Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Study Guide
Discussion Questions
Directions: After reading each act out loud in class, the following questions will be discussed/answered in small groups in class. Each student must write the answers to the following questions in complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper. All answers should be numbered and headed with the proper act and scene numbers! Most responses will require several sentences in order to be answered completely. Be sure to rephrase the question in your answer.
Act I, Scene 1
1. What is the situation at the beginning of the play?
2. Identify Flavius and Marullus. What are they doing?
3. What is Lupercal?
Act I, Scene 2
4. What warning is given to Caesar? By whom? How does he react?
5. What are the two incidents Cassius tells to Brutus? What is his purpose in telling them?
6. What kind of person does Brutus seem to be? Cassius?
7. What is Caesar's opinion of Antony? of Cassius?
8. What is the report given by Casca?
9. How does Cassius feel about his talk with Brutus?
Act I, Scene 3
10. What is the effect of the storm? It's purpose?11. How does Cassius say he can escape tyranny?12. What is the next step in convincing Brutus?
Act II, Scene 1
1. Explain Brutus' speech that begins: “It must be by his death…”
2. Why do the conspirators want Cicero and then leave him out?
3. Why won't Brutus take an oath?
4. Why does he oppose the assassination of Antony?
5. How has Caesar changed?6. What are some of Portia's characteristics?
Act II, Scene 2
7. Describe the night.
8. What has Caesar decided to do when Decius comes? What reason does he give?
9. Why does he change his mind?
10. What are the two interpretations of the dream?
Act III, Scene 1
1. What was each of the following characters to do at the capitol: Trebonious, Cimber, Casca, Brutus?
2. How do the conspirators react to the assassination?
3. How can you prove the dream was fulfilled?
4. What prophecy is made?
5. What message does Antony's servant bring?
6. What does Antony ask of the conspirators if they plan to kill him?
7. Of what do they assure him?
8. Who doubts the wisdom of answering Antony's request?
9. Summarize Antony’s soliloquy.
Act III, Scene 2
10. How does Brutus justify Caesar's murder when he speaks to the people?
11. How is the point proven to the people?
12. How does Antony arouse the people to mutiny?
13. How does Antony show he understands the people better than Brutus?
14. What three examples does Antony give to prove that Caesar was not ambitious?
15. What are the provisions of Caesar's will?
16. Who is prepared to take control of the government of Rome now?
Act IV, Scene 1
1. What is the Second Triumvirate? Who composes it?
2. What is the new triumvirate planning to do?
Act IV, Scene 2
3. Where are Brutus and Cassius?
Act IV, Scene 3
4. Who quarrels? Why?
5. What does Brutus think of himself?
6. Why does Cassius say he is aweary of the world?
7. What alibi does Cassius use?
8. What news do we hear of Portia? What is Brutus' reaction?
9. Give the arguments pro and con for marching to Philippi. Why does Cassius think the army should be held at Sardis? Why does Brutus think they should march?
10. Why does Caesar's ghost appear to Brutus? What does it say to Brutus?
Act V, Scene 1
1. Where does the scene take place?
2. What do Brutus and Cassius do?
Act V, Scene 3
3. How does Cassius die?
4. How does Pindarus earn his freedom?
5. What happens to Titinius?
Act V, Scene 4
6. How does Brutus die?
7. What do Antony and Octavius say about Brutus?
8. Who wins and becomes ruler of Rome?
Showing posts with label Julius Caesar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julius Caesar. Show all posts
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
Julius Caesar Characters: Keeping Them Straight
Julius Caesar Characters guide studies each character's role and motivation in this play.
Julius Caesar: The victorious leader of Rome, it is the fear that he may become King and revoke the privileges of men like Cassius that leads to his death at the hands of Cassius, Brutus and their fellow conspirators.
The threat that Caesar was moving away from the ideals of the Roman republic towards an Empire ruled directly by himself is the chief reason so many senators, aristocrats and even
Caesar's friend Brutus, conspired to kill him.
Introduced early in the play as a great (and arguably arrogant) leader who fears nothing, Caesar is warned by Artemidorus, The Soothsayer and wife (Calphurnia) alike not to go to the Senate on the "ides of March" the very day he is assassinated.
Caesar later returns in the play as a ghost which haunts Brutus in Act V. Easily flattered by Decius Brutus (not to be confused with Brutus), Caesar appears to us as a man almost guided not so much by his own will but what he believes are the expectations his people have of "Caesar." This is why he is reluctant to show fear, Caesar, as he frequently refers to himself in the third person, fears nothing and can show no sign of weakness or indeed mortality...
Note: The "ides of March" is the fifteenth of March (See Act II, Scene I, Line 58).
Octavius Caesar: The adopted son of Caesar, Octavius by history, ultimately became ruler of the Roman Empire following his defeat of Mark Antony in Egypt (See Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra). In this play, Octavius with Mark Antony and Lepidus (The Second Triumvirate), destroy the forces of Brutus and Cassius on the Plains of Philippi, which results in the death of both these conspirators (Act V).
Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony): One of the Triumvirs (leaders) who rule Rome following Caesar's assassination. Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius) is famous in this play for his speech, which turns the Romans against Brutus following his group's assassination of Caesar. Famous for the immortal lines "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;" (Act III, Scene II, Line 79), Mark Antony with fellow Triumvirs, Octavius and Lepidus later defeat Brutus and Cassius on the Plains of Philippi in Act V.
M. Aemilius Lepidus: The last of the Triumvirs, this old man holds little real power and is used in Mark Antony's own words as a loyal, trusted man "Meet [fit] to be sent on errands:" (Act IV, Scene I, Line 13).
Cicero: A well-known orator (public speaker) and Senator, Cicero is killed by the Triumvirs (Mark Antony, Octavius and Lepidus) following Caesar's assassination.
Publius: A Senator who travels with Caesar to the Senate House the day Caesar is killed, he witnesses Caesar's assassination. Though deeply "confounded" or confused and shaken by the assassination of Caesar (Act III, Scene I, Line 86), he is used by Brutus to tell the citizens of Rome that Caesar aside, no one else will be hurt (Act III, Scene I, Lines 89-91).
Popilius Lena: The Senator who terrifies Cassius by telling Cassius that he hopes his "enterprise [assassination attempt] today may thrive" or be successful just as Caesar goes into the Senate house on the "ides of March" (Act III, Scene I, Line 13).
Marcus Brutus: The most complex character in this play, Brutus is one of the men who assassinate Caesar in the Senate. Brutus is complex, because he does not kill Caesar for greed, envy nor to preserve his social position like so many of the other conspirators against Caesar. This Brutus makes very clear in his speech in Act III, Scene II (Lines 12-76), when he explains his actions as being for the good of Rome.
Unlike the other conspirators, Brutus is in fact a dear friend of Caesar's but kills his beloved friend not for who he is, but what he could become as a King. It is for this reason that when Brutus dies by suicide in Act V, Mark Antony describes his bitter enemy by saying "This [Brutus] was the noblest Roman of them all;" (Act V, Scene V, Line 68).
Mark Antony recognizes with these words that Brutus acted from a sense of civic duty, not malice, nor greed nor envy.
In academic circles, Brutus is still a source of much heated debate; does assassinating a leader for the good of the people constitute bravery worthy of a tragic hero or can the end never justify the means? The controversy on whether Brutus is tragic hero or villain still rages...
Ironically, though it can be argued that Brutus assassinated his friend to prevent one man ruling the Roman Empire, history was later to make this a reality. Octavius, one of the Triumvirs who defeated Brutus and Cassius, was later to become a Roman Emperor ruling the entire Roman Empire alone following his victory over Cleopatra and Mark Antony.
Cassius: One of the original conspirators against Caesar. Like the other conspirators he fears what life under King Caesar's rule could mean for him and the privileges he has.
Unlike the other conspirators however, Cassius plays a leading role in Caesar's assassination. It is he who gathers those against Caesar around him and it is Cassius who carefully manipulates Brutus to their cause by appealing to Brutus' sense of civic duty which believes that Caesar as a King would be bad for the people of Rome and by Cassius' clever use of forged letters.
The great thinker of the conspiracy, his advice is continually overruled by Brutus with tragic results for the conspirators.
First, his advice to kill Mark Antony as well as Caesar is ignored leading to Mark Antony becoming their greatest enemy.
Later at Caesar's funeral, Cassius' advice that Mark Antony should not speak at the funeral is also ignored leading to Antony turning the masses against the previously popular conspirators.
Finally in Act V, Brutus ignores Cassius' advise to stay on high ground, leading to a battle in the plains of Philippi, a battle favored by Mark Antony and Octavius, their enemies. Like Brutus, he dies by suicide in Act V, when fearing Brutus dead, he commits suicide.
Casca: One of the conspirators against Caesar, he starts the actual assassination of Caesar by stabbing first from behind.
Terminus: The only conspirator who does not actually stab Caesar, he is the man responsible for saving Mark Antony's life following Caesar's assassination. He leads Mark Antony away from the Senate house following the assassination and he backs up Brutus' suggestion that Mark Antony's life be spared.
Ligarius: The reluctant assassin, Caius Ligarius at first hesitates in killing Caesar, but later enthusiastically follows the others in killing Caesar after Brutus restores his conviction.
Decius Brutus: A man who lures Caesar to his death by his deep understanding of Caesar's true vanity...
Not to be confused with Marcus Brutus, who is referred to in Julius Caesar simply as as Brutus. It is Decius Brutus who convinces Caesar to turn up to the Senate on the "ides of March" after Caesar announces that he is unwilling to attend the day's Senate because of his wife Calphurnia's dream foretelling doom. Decius Brutus turns Calphurnia's dream into a reason to attend the Senate by cleverly reinterpreting its negative imagery to instead symbolize Caesar's triumph.
Metellus Cimber: A conspirator against Caesar, it is his petition or request to Caesar for his brother's banishment to be overturned, that allows the conspirators to move close to Caesar, before they assassinate him with multiple stab wounds...
Cinna: A conspirator against Caesar, who plays a key role in enlisting Brutus to their cause. It is Cinna who suggests to Cassius that Brutus join their conspiracy. Also assists Cassius' manipulation of Brutus by placing Cassius' letters responsible for manipulating Brutus where Brutus is sure to find and read them... Indirectly responsible for Cinna, the poet's death; since it is he the mob originally wished to kill...
Flavius and Marullus: Two Tribunes introduced to us at the beginning of the play. Their conversation reveals the deep mistrust and fear many in Rome have about Caesar's growing popularity, which eventually leads to Caesar's assassination. These two men criticize Rome's citizens for praising Caesar almost without reason and are later put to death or "put to silence" for "pulling scarfs off Caesar's images," (Act I, Scene II, Line 291) during the Feast of Lupercal in Act I, Scene I (Note: Flavius the Tribune is not the same person as Flavius, a soldier whom appears in Act IV).
Artemidorus: The man who nearly saves Caesar, he presents Caesar with a letter warning warning Caesar that he will be killed (Act II, Scene III). Caesar however does not read the letter and so proceeds to his doom...
Cinna, the Poet: A humble poet, this man dies because he has the wrong name at the wrong time. After Mark Antony incites (angers) the people of Rome against Caesar's assassins, Cinna who shares the same name as one of the assassins, is killed despite his explaining his identity as a poet. The mob, eager for blood, kill him regardless and use the excuse that they never liked his poems much anyway (Act III, Scene III, Lines 1-43).
Lucilius, Titinius, Messala, Young Cato and Volumnius: Friends to Brutus and Cassius.
Varro, Clitus, Claudius, Strato, Lucius and Dardanius: Servants to Brutus.
Pindarus: A servant to Cassius, he is also the messenger bearing the wrong news... In Act V, Pindarus misreports to Cassius that Titinius, a scout sent to Brutus' forces was captured by the Triumvir's forces when he was actually welcomed by Brutus' army. On Pindarus' information, Cassius assumes that Brutus has been defeated and so thinking all is lost, decides to kill himself, using Pindarus to hold a sword out which he runs onto, the very sword, Cassius used against Caesar...
Calphurnia: The wife of Caesar, she begs her husband not to go to the Senate on "the ides of March" (March 15) when she cries out "'Help, ho! They murder Caesar!'" three times in her sleep, the day before Caesar's death. This and strange occurrences such as a lioness whelping in the streets of Rome,"Fierce fiery warriors" fighting in the clouds (Act II, Scene II, Lines 12-24) and graves yawning and yielding up their dead, convince Calphurnia that her husband Julius Caesar, must stay home on the "ides of March" (the fifteenth of March). Unfortunately just as Calpurnia convinces Caesar to stay home and avoid the death that awaits him, Decius Brutus (not to be confused with Brutus), arrives at Caesar's home convincing him that these images mean that Rome will be revived by Caesar's presence at the Senate the following day. Caesar ignores his wife's pleas and meets his bloody destiny at the hands of Brutus and company the very next day.
Portia: The wife of Marcus Brutus, she tries to learn from Brutus the assassination conspiracy he is hiding from her. She is later assumed to have committed suicide at the end of the play when her death is reported as being under strange circumstances...
Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants and others...
Julius Caesar: The victorious leader of Rome, it is the fear that he may become King and revoke the privileges of men like Cassius that leads to his death at the hands of Cassius, Brutus and their fellow conspirators.
The threat that Caesar was moving away from the ideals of the Roman republic towards an Empire ruled directly by himself is the chief reason so many senators, aristocrats and even
Caesar's friend Brutus, conspired to kill him.
Introduced early in the play as a great (and arguably arrogant) leader who fears nothing, Caesar is warned by Artemidorus, The Soothsayer and wife (Calphurnia) alike not to go to the Senate on the "ides of March" the very day he is assassinated.
Caesar later returns in the play as a ghost which haunts Brutus in Act V. Easily flattered by Decius Brutus (not to be confused with Brutus), Caesar appears to us as a man almost guided not so much by his own will but what he believes are the expectations his people have of "Caesar." This is why he is reluctant to show fear, Caesar, as he frequently refers to himself in the third person, fears nothing and can show no sign of weakness or indeed mortality...
Note: The "ides of March" is the fifteenth of March (See Act II, Scene I, Line 58).
Octavius Caesar: The adopted son of Caesar, Octavius by history, ultimately became ruler of the Roman Empire following his defeat of Mark Antony in Egypt (See Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra). In this play, Octavius with Mark Antony and Lepidus (The Second Triumvirate), destroy the forces of Brutus and Cassius on the Plains of Philippi, which results in the death of both these conspirators (Act V).
Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony): One of the Triumvirs (leaders) who rule Rome following Caesar's assassination. Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius) is famous in this play for his speech, which turns the Romans against Brutus following his group's assassination of Caesar. Famous for the immortal lines "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;" (Act III, Scene II, Line 79), Mark Antony with fellow Triumvirs, Octavius and Lepidus later defeat Brutus and Cassius on the Plains of Philippi in Act V.
M. Aemilius Lepidus: The last of the Triumvirs, this old man holds little real power and is used in Mark Antony's own words as a loyal, trusted man "Meet [fit] to be sent on errands:" (Act IV, Scene I, Line 13).
Cicero: A well-known orator (public speaker) and Senator, Cicero is killed by the Triumvirs (Mark Antony, Octavius and Lepidus) following Caesar's assassination.
Publius: A Senator who travels with Caesar to the Senate House the day Caesar is killed, he witnesses Caesar's assassination. Though deeply "confounded" or confused and shaken by the assassination of Caesar (Act III, Scene I, Line 86), he is used by Brutus to tell the citizens of Rome that Caesar aside, no one else will be hurt (Act III, Scene I, Lines 89-91).
Popilius Lena: The Senator who terrifies Cassius by telling Cassius that he hopes his "enterprise [assassination attempt] today may thrive" or be successful just as Caesar goes into the Senate house on the "ides of March" (Act III, Scene I, Line 13).
Marcus Brutus: The most complex character in this play, Brutus is one of the men who assassinate Caesar in the Senate. Brutus is complex, because he does not kill Caesar for greed, envy nor to preserve his social position like so many of the other conspirators against Caesar. This Brutus makes very clear in his speech in Act III, Scene II (Lines 12-76), when he explains his actions as being for the good of Rome.
Unlike the other conspirators, Brutus is in fact a dear friend of Caesar's but kills his beloved friend not for who he is, but what he could become as a King. It is for this reason that when Brutus dies by suicide in Act V, Mark Antony describes his bitter enemy by saying "This [Brutus] was the noblest Roman of them all;" (Act V, Scene V, Line 68).
Mark Antony recognizes with these words that Brutus acted from a sense of civic duty, not malice, nor greed nor envy.
In academic circles, Brutus is still a source of much heated debate; does assassinating a leader for the good of the people constitute bravery worthy of a tragic hero or can the end never justify the means? The controversy on whether Brutus is tragic hero or villain still rages...
Ironically, though it can be argued that Brutus assassinated his friend to prevent one man ruling the Roman Empire, history was later to make this a reality. Octavius, one of the Triumvirs who defeated Brutus and Cassius, was later to become a Roman Emperor ruling the entire Roman Empire alone following his victory over Cleopatra and Mark Antony.
Cassius: One of the original conspirators against Caesar. Like the other conspirators he fears what life under King Caesar's rule could mean for him and the privileges he has.
Unlike the other conspirators however, Cassius plays a leading role in Caesar's assassination. It is he who gathers those against Caesar around him and it is Cassius who carefully manipulates Brutus to their cause by appealing to Brutus' sense of civic duty which believes that Caesar as a King would be bad for the people of Rome and by Cassius' clever use of forged letters.
The great thinker of the conspiracy, his advice is continually overruled by Brutus with tragic results for the conspirators.
First, his advice to kill Mark Antony as well as Caesar is ignored leading to Mark Antony becoming their greatest enemy.
Later at Caesar's funeral, Cassius' advice that Mark Antony should not speak at the funeral is also ignored leading to Antony turning the masses against the previously popular conspirators.
Finally in Act V, Brutus ignores Cassius' advise to stay on high ground, leading to a battle in the plains of Philippi, a battle favored by Mark Antony and Octavius, their enemies. Like Brutus, he dies by suicide in Act V, when fearing Brutus dead, he commits suicide.
Casca: One of the conspirators against Caesar, he starts the actual assassination of Caesar by stabbing first from behind.
Terminus: The only conspirator who does not actually stab Caesar, he is the man responsible for saving Mark Antony's life following Caesar's assassination. He leads Mark Antony away from the Senate house following the assassination and he backs up Brutus' suggestion that Mark Antony's life be spared.
Ligarius: The reluctant assassin, Caius Ligarius at first hesitates in killing Caesar, but later enthusiastically follows the others in killing Caesar after Brutus restores his conviction.
Decius Brutus: A man who lures Caesar to his death by his deep understanding of Caesar's true vanity...
Not to be confused with Marcus Brutus, who is referred to in Julius Caesar simply as as Brutus. It is Decius Brutus who convinces Caesar to turn up to the Senate on the "ides of March" after Caesar announces that he is unwilling to attend the day's Senate because of his wife Calphurnia's dream foretelling doom. Decius Brutus turns Calphurnia's dream into a reason to attend the Senate by cleverly reinterpreting its negative imagery to instead symbolize Caesar's triumph.
Metellus Cimber: A conspirator against Caesar, it is his petition or request to Caesar for his brother's banishment to be overturned, that allows the conspirators to move close to Caesar, before they assassinate him with multiple stab wounds...
Cinna: A conspirator against Caesar, who plays a key role in enlisting Brutus to their cause. It is Cinna who suggests to Cassius that Brutus join their conspiracy. Also assists Cassius' manipulation of Brutus by placing Cassius' letters responsible for manipulating Brutus where Brutus is sure to find and read them... Indirectly responsible for Cinna, the poet's death; since it is he the mob originally wished to kill...
Flavius and Marullus: Two Tribunes introduced to us at the beginning of the play. Their conversation reveals the deep mistrust and fear many in Rome have about Caesar's growing popularity, which eventually leads to Caesar's assassination. These two men criticize Rome's citizens for praising Caesar almost without reason and are later put to death or "put to silence" for "pulling scarfs off Caesar's images," (Act I, Scene II, Line 291) during the Feast of Lupercal in Act I, Scene I (Note: Flavius the Tribune is not the same person as Flavius, a soldier whom appears in Act IV).
Artemidorus: The man who nearly saves Caesar, he presents Caesar with a letter warning warning Caesar that he will be killed (Act II, Scene III). Caesar however does not read the letter and so proceeds to his doom...
Cinna, the Poet: A humble poet, this man dies because he has the wrong name at the wrong time. After Mark Antony incites (angers) the people of Rome against Caesar's assassins, Cinna who shares the same name as one of the assassins, is killed despite his explaining his identity as a poet. The mob, eager for blood, kill him regardless and use the excuse that they never liked his poems much anyway (Act III, Scene III, Lines 1-43).
Lucilius, Titinius, Messala, Young Cato and Volumnius: Friends to Brutus and Cassius.
Varro, Clitus, Claudius, Strato, Lucius and Dardanius: Servants to Brutus.
Pindarus: A servant to Cassius, he is also the messenger bearing the wrong news... In Act V, Pindarus misreports to Cassius that Titinius, a scout sent to Brutus' forces was captured by the Triumvir's forces when he was actually welcomed by Brutus' army. On Pindarus' information, Cassius assumes that Brutus has been defeated and so thinking all is lost, decides to kill himself, using Pindarus to hold a sword out which he runs onto, the very sword, Cassius used against Caesar...
Calphurnia: The wife of Caesar, she begs her husband not to go to the Senate on "the ides of March" (March 15) when she cries out "'Help, ho! They murder Caesar!'" three times in her sleep, the day before Caesar's death. This and strange occurrences such as a lioness whelping in the streets of Rome,"Fierce fiery warriors" fighting in the clouds (Act II, Scene II, Lines 12-24) and graves yawning and yielding up their dead, convince Calphurnia that her husband Julius Caesar, must stay home on the "ides of March" (the fifteenth of March). Unfortunately just as Calpurnia convinces Caesar to stay home and avoid the death that awaits him, Decius Brutus (not to be confused with Brutus), arrives at Caesar's home convincing him that these images mean that Rome will be revived by Caesar's presence at the Senate the following day. Caesar ignores his wife's pleas and meets his bloody destiny at the hands of Brutus and company the very next day.
Portia: The wife of Marcus Brutus, she tries to learn from Brutus the assassination conspiracy he is hiding from her. She is later assumed to have committed suicide at the end of the play when her death is reported as being under strange circumstances...
Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants and others...
Julius Caesar Quotes? Who Said It?, What Makes it Important?
A Shakespearean quote such as "To be, or not to be" and the famous "O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?" quote form some of literature's most celebrated lines and if asked to recite one of Shakespeare's most famous quotations the majority of people would choose one of these. However, many expressions that we use every day originated in Shakespeare's plays. We use the Bard's words all of the time in everyday speech, however, we are often totally unaware that we are 'borrowing' sayings from his work - we frequently quote Shakespeare! Will Shake-speare is attributed with writing 38 plays, 154 sonnets and 5 other poems and used about 21,000 different words. Shake-speare is credited by the Oxford English Dictionary with the introduction of nearly 3,000 words into the language. It's no wonder that expressions from his works are an 'anonymous' part of the English language."Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him". Quote (Act III, Scene II).
"But, for my own part, it was Greek to me". - Julius Caesar Quote (Act I, Scene II).
"A dish fit for the gods". Quote (Act II, Scene I).
"Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of war". Julius Caesar Quote (Act III, Sc. I).
"Et tu, Brute!" Quote (Act III, Scene I).
"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". - (Quote Act I, Scene II).
"Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more". Quote (Act III, Scene II).
"Beware the ides of March". - (Quote Act I, Scene II).
"This was the noblest Roman of them all". - (Quote Act V, Sc. V).
"When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff". - (Quote Act III, Sc. II).
"Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous" Julius Quote (Act I, Scene II).
"For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men". - (Quote Act III, Sc. II).
"As he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him" . Quote (Act III, Sc. II).
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear;Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come". Julius Caesar Quote (Act II, Scene II).
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Julius Caesar: Historical Background
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Study Guide
Background Information
Setting
Ancient Rome 44 B.C.
The play takes place before Rome developed into an empire. Julius Caesar has just defeated Pompey after a long civil war. He returns to Rome triumphantly and is in a position to take power. Some people are concerned because dictators have taken power before.
Julius Caesar, was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. His conquest of Gaul extended the Roman world all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, and he was also responsible for the first Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC.
Leading his legions across Rubicon, Caesar sparked civil war in 49 BC that left him the undisputed master of the Roman world. After assuming control of the government, he began extensive reforms of Roman society and government. He was proclaimed dictator for life, and he heavily centralized the bureaucracy of the Republic. This forced the hand of a friend of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus, who then conspired with others to murder the dictator and restore the Republic. This dramatic assassination occurred on the Ides of March (March 15th) in 44 BC and led to another Roman civil war. In 42 BC, two years after his assassination, the Roman Senate officially sanctified him as one of the Roman deities.
Caesar's military campaigns are known in detail from his own written Commentaries (Commentarii), and many details of his life are recorded by later historians, such as Appian, Suetonius, Plutarch, Cassius Dio and Strabo. Other information can be gleaned from other contemporary sources, such as the letters and speeches of Caesar's political rival Cicero, the poetry of Catullus and the writings of the historian Sallust.
BRUTUS
Marcus Junius Brutus (85 BC – 42 BC), or Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, was a Roman senator of the late Roman Republic. Though in popular culture, it is believed that Brutus was the sole assasin of Julius Caesar, historically he was not alone in the dictator's assasination conspiracy, but was among possibly up to sixty men.
Other Brutus Links
1 Life
2 Chronology
3 Brutus in popular culture
3.1 Influence
3.2 Fiction
3.3 Drama
4 Family tree
5 Notes
6 External links
Drama
In Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, actors such as James Mason, Jason Robards and Richard Pasco have played the role of Marcus Brutus in television productions and films.
In Julius Caesar he is portrayed by Ian Duncan.
A fictionalised Marcus Junius Brutus appears in the 2005 television series Rome, played by
Tobias Menzies.
Marcus Brutus also appears in the highly fictionalised 2005 six-part mini series Empire played by James Frain.
Characters
Another Look at Key Characters
Julius Caesar
Although Caesar was one of the strongest individuals in history, Shakespeare presents him with a number of weaknesses. In spite of all of these weaknesses, it is the spirit of Caesar that pervades the whole play. At the end of the play, Brutus says, "Caesar, thou art mighty yet."
Brutus
Brutus is the epitome of all that is gentle and good in man. His sterner qualities make him admirable; his gentler qualities make him lovable. He is one of the finest characters in all of Shakespeare's writing. Had Brutus been less idealistic and less merciful, he no doubt would have been successful in crushing the powerful forces of Caesar. His three mistakes cost him his life, but Brutus feels no enmity, even in death.
Cassius
If ever Shakespeare presented characters in contrast, he does it in molding the conspiracy around Cassius and Brutus. Cassius is the realist, the shrewd contriver, the ambitious one. He is the clever psychologist who knows just how to manipulate Brutus' thoughts and how to bring him into the conspiracy. Cassius is a strong leader, but he has one weakness—his admiration for Brutus. That admiration overrules his better judgment and culminates in his downfall. Without Brutus in the play, Cassius would have emerged as a much stronger leader.
Marc Antony
At the time of Caesar's assassination, Antony was thirty-seven years old. Never taking life very seriously, he led a pleasure-loving existence. Because he was reckless, careless, and handsome, the people loved him. Antony proves himself to be clever when he addresses the crowd after Caesar’s murder and convinces them that Caesar was not ambitious.
Octavius
Octavius was nineteen when Caesar was assassinated and only twenty-one when he and Antony defeated the conspirators at Philippi. Eleven years later, he sent Antony and Cleopatra to defeat and death. Shakespeare wrote about that subject in his play Antony and Cleopatra. Octavius ruled Rome for forty-one years (until 17 A.D.). He was called the august, the grand, the magnificent (Augustus).
Background Information
Setting
Ancient Rome 44 B.C.
The play takes place before Rome developed into an empire. Julius Caesar has just defeated Pompey after a long civil war. He returns to Rome triumphantly and is in a position to take power. Some people are concerned because dictators have taken power before.
Julius Caesar, was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. His conquest of Gaul extended the Roman world all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, and he was also responsible for the first Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC.
Leading his legions across Rubicon, Caesar sparked civil war in 49 BC that left him the undisputed master of the Roman world. After assuming control of the government, he began extensive reforms of Roman society and government. He was proclaimed dictator for life, and he heavily centralized the bureaucracy of the Republic. This forced the hand of a friend of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus, who then conspired with others to murder the dictator and restore the Republic. This dramatic assassination occurred on the Ides of March (March 15th) in 44 BC and led to another Roman civil war. In 42 BC, two years after his assassination, the Roman Senate officially sanctified him as one of the Roman deities.
Caesar's military campaigns are known in detail from his own written Commentaries (Commentarii), and many details of his life are recorded by later historians, such as Appian, Suetonius, Plutarch, Cassius Dio and Strabo. Other information can be gleaned from other contemporary sources, such as the letters and speeches of Caesar's political rival Cicero, the poetry of Catullus and the writings of the historian Sallust.
BRUTUS
Marcus Junius Brutus (85 BC – 42 BC), or Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, was a Roman senator of the late Roman Republic. Though in popular culture, it is believed that Brutus was the sole assasin of Julius Caesar, historically he was not alone in the dictator's assasination conspiracy, but was among possibly up to sixty men.
Other Brutus Links
1 Life
2 Chronology
3 Brutus in popular culture
3.1 Influence
3.2 Fiction
3.3 Drama
4 Family tree
5 Notes
6 External links
Drama
In Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, actors such as James Mason, Jason Robards and Richard Pasco have played the role of Marcus Brutus in television productions and films.
In Julius Caesar he is portrayed by Ian Duncan.
A fictionalised Marcus Junius Brutus appears in the 2005 television series Rome, played by
Tobias Menzies.
Marcus Brutus also appears in the highly fictionalised 2005 six-part mini series Empire played by James Frain.
Characters
Julius Caesar
A great Roman general who has recently returned to Rome after a military victory in Spain. Julius Caesar is not the main character of the play that bears his name; Brutus has over four times as many lines, and the play does not show us Caesar's point of view. Nonetheless, virtually every other character is preoccupied with Caesar—specifically, with the possibility that Caesar may soon become king. If Caesar were to become king, it would mean the end of Rome's republican system of government, in which senators, representing the citizens of Rome, wield most of the power. To noblemen like Brutus and Cassius, who consider themselves the equals of Caesar or any other citizen, Caesar's coronation would mean they would no longer be free men but rather slaves. Caesar never explicitly says that he wants to be king—he even refuses the crown three times in a dramatic public display—but everything he says and does demonstrates that he regards himself as special and superior to other mortals. In his own mind, he seems already to be an absolute ruler.
A great Roman general who has recently returned to Rome after a military victory in Spain. Julius Caesar is not the main character of the play that bears his name; Brutus has over four times as many lines, and the play does not show us Caesar's point of view. Nonetheless, virtually every other character is preoccupied with Caesar—specifically, with the possibility that Caesar may soon become king. If Caesar were to become king, it would mean the end of Rome's republican system of government, in which senators, representing the citizens of Rome, wield most of the power. To noblemen like Brutus and Cassius, who consider themselves the equals of Caesar or any other citizen, Caesar's coronation would mean they would no longer be free men but rather slaves. Caesar never explicitly says that he wants to be king—he even refuses the crown three times in a dramatic public display—but everything he says and does demonstrates that he regards himself as special and superior to other mortals. In his own mind, he seems already to be an absolute ruler.
Brutus
A high-ranking, well-regarded Roman nobleman who participates in a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Brutus is motivated by his sense of honor, which requires him to place the good of Rome above his own personal interests or feelings. Thus, he plots against Caesar in order to preserve the republic even though he loves and admires Caesar personally. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believes that Caesar's death will benefit Rome. Brutus's sense of honor is also his weakness, as he tends to assume that his fellow Romans are as highminded as he is, which makes it easy for others to manipulate him.
A high-ranking, well-regarded Roman nobleman who participates in a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar. Brutus is motivated by his sense of honor, which requires him to place the good of Rome above his own personal interests or feelings. Thus, he plots against Caesar in order to preserve the republic even though he loves and admires Caesar personally. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believes that Caesar's death will benefit Rome. Brutus's sense of honor is also his weakness, as he tends to assume that his fellow Romans are as highminded as he is, which makes it easy for others to manipulate him.
Antony
A loyal friend of Caesar's. In contrast to the self-disciplined Brutus, Antony is notoriously impulsive and pleasure-seeking, passionate rather than principled. He is extremely spontaneous and lives in the present moment. As resourceful as he is unscrupulous, Antony proves to be a dangerous enemy of Brutus and the other conspirators.
A loyal friend of Caesar's. In contrast to the self-disciplined Brutus, Antony is notoriously impulsive and pleasure-seeking, passionate rather than principled. He is extremely spontaneous and lives in the present moment. As resourceful as he is unscrupulous, Antony proves to be a dangerous enemy of Brutus and the other conspirators.
Cassius
A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius resents the fact that the Roman populace has come to revere Caesar almost as a god. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that Caesar has become too powerful and must die, finally converting Brutus to his cause by sending him forged letters claiming that the Roman people support the death of Caesar. Impulsive and unscrupulous like Antony, Cassius harbors no illusions about the way the political world works. A shrewd opportunist, he acts effectively but lacks integrity.
A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius resents the fact that the Roman populace has come to revere Caesar almost as a god. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that Caesar has become too powerful and must die, finally converting Brutus to his cause by sending him forged letters claiming that the Roman people support the death of Caesar. Impulsive and unscrupulous like Antony, Cassius harbors no illusions about the way the political world works. A shrewd opportunist, he acts effectively but lacks integrity.
Octavius
Caesar's adopted son and appointed successor. Octavius, who had been traveling abroad, returns after Caesar's death, then joins with Antony and sets off to fight Cassius and Brutus. Antony tries to control Octavius's movements, but Octavius follows his adopted father's example and emerges as the authoritative figure, paving the way for his eventual seizure of the reins of Roman government.
Caesar's adopted son and appointed successor. Octavius, who had been traveling abroad, returns after Caesar's death, then joins with Antony and sets off to fight Cassius and Brutus. Antony tries to control Octavius's movements, but Octavius follows his adopted father's example and emerges as the authoritative figure, paving the way for his eventual seizure of the reins of Roman government.
Casca
One of the conspirators. Casca is a tribune (an official elected to represent the common people of Rome) who resents Caesar's ambition. A rough and blunt-speaking man, Casca relates to Cassius and Brutus how Antony offered the crown to Caesar three times and how each time Caesar declined it. Casca insists, however, that Caesar was acting, manipulating the populace into believing that he has no personal ambition. Casca is the first to stab Caesar.
One of the conspirators. Casca is a tribune (an official elected to represent the common people of Rome) who resents Caesar's ambition. A rough and blunt-speaking man, Casca relates to Cassius and Brutus how Antony offered the crown to Caesar three times and how each time Caesar declined it. Casca insists, however, that Caesar was acting, manipulating the populace into believing that he has no personal ambition. Casca is the first to stab Caesar.
Calphurnia
Caesar's wife. Calphurnia invests great authority in omens and portents. She warns Caesar against going to the Senate on the Ides of March, for she has had terrible nightmares and heard reports of many bad omens.
Caesar's wife. Calphurnia invests great authority in omens and portents. She warns Caesar against going to the Senate on the Ides of March, for she has had terrible nightmares and heard reports of many bad omens.
Portia
Brutus's wife and the daughter of a noble Roman (Cato) who took sides against Caesar. Portia, accustomed to being Brutus's confidante, is upset to find him so reluctant to speak his mind when she finds him troubled.
Brutus's wife and the daughter of a noble Roman (Cato) who took sides against Caesar. Portia, accustomed to being Brutus's confidante, is upset to find him so reluctant to speak his mind when she finds him troubled.
Flavius and Murellus
Two tribunes who condemn the plebeians for their fickleness in cheering Caesar when once they cheered for Caesar's enemy Pompey. Flavius and Murellus are punished for removing the decorations from Caesar's statues during Caesar's triumphal parade.
Two tribunes who condemn the plebeians for their fickleness in cheering Caesar when once they cheered for Caesar's enemy Pompey. Flavius and Murellus are punished for removing the decorations from Caesar's statues during Caesar's triumphal parade.
Cicero
A Roman senator renowned for his oratorical skill. Cicero speaks at Caesar's triumphal parade. He later dies at the order of Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus.
A Roman senator renowned for his oratorical skill. Cicero speaks at Caesar's triumphal parade. He later dies at the order of Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus.
Lepidus
The third member of Antony and Octavius's coalition. Though Antony has a low opinion of Lepidus, Octavius trusts Lepidus's loyalty.
The third member of Antony and Octavius's coalition. Though Antony has a low opinion of Lepidus, Octavius trusts Lepidus's loyalty.
Decius
A member of the conspiracy. Decius convinces Caesar that Calphurnia misinterpreted her dire nightmares and that, in fact, no danger awaits him at the Senate. Decius leads Caesar right into the hands of the conspirators.
A member of the conspiracy. Decius convinces Caesar that Calphurnia misinterpreted her dire nightmares and that, in fact, no danger awaits him at the Senate. Decius leads Caesar right into the hands of the conspirators.
Another Look at Key Characters
Julius Caesar
Although Caesar was one of the strongest individuals in history, Shakespeare presents him with a number of weaknesses. In spite of all of these weaknesses, it is the spirit of Caesar that pervades the whole play. At the end of the play, Brutus says, "Caesar, thou art mighty yet."
Brutus
Brutus is the epitome of all that is gentle and good in man. His sterner qualities make him admirable; his gentler qualities make him lovable. He is one of the finest characters in all of Shakespeare's writing. Had Brutus been less idealistic and less merciful, he no doubt would have been successful in crushing the powerful forces of Caesar. His three mistakes cost him his life, but Brutus feels no enmity, even in death.
Cassius
If ever Shakespeare presented characters in contrast, he does it in molding the conspiracy around Cassius and Brutus. Cassius is the realist, the shrewd contriver, the ambitious one. He is the clever psychologist who knows just how to manipulate Brutus' thoughts and how to bring him into the conspiracy. Cassius is a strong leader, but he has one weakness—his admiration for Brutus. That admiration overrules his better judgment and culminates in his downfall. Without Brutus in the play, Cassius would have emerged as a much stronger leader.
Marc Antony
At the time of Caesar's assassination, Antony was thirty-seven years old. Never taking life very seriously, he led a pleasure-loving existence. Because he was reckless, careless, and handsome, the people loved him. Antony proves himself to be clever when he addresses the crowd after Caesar’s murder and convinces them that Caesar was not ambitious.
Octavius
Octavius was nineteen when Caesar was assassinated and only twenty-one when he and Antony defeated the conspirators at Philippi. Eleven years later, he sent Antony and Cleopatra to defeat and death. Shakespeare wrote about that subject in his play Antony and Cleopatra. Octavius ruled Rome for forty-one years (until 17 A.D.). He was called the august, the grand, the magnificent (Augustus).
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Julius Ceasar Project: A Creative Multi-Media, Music Video with Scenes from the Film
FROM THE STUDENT CREATOR: "This is a video I made using scenes from the Julius Caesar movie, and using the song "Through Glass" by Stone Sour. I am quite proud of how this video came out. Its kind of a sad video, in a way. It's about two friends, one of whom dies. That's a sad ending. (I tried to make some sort of linear storyline to go with the project but it didn't go over all that well. Anyways, enjoy my little video tribute to Julius Caesar.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Julius Caesar Enrichment: Study These Words to Prepare for the ACT/SAT
ACT I
servile
barren
countenance
torrent
infirmity
blunt
portentous
ACT II
taper
spurn
base
augmented
redress
insurrection
visage
affability
imminent
constancy
ACT III
firmament
apprehensive
valiant
beseech
malice
plebians
censure
legacy
orator
ACT IV
chastisement
choleric
repose
apparition
rash
nimbleness
contaminate
bait
covetous
ACT V
cur
misconduct
bestow
legions
vile
disconsolate
entrails
bondage
tarry
servile
barren
countenance
torrent
infirmity
blunt
portentous
ACT II
taper
spurn
base
augmented
redress
insurrection
visage
affability
imminent
constancy
ACT III
firmament
apprehensive
valiant
beseech
malice
plebians
censure
legacy
orator
ACT IV
chastisement
choleric
repose
apparition
rash
nimbleness
contaminate
bait
covetous
ACT V
cur
misconduct
bestow
legions
vile
disconsolate
entrails
bondage
tarry
Friday, February 9, 2007
Julius Caesar: Writing Prompts/Homework
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Study Guide
Homework Questions
Directions: The following questions will be assigned for homework after each act has been read in class and discussed in study groups. Each question will require at least three complete sentences. Write the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure you head your loose leaf paper with the proper act number.
Act I
1. In scene 3 Cassius says of Caesar: "I know he would not be a wolf/But that he sees the Romans are but sheep." Explain what he means.
2. Scene 3 describes many strange happenings in Rome. Why are such events appropriate to the action of the play at this moment?
3. What kind of person is Casca?
Act II
1. What are Brutus' reasons for deciding that it is right to assassinate Caesar?
2. What picture does Shakespeare give us of Brutus' marriage?
3. What does Caesar's habit of referring to himself in the third person tell us about him? (For example, he says, "Shall Caesar send a lie?")
4. What evidence is there in this act that shows both Caesar and Brutus can be influenced by flattery?
Act III
1. Explain how Antony is able to work the crowd up into a frenzy with his speech?
2. What impression does Shakespeare give of the crowd's character in this act?
Act IV
1. How does Brutus react to Portia's death? What do we learn about him from his reaction?
Act V
1. What is said and done in Act V that supports the comment: Brutus' and Cassius' defeat is revenge for Caesar's murder?
Homework Questions
Directions: The following questions will be assigned for homework after each act has been read in class and discussed in study groups. Each question will require at least three complete sentences. Write the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure you head your loose leaf paper with the proper act number.
Act I
1. In scene 3 Cassius says of Caesar: "I know he would not be a wolf/But that he sees the Romans are but sheep." Explain what he means.
2. Scene 3 describes many strange happenings in Rome. Why are such events appropriate to the action of the play at this moment?
3. What kind of person is Casca?
Act II
1. What are Brutus' reasons for deciding that it is right to assassinate Caesar?
2. What picture does Shakespeare give us of Brutus' marriage?
3. What does Caesar's habit of referring to himself in the third person tell us about him? (For example, he says, "Shall Caesar send a lie?")
4. What evidence is there in this act that shows both Caesar and Brutus can be influenced by flattery?
Act III
1. Explain how Antony is able to work the crowd up into a frenzy with his speech?
2. What impression does Shakespeare give of the crowd's character in this act?
Act IV
1. How does Brutus react to Portia's death? What do we learn about him from his reaction?
Act V
1. What is said and done in Act V that supports the comment: Brutus' and Cassius' defeat is revenge for Caesar's murder?
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