Julius Caesar Study Guide Questions English 10 PLEASE use the plot summaries in this study guide, class discussions, and online tools like No Fear Shakespeare to make sense of the play. (http://nfs.sparknotes.com) Act I Due Act II Due Act III Due Act IV Due Act IV Due Tracking Themes due List of Characters 1 1 Bloom, Harold. William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. New York: Chelsea House, 1996. Print. Page 1 of 17
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Tracking Themes (aka big ideas or abstract ideas) Pick one of the following big ideas and track it throughout Julius Caesar. Find at least FIVE different situations in which the word is used and the idea is developed. Record the specific act, line, and scene for each situation. Then translate the line into your own words. Then discuss the line. This means you should evaluation or analyze the ideas suggested in the line: How does the line define the theme? What is Shakespeare saying about glory, love, or power? How does this definition contrast to other definitions throughout the text? Do you agree or disagree? Why? AMBITION CONSPIRACY COWARDICE DECEPTION ENVY FATE FRAILTY GLORY HEROISM HONOR/HONOUR IDEALISM LEADERSHIP LOVE LOYALTY MANHOOD PATRIOTISM POWER REALISM REVENGE Tips: Listen for the word in class and record lines each day. Search the full text of the play at http://shakespeare.mit.edu/julius_caesar/full.html o Use the Find function (control-f or command-f) to build a big ideas quotations bank and search all five acts. o Search using other parts of speech (for example, coward or cowardly instead of cowardice or deceive for deception) or synonyms (e.g. for envy, try jealousy). Example: Theme/Word Selected: honor a. If it be aught toward the general good, set honor in one eye and death i' the other and I will look at both indifferently. said Brutus to Cassius (I. ii. 86-89). Translation: Brutus tells Cassius if it would be good for Rome he would look at honor and death fairly or without opinion and do what Cassius needs even if it requires his own death. In other words, he would accept death to maintain honor. Analysis: Shakespeare is suggesting Rome and honor are more important than self preservation for Brutus. This pushes readers to consider the definition: Is honor worth dying for? Is it always honorable to die for your country? What if the death is for a false cause? Theme/Word Selected: a. ( ) Translation: Discussion: Page 3 of 17
b. ( ) Interpretation: Discussion: c. ( ) Interpretation: Discussion: d. ( ) Interpretation: Discussion: e. ( ) Interpretation: Discussion: Page 4 of 17
Tracking Persuasive Strategies Identify three different places in the play when characters use persuasive strategies. Find at least one example of each strategy. Ethos a. ( ) b. ( ) Logos a. ( ) b. ( ) Pathos a. ( ) b. ( ) Page 5 of 17
Act I Summary 2 Act I, scene i 1. Give two reasons why Flavius scolds the citizens. a. b. 2. List two words or phrases Murellus uses to describe the crowd of working people. a. b. 3. What does Flavius want to do about Caesar? Give two reasons you know this. a. b. Act I, scene ii 4. The Fortune-Teller warns Caesar to beware the ides of March. What does this mean and how does Caesar react to the warning? 2 Scott, Mark W., ed. Shakespeare for Students: Book I. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. Print. Page 6 of 17
5. What reasons does Brutus give for being harsh and distant lately? 6. Cassius tells Brutus that many men wish that noble Brutus had eyes in his head. What does Cassius insist that Brutus cannot see? 7. What does Brutus fear when he hears the crowd shouting? 8. Cassius says, What a shame for this age we live in! What does he mean by this? 9. Caesar is suspicious of Cassius. List four qualities in Cassius that Caesar does not like. a. b. c. d. Act I, scene iii 10. Casca reports that he has seen many unnatural wonders this night. List four of his observations. a. b. c. d. 11. According to Cassius, what is the real cause of these unnatural events? 12. Explain why Casca wants Brutus to join the conspiracy? Page 7 of 17
Translation Activity 3 Directions: 1. Read the passage below aloud two different times (Act I, scene ii, lines 135-150) 2. Translate each line by writing what the line means below it. 3. Respond to Questions for Analysis. Context: Cassius, a nobleman and a senator, shares thoughts about Julius Caesar. Act I, scene ii, lines 135-150 Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. 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. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that Caesar? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? Write them together, yours is as fair a name; Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; 3 From Teaching Julius Caesar: A Differentiated Approach 2010 Lyn Fairchild Hawks Page 8 of 17
Weight them, it is as heavy; conjure with em, Brutus will start a spirit as son as Caesar. Now in the name of all the gods at once, Upon what meat does this our Caesar feed That he is grown so great? Questions for Analysis: (Prove all answers with specific detail.) 1. What is Cassius s attitude toward Caesar? 2. What is Cassius encouraging Brutus to do? What does Cassius want Brutus to believe? 3. What methods does Cassius use to convince Brutus? 4. What character traits does Cassius seem to have? Page 9 of 17
Act II Summary 4 Act II, scene i 13. What is written in the letters that Lucius finds on Brutus s bed? 14. What reason does Brutus give for not swearing an oath of secrecy? 15. Cassius suggest that Anthony should also be killed. Why does Brutus oppose this idea? 4 Scott, Mark W., ed. Shakespeare for Students: Book I. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. Print Page 10 of 17
16. How will Decius persuade Caesar to go to the Capitol? Act II, scene ii-iii 17. Several strange events scare Calphurnia. List four of them. a. b. c. d. 18. What reason does Caesar give for not being afraid of death? 19. Why do the fortune-tellers advise Caesar to stay at home? 20. What message does Caesar tell Decius to give the senators? 21. According to Decius, what is the real meaning of Calphurnia s dream? 22. List the eight people Artemidorus names as conspirators. Act II, scene iv 23. Write the words Portia speaks that show Brutus has told her his secrets. 24. What information does Portia ask Lucius to bring from the Capitol? 25. What does Portia blame for her weakness? Page 11 of 17
Act III Summary 5 Act III, scene i 26. What does Caesar s refusal to pardon Metellus brother show you about Caesar? 27. Write Caesar s dying words below. 28. Brutus thinks the conspirators did Caesar a favor by killing him because 29. Anthony makes three requests of Brutus and Cassius. List them below. a. b. c. 5 Scott, Mark W., ed. Shakespeare for Students: Book I. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. Print. Page 12 of 17
30. Anthony warns that Caesar s murder will cause terrible events to happen. List four of his warnings below. a. b. c. d. Act III, scenes ii-iii 31. What reason does Brutus give the crowd for killing Caesar? 32. After listening to Brutus speech, what does the crowd wants to do? 33. After listening to Antony, what does the crowd call the conspirators? a. b. c. 34. In his will, Caesar leaves each citizen And to all of Rome, he leaves 35. What messages does Antony s servant bring him? Page 13 of 17
Act IV Summary 6 Act IV, scene i 36. Which relatives of the three leaders are among the prescribed people? 37. How does Antony want to change Caesar s will and why? 38. What does Octavius mean when he says we are chained to the stake? Act IV, scenes ii-iii 39. Brutus refers to Cassius as a warm friend cooling. What does Brutus mean? 40. Why do Cassius and Brutus go inside Brutus tent to talk? 6 Scott, Mark W., ed. Shakespeare for Students: Book I. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. Print Page 14 of 17
41. Of what does Brutus accuse Cassius? 42. Cassius says he is weary of living. What does he ask Brutus to do? Page 15 of 17
Act V Summary 7 Act V, scene i 43. What does Cassius mean when he says, Now, Brutus, you have only yourself to thank? 44. What sign makes Cassius fear the coming battle? 45. What do Cassius and Brutus agree to do if they lose the battle and why? Act V, scenes ii-iii 46. Why does Titinius take his own life? 47. Why does Brutus refer to Cassius and Titinius as the last of all the Romans? 7 Scott, Mark W., ed. Shakespeare for Students: Book I. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. Print Page 16 of 17
Act V, scene iv-v 48. What does Brutus ask Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius to do? How do they respond? 49. Why does Octavius invite all of Brutus soldiers to join his own men? 50. In what way does Antony honor Brutus? Page 17 of 17