Julius Caeser Act I II Reading Questions PDF

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Reading assignment related to Caesar, Grade 10 Honors English...

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Act 1 1. The play begins with a humorous scene that provides important background information. How are the conflicting attitudes toward Caesar shown? What information about Caesar and Pompey is revealed? The joyous plebeians celebrate the return of Caesar, as they support him. However, the government officials who supported Pompey are caustic and rude due to their irritation with the circumstances. It is known that Caesar defeated his rival Pompey by battling his sons. 2. The commoners (the mob) are a major force in the play. What does Scene 1 tell you about how fickle the mob is in its loyalty? How does it show that the mob is easily influenced by people in authority? The commoners initially are excited to celebrate the victory of Caesar, and are all in a jovial mood; making puns and the like. However, they are easily shamed by Flavius and Marullus into leaving the street. 3. In Scene ii, lines 85-96, Brutus says that he is at war with himself. What are the two sides of the “war” that is going on in Brutus’ mind? Brutus was a friend of Caesars. He finds the idea of killing Caesar to replace him acceptable, but at the same time, his conscience would not let him do so in peace. 4. In the early part of Scene ii, Cassius attempts to get Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar. Why doesn’t he just ask him directly? What tactics does he use? Cassius employs the tactics of what is colloquially known as “sucking up” to Brutus. He compliments Brutus and tries to boost his ego before suggesting the conspiracy against Caesar, in order to make Brutus see that he should be the rightful ruler. 5. What is Caesar’s emotional state when he reenters in Scene ii? Caesar is suspicious of Cassius. He speaks warily to Antonius so no others will hear. 6. What personal defects and weaknesses of Caesar does Shakespeare emphasize in Act I ? Do you think these frailties make him unsuitable as a leader? Explain. Caesar has epilepsy, or the “falling sickness.” He also cannot swim, and is deaf in one ear. These traits alone would not cause him to be an unsuitable ruler, unless he has a stroke and perishes, or is plunged unannounced into a body of water. If openly known, however, these weaknesses can be used against him. 7. What does Cassius do and say that makes us suspicious of his motives and his cause? Do his actions seem to support Caesar’s opinion of him? Cassius seems deceitful and manipulative, but clever. He tries to get Brutus to conspire against Caesar, and uses the technique of getting in his head to do so. Caesar refers to him as dangerously perceptive. His actions support Caesar’s opinion of him. Ultimately, he is the source of Brutus’ traitorial actions. 8. Describe how Brutus and Cassius are foils of one another. Support with examples. Cassius is manipulative and sneaky. He tries to compliment Brutus and get him to conspire against Caesar. Brutus is forward, does not display heavy emotion, and is not manipulative. However, both are clearly capable of hurting Caesar in some form.

9. Scene 3 begins with a frightening storm. What attitude does each of the following characters have toward the storm and its causes: Cicero, Casca, Cassius? Casca fears the storm and believes it to be an omen to predict terrible events to come. Cassius interprets the storm as a sign that Caesar must be overthrown. Cassius and Casca agree that Caesar’s rise to power must be stopped by any means. 10. Why is it necessary to the conspirators that Brutus join them? Cite lines from Scene iii that show their attitudes toward Brutus. Casca remarks that the people love Brutus, and would therefore be valuable in swaying the crowd to rise up against Caesar, especially given how easily influenced they are. He notes, “O, he sits high in all the people’s hearts, And that which would appear offense in us, His countenance, like richest alchemy, will change to virtue and to worthiness” (166-169). This also means that the crowd will think Brutus has good intentions, and is hurting Caesar because it is what he believes to be for the greater good of the people.

Act II 1. As Brutus begins his soliloquy in Scene I, it is clear he has already decided that Caesar must die. What reasons does he give for his decision. From what you have seen of Caesar, are they good reasons? Tell why or why not. Brutus has decided to kill Caesar instead of being ruled by him for the rest of their days. He fears that Caesar will become too powerful. He also does it for the general welfare, as he does not have anything against Caesar personally: “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn him, but for the general” (10-12). 2. Lucius is the only important character in the play whom Shakespeare did not find in Plutarch’s Lives. What function does Lucius serve in Scene I? (Watch for Lucius again in Act 4 and see if you can decide why Shakespeare put him in the play) Lucius is a servant of Brutus, and is there to help him as much as possible. He will hopefully prove to be loyal in the long run. 3. Why does Brutus believe there is no need for the conspirators to swear an oath? What does this suggest about his character? He says only priests, old dying men, and unhappy people who enjoy lying swear oaths. They do not need an oath to kill Caesar because if they went against their vows, they would not be truly Roman. He states, “To think… our cause or our performance did need an oath when every drop of blood that every Roman bears, and noble bears, is guilty of several bastardy if he do break the smallest particle of any promise that hath passed from him” (145-150). 4. Discuss the changes Brutus makes in the plans of the conspirators. Brutus does not want the conspirators to swear an oath of loyalty to one another. He also decides that they should not include Cicero in their plot, as he is prone to deviation from directions. Brutus also does not want to kill Marc Antony, saying, “Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers” (179). He even wishes the conspirators could just remove the soul of Caesar without having to harm his body. Brutus states, “O that we could then come by Caesar’s spirit and not dismember Caesar!” (182-183).

5. Portia appears at the end of Scene i. What does the scene reveal about the characters of Portia and Brutus and their relationship?

Portia cares about Brutus and is concerned for his well being. Brutus claims he is physically ill, but Portia does not believe it. It takes a good amount of pestering on behalf of Portia to get Brutus to be willing to open up. This signifies that Brutus and Portia have been experiencing some degree of separation in their relationship; they are not as close as they once were. 6. Brutus follows a philosophy called Stoicism. (See your terms, concepts, sheet for explanation). So far in the play, how does Brutus show his Stoicism? How does Portia show is also a Stoic? By definition, a Stoic is someone who is free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and is indifferent to pain or pleasure. So far, Brutus has not spoken with much emotion or feeling, even though he has decided to kill his friend, which can also be noted in the audio recording. He also does not display any overt affection or passion towards his wife Portia. Portia herself can be considered a Stoic. She is indifferent to pain. She has given herself “a voluntary wound… in the thigh” (323) to prove to her husband she can endure physical pain and therefore should be able to bear the weight of her husband’s secret too. 7. In Scene ii, what contradictory impressions do we get of Caesar? Support with lines from the play. Show strengths and weaknesses. Caesar wants to please his fretting wife, Calpurnia, by staying at home as she wishes. She has a dream in which her husband is murdered, and is consequently afraid the events will come true. Caesar decides to stay with her; a kind and wise thing to do; but later changes his mind due to Decius’ persuasions. Decius manipulates him into thinking everything will be alright, and that Calpurnia’s dream means nothing. Instead of believing his beloved wife, he believes Decius, which is a mistake, as all the conspirators are on their way to his house to ensure he does not remain at home. Caesar says “cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once” (36-37). This signifies his belief that a man should be strong and not be overcome by his superstitions. This is actually a weakness because he follows a man who will steer him wrong, instead of listening to his wife Calpurnia. Caesar also believes that any bad omens are not directed particularly towards him, but rather to the general public: “yet Caesar shall go forth, for these predictions are to the world in general as to Caesar” (31-32). This illustrates stubbornness as a prominent weakness, as he refuses to listen to all of the signs of impending danger around him. 8. Both Portia and Calpurnia try to exert influence on their husbands. How do their methods differ? How does Caesar’s treatment of Calpurnia differ from Brutus’ treatment of Portia? Calpurnia is openly distraught about her dream and admonitions against Caesar’s attendance of the meeting. She speaks passionately about “lionesses whelping in the streets” and ghosts shrieking and squealing amongst groaning dead men. This is what gets Caesar to stay with her at first, even though he initially wants to attend the meeting. Calpurnia begs him not to go and proposes a plan for what Antony is to tell the Senate House. Portia chooses a different method by which to attain her request from Brutus. She speaks to him calmly at first, and lets him know he is welcome to disclose everything to her. She says she has the right to know why he is ill and what ails him, and eventually wounds herself to show Brutus she is strong enough to handle any sort of pain. After much calm but firm pestering, Brutus acquiesces and is about to tell her about the plot, until he is interrupted. Brutus brushes Portia off at first and tells her to go to bed, but eventually, he listens to her.

9. To what aspects of Caesar’s personality is Decius appealing as he tries to persuade him to go to the Senate?

Decius plays upon Caesar’s ego in order to get him to come. He reworks Calpurnia’s dream to make it seem as if good things will come from Caesar to the people, and he also says that people will make sarcastic remarks if he does not attend. 10. Scene 2, lines 34-39 contain one of several famous passages in all of Shakespeare’s works. Explain what Caesar means in this small speech. Why are his words ironic? Caesar means that the weak and cowardly have perished in their minds before they physically die, as they have given up either or their goals or purpose in life. The “valiant,” or the noble and righteous, only meet their demise when they physically die, as they are strong and resilient mentally. This is ironic because Caesar can be considered weak, especially in the eyes of the conspirators. He shames the weak and cowardly, but has those traits himself. 11. How does Scene 3 add to the suspense of the play? The addition of the letter to the scene adds suspense to the play, as it is yet another warning to Caesar of the danger to befall him. If he reads the letter, he can save himself if he heeds the warning. 12. In Scene 4, why does Portia send Brutus the message that she is merry? Describe her actual state of mind and support with her words and actions. Portia is upset with herself for acting foolishly, and says to Lucius, “I would have had thee there and here again ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there” (5-6). She is worried about her husband Brutus because of his strange behavior. She is a little bit paranoid, and perceives she hears noises. She tells Lucius to let Brutus know she is merry because she does not want to come across as being afraid, and she also does not want him to worry. 13. Why do you think Shakespeare has the soothsayer appear again in Scene 4? He claims that Caesar is his own enemy. How is this so? The soothsayer was the first character to warn Caesar of “the ides of March.” Caesar refused to listen at first, claiming he was not superstitious. Shakespeare brings the character of the soothsayer back to consult with Portia about her anxiety, as both individuals believe in omens and signs. He also is going to speak to Caesar again if he chooses to listen: “If it will please Caesar to be so good to Caesar as to hear me, I shall beseech him to befriend himself” (33-35). He claims that Caesar is his own enemy because he refuses to listen to the signs around him warning him of his imminent danger....