English II
Julius Caesar Notes—Act V
Name: __________________________
scene i
1.
2.
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9.
setting = the plains of Philippi
l. 53: JC was stabbed 33 times.
In this scene, there is teasing and taunting of each army—lots of sarcasm.
Brutus and Cassius’s armies came to Philippi.
ll. 61-62: Cassius refers to Octavius Caesar as a “peevish schoolboy” because he is 21 years old. Mark
Antony is a “masker” because he made the conspirators think he was faithful to them after JC’s death.
Lepidus is the “reveler” (a person who takes part in a celebration or a feast.)
Today is Cassius’s birthday.
l. 80: “Two mighty eagles fell . . . “ = Brutus and Cassius; “fall” = die (or “fall” from power) This line is an
example of foreshadowing. Ravens, crows, and kites are birds of prey. Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar, and
Lepidus are going to destroy the “eagles.”
l. 88 “ . . . ready to give up the ghost.” is a popular expression.
ll. 115-119 WS brings out emotion by his choice of words in this scene. He uses repetition.
scene ii
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14.
setting = on the field of battle
Messala is a friend of the conspiracy.
Brutus’s army gains advantage over Octavius Caesar’s army. Brutus orders reinforcements.
This scene adds suspense and foreshadowing.
Brutus is confident he can beat Octavius Caesar with a “sudden push.”
scene iii
15. setting = somewhere else on the field of battle
16. Titinius reports to Cassius that the conspiracy’s army is surrounded by Antony’s men, and Brutus’s soldiers
have begun looting.
17. Cassius sends Titinius to determine whether some distant troops are friends or enemies. Nobody trusts
anybody right now. Cassius sends Pindarus to check up on Titinius. Pindarus mistakenly reports that the
enemy has captured Titinius. Cassius orders Pindarus to kill him.
18. ll. 46-47 “Guide thou the sword . . .” Cassius is killed with the same sword that he used to kill Julius Caesar.
Notice the irony of this situation.
19. Now Pindarus (who was once a servant) is now free.
20. ll. 61-63 The sun is setting which reflects the color red. Blood is everywhere. Notice WS’s use of imagery
here.
21. l. 68 “Error, Melancholy’s child” is an example of personification.
22. Pindarus was wrong. (See #17 above.) Cassius’s death was pointless.
23. ll. 90-91 Titinius commits suicide.
24. l. 95 Julius Caesar is still influencing people even though he’s dead.
25. ll. 98-110 Brutus bids a fond farewell to Cassius.
scene iv
26. scene = field of battle
27. Lucilius is impersonating Brutus but later confesses his impersonation (in l. 20).
28. Antony says he knows who his friends should and should not be.
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Julius Caesar, Act V Notes (cont.)
English II
scene v
29. scene = field of battle
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30. Marcus Brutus asks Clitus (pronounced [Kleye tuss]), Dardanius, Volumnius, and then Strato to kill him.
They all refuse except Strato.
31. At this point there are four bodies on stage:
a. Cassius
b. Titinius
c. Young Cato
d. Brutus
32. ll. 34-35 “My heart doth joy . . .” is ironical because Caesar betrayed the betrayer (Brutus).
33. ll. 36-38 Brutus still claims that Julius Caesar’s death was necessary.
34. ll. 50-51 “Farewell, good Strato—Caesar now be still; I killed not thee with half so good a will.” Brutus is
saying in these lines that it was easier to kill himself that it was to kill Julius Caesar.
35. Octavius Caesar is going to take Marcus Brutus’s men into his service.
36. l. 68 Antony calls Marcus Brutus “the noblest Roman of them all.”
37. ll. 68-75 These are really important lines because Antony recognizes the fact that Brutus was the only one of
the eight conspirators who did not do what he did out of “envy of great Caesar.” He became a part of the
conspiracy to murder Caesar “in a general honest thought and common good to all.”
38. ll. 76-81 Octavius offers that Brutus should have “all respect and rites of burial.” During the night Brutus’s
body will be safe in Octavius’s tent.