On
the basis of your reading of the play answer the following questions.
1.
How do the heavens “blaze forth”
the death of Julius Caesar?
2.
What does Calpurnia try to convince Caesar of?
3.
Why does Calpurnia say that Caesar’s “wisdom is consumed
in confidence”? What does she mean?
4.
What does Calpurnia dream about Caesar? How does Decius Brutus
interpret the dream?
5.
What are the arguments put forward by Decius Brutus to convince
Caesar to go to the Capitol?
6.
Why is Decius more successful in persuading Caesar than Calpurnia?
7.
What is the petition put before Caesar by the conspirators? How does
Caesar respond to it?
8.
Who says “Et tu Brute”? When are these words spoken? Why?
9.
In the moments following Caesar’s death what do the
conspirators proclaim to justify Caesar’s death?
10.
Seeing the body of Caesar, Antony is overcome by grief. What does he
say about Caesar?
11.
Whom does Antony call “the choice and master spirits of this
age”? Why?
12.
How do Brutus and Cassius respond to his speech?
13.
Why does Cassius object to allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s
funeral? How does Brutus overcome this objection?
14.
What are the conditions imposed by the conspirators before allowing
Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral?
15.
When he is left alone with the body of Caesar what does Antony call
Brutus and the others?
16.
What
prediction does Antony make regarding the future events in Rome?
17.
What reasons does Brutus give for murdering Caesar?
18.
Who says, “Let him be Caesar”? What light does this throw
on the speaker?
19.
Why is Antony’s speech more effective?
20.
At the end of the scene what is the fate of Brutus and Cassius?
On the basis of your reading of the play answer the following questions.
1. How do the heavens “blaze forth” the death of Julius Caesar?
2. What does Calpurnia try to convince Caesar of?
3. Why does Calpurnia say that Caesar’s “wisdom is consumed in confidence”? What does she mean?
4. What does Calpurnia dream about Caesar? How does Decius Brutus interpret the dream?
5. What are the arguments put forward by Decius Brutus to convince Caesar to go to the Capitol?
6. Why is Decius more successful in persuading Caesar than Calpurnia?
7. What is the petition put before Caesar by the conspirators? How does Caesar respond to it?
8. Who says “Et tu Brute”? When are these words spoken? Why?
9. In the moments following Caesar’s death what do the conspirators proclaim to justify Caesar’s death?
10. Seeing the body of Caesar, Antony is overcome by grief. What does he say about Caesar?
11. Whom does Antony call “the choice and master spirits of this age”? Why?
12. How do Brutus and Cassius respond to his speech?
13. Why does Cassius object to allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral? How does Brutus overcome this objection?
14. What are the conditions imposed by the conspirators before allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral?
15. When he is left alone with the body of Caesar what does Antony call Brutus and the others?
16. What prediction does Antony make regarding the future events in Rome?
17. What reasons does Brutus give for murdering Caesar?
18. Who says, “Let him be Caesar”? What light does this throw on the speaker?
19. Why is Antony’s speech more effective?
20. At the end of the scene what is the fate of Brutus and Cassius?
1.The
heavens “blaze forth” the death of Julius Caesar through
bolts of lightning.
2.
Calpurnia
tries to convince Caesar not to go out of the house that day.
3.
Calpurnia
says this because Caesar decides to go to the Senate ignoring all the
signs which foretell him about danger. What Calpurnia means is that
Caesar is too confident that he can handle any danger. He is ignoring
the warnings, and thus, is not acting wisely.
4.
Calpurnia
dreamed that Caesar’s statue spouted blood from a hundred
places and many Roman people came and washed their hands in it.
Decius Brutus interpreted it as a fortunate dream. According to him,
the dream meant that Rome would get reviving blood from Caesar.
5.
The arguments put forward by Decius Brutus were that the Senate had
decided to present Caesar a crown and if he did not go, then they
might change their minds.
6.
Decius is more successful in persuading Caesar than Calpurnia because
his argument appeals to Caesar’s pride.
7.
The petition put before Caesar by the conspirators is for the
enfranchisement of Publius Cimber. Caesar responds to it by saying
that prayers would have moved him if he could in turn beg in front of
people, but he was as constant as the Pole Star, and he would not
change his decision.
8.
Caesar says “Et tu Brute”. They are spoken when Brutus
stabs Caesar. “Et tu Brute” means “even you,
Brutus”. This shows the shock and grief Cesar felt when he saw
his close friend Brutus stabbing him.
9.
To justify Caesar’s death the conspirators proclaim, “Liberty!
Freedom! Tyranny is dead!”
10.
Antony
says: “O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are
all they conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk
to this little measure?
Fare
thee well.”
11.
Antony
calls the conspirators “the choice and master spirits of this
age”. He says this because they had just killed the leader of
the Roman Empire.
12.
Brutus and Cassius respond to Antony’s speech by becoming
friendly with him. Brutus offers him love, good thoughts and
reverence, and Cassius assures him of equality in the new
administration.
13.
Cassius objected to allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s
funeral because he feared that the crowd might be moved against the
conspirators by what Antony said. Brutus overcomes this objection by
saying that he would allow Antony to speak from the same pulpit and
he would announce that Antony spoke by permission.
14.
The conditions imposed on Mark Antony were that in his funeral speech
he would not blame the conspirators, but speak all good things about
Caesar. He had to speak from the same pulpit as Brutus and tell the
people that he did so by the conspirators’ permission.
15.
When he is left alone with the body of Caesar, he calls Brutus and
the others butchers.
16.
Regarding the future events in Rome, Antony predicts that there would
be civil war, and large scale death and destruction.
17.
The reasons
that Brutus gives for murdering Cesar were that Caesar was ambitious,
and that he (Brutus) did not want Rome to be ruled by a tyrant.
18.
The third citizen says this. The statement throws light on the fickle
nature of the speaker. The crowd has not properly understood the
reason for Caesar’s assassination. They just want another
leader to rule them.
19.
Antony’s speech is more effective because it is more flamboyant
than Brutus’speech. The crowd understands it better than the
plain logical facts given by Brutus.
20.
At the end of the speech, Brutus and Cassius have to run away as the
crowd threatens to burn their houses.
1.The heavens “blaze forth” the death of Julius Caesar through bolts of lightning.
2. Calpurnia tries to convince Caesar not to go out of the house that day.
3. Calpurnia says this because Caesar decides to go to the Senate ignoring all the signs which foretell him about danger. What Calpurnia means is that Caesar is too confident that he can handle any danger. He is ignoring the warnings, and thus, is not acting wisely.
4. Calpurnia dreamed that Caesar’s statue spouted blood from a hundred places and many Roman people came and washed their hands in it. Decius Brutus interpreted it as a fortunate dream. According to him, the dream meant that Rome would get reviving blood from Caesar.
5. The arguments put forward by Decius Brutus were that the Senate had decided to present Caesar a crown and if he did not go, then they might change their minds.
6. Decius is more successful in persuading Caesar than Calpurnia because his argument appeals to Caesar’s pride.
7. The petition put before Caesar by the conspirators is for the enfranchisement of Publius Cimber. Caesar responds to it by saying that prayers would have moved him if he could in turn beg in front of people, but he was as constant as the Pole Star, and he would not change his decision.
8. Caesar says “Et tu Brute”. They are spoken when Brutus stabs Caesar. “Et tu Brute” means “even you, Brutus”. This shows the shock and grief Cesar felt when he saw his close friend Brutus stabbing him.
9. To justify Caesar’s death the conspirators proclaim, “Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!”
10. Antony says: “O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all they conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure?
Fare thee well.”
11. Antony calls the conspirators “the choice and master spirits of this age”. He says this because they had just killed the leader of the Roman Empire.
12. Brutus and Cassius respond to Antony’s speech by becoming friendly with him. Brutus offers him love, good thoughts and reverence, and Cassius assures him of equality in the new administration.
13. Cassius objected to allowing Antony to speak at Caesar’s funeral because he feared that the crowd might be moved against the conspirators by what Antony said. Brutus overcomes this objection by saying that he would allow Antony to speak from the same pulpit and he would announce that Antony spoke by permission.
14. The conditions imposed on Mark Antony were that in his funeral speech he would not blame the conspirators, but speak all good things about Caesar. He had to speak from the same pulpit as Brutus and tell the people that he did so by the conspirators’ permission.
15. When he is left alone with the body of Caesar, he calls Brutus and the others butchers.
16. Regarding the future events in Rome, Antony predicts that there would be civil war, and large scale death and destruction.
17.
The reasons
that Brutus gives for murdering Cesar were that Caesar was ambitious,
and that he (Brutus) did not want Rome to be ruled by a tyrant.
18. The third citizen says this. The statement throws light on the fickle nature of the speaker. The crowd has not properly understood the reason for Caesar’s assassination. They just want another leader to rule them.
19. Antony’s speech is more effective because it is more flamboyant than Brutus’speech. The crowd understands it better than the plain logical facts given by Brutus.
20. At the end of the speech, Brutus and Cassius have to run away as the crowd threatens to burn their houses.
