, why does brutus sound like he lacks modesty?
he sounds arrogant
[act IV scene III]
brutus says that he is too honest to get money to pay his soldiers by dishonest means; he goes to cassius, but cassius denies the funds. if brutus knows cassius gets money dishonestly, how can honest brutus ask him for it?
crack in his idealism
[act IV scene III]
what is the point and tone of cassius' speech in response to brutus?
he is having a pity party
[act IV scene III]
after the poet interrupts and speaks of "love and be friends," what is a cause for brutus' grief?
portia died
[act IV scene III]
how does portia choose to take her life?
she swallows hot coals
[act IV scene III]
what is the difference between brutus and cassius' plans for engaging the armies of antony and octavius?
cassius wants them to come to him and brutus wants to seize the opportunity and go to them
[act IV scene III]
brutus says that "there is a tide in the affairs of men.." what does he mean by this?
they have a perfect opportunity
[act IV scene III]
brutus sits down to read while lucius plays soothing music. what "monstrous apparition" does brutus see and what message does it bring?
the ghost of caesar
[act V scene I]
what does antony think is the reason for brutus and cassius' armies having confronted them face-to-face?
they are trying to intimidate them
[act V scene I]
what is octavius' response when antony orders him to take the left side of the field? why do you suppose he does this?
he says that he will fight where he wants to fight; he wants to be in control
[act V scene I]
what does cassius remark about antony?
they should have killed him
[act V scene I]
what do the ravens and crows flying overhead mean to cassius?
fate may have it that they will be unsuccessful
[act V scene I]
what does brutus say he finds "cowardly and vile"?
suicide
[act V scene I]
brutus says he "bears too great a mind" to allow something to happen. what does he mean by this?
he won't allow himself to be held captive
[act V scene I]
why do brutus and cassius give each other an everlasting farewell?
they may never see each other again
[act V scene II]
what message is messala ordered to take to "the legions on the other side"?
to charge octavius' horses
[act V scene III]
according to titinius, why is cassius' side losing to antony's forces?
brutus attacked too early
[act V scene III]
how does cassius die? why?
he kills himself; he thought titinius was captured
[act V scene III]
it turns out that cassius killed himself prematurely. why?
titinius was still alive
[act V scene IV]
who impersonates brutus? why?
lucilius; they wouldn't kill him if he said his name was brutus
[act V scene V]
what do clitus, dardinius, and volumnius refuse to do for brutus that strato does for him?
kill him
[act V scene V]
as brutus dies, why does he say, "caesar, now be still"?
caesar's death had been avenged
what is the difference between the way cassius and brutus die?
cassius: his servant kills him and cassius looks away; brutus: he falls on the sword and watches the sword go into his guts
[act V scene V]
how do antony and octavius treat brutus' body?
with honor and respect
identify the play's exposition
caesar's victory over pompey
identify the play's rising action
conspirators try to get brutus in on the conspiracy
identify the play's climax
assassination of caesar and his funeral
identify the play's falling action
brutus and cassius get an army and are defeated
identify the play's resolution
brutus dies and caesar is at rest