Name : _____________________________
Julius Caesar Test
100 points
Section I: Quotation Matching (15 points total, worth 1.5 points each)
Directions: Place the letter of the corresponding speaker of the quotation to the left of the
quotation in the space provided. Answers may be used more than once.
1. C “Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look.”
A. Antony
2. K “Think you I am no stronger than my sex?”
Being so fathered and so husbanded?”
B. Brutus
C. Caesar
3. A “O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth.”
D. Calphurnia
4. L “None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.”
E. Casca
5. G “Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time:
But men may construe things after their fashion.”
6. A “I shall remember: When Caesar says 'do this,' it is
perform'd.”
F. Cassius
G. Cicero
H. Cinna
7. D “Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
Do not go forth today.”
8. C “Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.”
9. H “Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! Run hence, proclaim,
cry it about the streets.”
10. B “No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things.”
K. Portia
L. Soothsayer
Section II: True or False (6 points total, worth 1 point each)
Directions: Read each statement below. Place a “T” to the left of the statement if it is true. Place
an “F” to the left of the statement if it is false.
1.T T / F Meter is a recognizable rhythm in a line of verse consisting of a pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables.
2. F T / F Iambic pentameter is a line containing five pairs of iambs for a total of ten syllables. In
the pattern, the stressed syllable is first and the unstressed syllable is second.
3. F T / F Blank verse is a synonym for iambic pentameter.
4. F T / F Situational irony occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience
but not by a character of the play.
5. T T / F Hamartia is a synonym for “tragic flaw.”
6. F T / F Ethos is when the speaker uses facts, reasons, or statistics to persuade the audience.
Section III: Multiple Choice—Literary Terms and Rhetorical Devices (28 points total, 2
points each)
Directions: Identify the literary terms that best describe the following quotation or statement by
placing the answer to the right of the question number in the space provided.
1. B Antony’s speech in which he speaks alone
while standing over Julius Caesar’s corpse
A. Anachronism
B. Aside
C. Monologue
D. Soliloquy
2. A Brutus: “Peace, count the clock.”
Cassius: “The clock hath stricken three.”
A. Anachronism
B. Prose
C. Pun
D. Soliloquy
3. C Cobbler: “Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the
awl. I meddle with no tradesman’s matters nor
women’s matters, but withal I am indeed, sir, a
surgeon of old shoes.”
A. Aside
B. Iambic pentameter
C. Pun
D. Soliloquy
4. A During her conversation with Lucius, Portia
turns to the audience and says, “Ay me, how
weak a thing the heart of woman is!”
A. Aside
B. Monologue
C. Pun
D. Soliloquy
5. C Caesar: “Thrice has Calphurnia in her sleep
cried out, “Help, ho!” They murdered Caesar!”
These lines function as:
A. An anachronism
B. A soliloquy
C. Foreshadowing
D. Verbal irony
6. D Brutus is easily manipulated. Caesar is too
prideful.
A. Anachronism
B. Aside
C. Dramatic irony
D. Hamartia
7. A Caesar does not know that Decius is a
conspirator when Decius convinces Caesar to go
to the Capitol, but the audience does know this
information.
A. Dramatic Irony
B. Situational Irony
C. Tragic Flaw
D. Verbal Irony
8. D Third Plebeian: “Tear him, tear him! Come,
brands, ho, firebrands! To Brutus’, to Cassius’,
burn all! Some to Decius’ house, and some to
Casca’s, some to Ligarius’. Away, go!”
A. Aside
B. Blank verse
C. Iambic pentameter
D. Prose
9. A Antony: “The evil that men do lives after
them; / the good is oft interrèd with their
bones.”
A. Blank Verse
B. Prose
C. Meter
D. Rhythm
10. C Brutus’s speech to the plebeians at Caesar’s
funeral
A. Aside
B. Irony
C. Monologue
D. Soliloquy
11. D In Act ii, scene i, Cassius compares Brutus and
Caesar’s name, telling Brutus to: “Write them
together: yours is as fair a name. / Sound them: it doth
become the mouth as well.”
What rhetorical device does Cassius use to
persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Antithesis
Logos
Oversimplification
Parallelism
12. A In Act II, scene i, Cassius tells the conspirators
that Mark Antony should fall with Caesar, to which
Brutus replies: "Let's be sacrificers, but not butchers,
Caius."
What rhetorical device does Brutus use to persuade
Cassius to let Antony live?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Antithesis
Generalization
Parallelism
Rhetorical Question
13. A In Act III, scene ii, Brutus speaks to the
plebeians and asks them to “Believe me for mine
honor, and have respect for mine honor that you may
believe.”
What kind of argument does Brutus use to convince
the plebeians to listen to him?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ethos
Logos
Oversimplification
Pathos
14. C Giving Caesar’s eulogy, Antony states: “The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was
ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault; And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest, — For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they
all, all honorable men, — Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful
and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable man.”
Why does Antony most likely use repetition in his eulogy?
A. Antony knows the crowd associates Brutus with the word “honor.”
B. Antony wants to emphasize that the honorable Brutus made the right decision to
assassinate Caesar.
C. Antony wants to emphasize the inconsistencies between what Brutus and the
conspirators say about Caesar and what Caesar actually did.
D. Antony wants to emphasize how grateful he is that that Brutus and the other
conspirators allowed him to speak at Caesar’s funeral.
Section IV: Multiple Choice—Themes, Characters, and Plot (20 points total, 2 points each).
Directions: Place the letter that best answers the question to the right of the number in the space
provided.
1. C How many times does Caesar refuse the crown?
A. Once
B. Twice
C. Three Times
D. Four Times
2. A Who is Portia’s father?
A. Cato
B. Ledipus
C. Octavius
D. Pompey
3. B Why does Caesar request Antony “to touch”
Calphurnia?
A. As a sign of respect
B. To increase her fertility
C. To rid her of the falling sickness
D. For good luck in battle
4. C Who is the first conspirator to stab Caesar?
A. Brutus
B. Casca
C. Cassius
D. Decius
5. C How does Caesar initially react to the
Soothsayer’s warning?
A. Caesar asks the Soothsayer to elaborate on
the warning.
B. Caesar calls Brutus to remove the
Soothsayer from the premises.
C. Caesar dismisses the soothsayer as a
dreamer and continues on to the Capitol.
D. Caesar spits on the Soothsayer and moves
on to the Capitol.
6. B In Act II, scene ii, who is the last conspirator to
show up to Brutus’s garden?
A. Decius
B. Ligarius
C. Popilius
D. Publius
7. B Marcellus states: “Many a time and oft Have you
climbed up to walls and battlements, / To towers
and windows, yea, to chimney tops, / Your infants
in your arms and there have sat / The livelong day,
with patient expectations, / To see great Pompey
pass the streets of Rome.”
9. C Speaking of Brutus, Casca states that “O,
[Brutus] sits 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.”
The quotation above best demonstrates which of
the following themes?
Casca is most likely saying which of the
following?
A. The differences between men and women in
Ancient Rome
B. The fickleness of the plebeians’ allegiances
to leaders
C. The lack of support for all political leaders
in Ancient Rome
D. The power of rhetorical devices in speeches
8. B Cassius says to Brutus: “Why, man, [Caesar]
doth bestride the narrow world / Like a Colossus,
and we petty men / Walk under his huge legs and
peep about / To find ourselves dishonorable
graves.”
Why does Cassius describe Caesar with a
metaphor?
A. Cassius wants to emphasize Caesar’s
physical strength in order to persuade
Brutus to join the conspiracy.
B. Cassius wants to emphasize the looming
danger of Caesar’s power in order to
persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy.
C. Cassius wants to emphasize that Caesar will
destroy all politicians that stand in his way
in order to persuade Brutus to join the
conspiracy.
D. Cassius wants to emphasize that Caesar’s
inexperience will lead to a political misstep
and destroy Rome in order to persuade
Brutus to join the conspiracy.
A. Brutus is respected and loved by the
plebeians.
B. Brutus will bring integrity and honor to
the conspiracy.
C. Brutus’s honorable reputation will
make the conspiracy appear to be
honorable to the plebeians.
D. Brutus will use his honorable reputation
to deceive the plebeians to his true
motives for killing Caesar.
10. C When Cassius states that “I know where
I will wear this dagger then: / Cassius from
bondage will deliver Cassius,” he is most
likely saying which of the following?
A. I will kill any Roman I encounter if
I cannot kill Caesar.
B. I will destroy all images of Caesar
in Rome with this dagger if I must.
C. If Caesar becomes king, then I will
kill myself.
D. If Caesar angers me much more,
then I will be forced to kill him
alone.
Section V: Short Answer—Quote Identification (16 points, worth 4 points each)
Directions: Identify the speaker, context, and plot significance of the following quotations.
Item rubric
Speaker:
 1 point: Correctly identifies the speaker
 0 points: Incorrectly or fails to identify the speaker
Context:
 1 point: Correctly identifies the context
 0 points: Incorrectly or fails to identify the context
Plot Significance:
 2 points: Has a clear understanding of the plot significance
 1 point: Has somewhat of an understanding of the plot significance
 0 points: Incorrectly or fails to identify the plot significance
1. “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.”
Cassius is the speaker of the quote. The quote is said in Act I, Scene ii. The quote reflects one
of Cassius’s first attempts to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy to murder Caesar. In his
speech, Cassius ties in the theme of fate by telling Brutus that if Caesar takes the throne and
becomes a tyrant, then it is not an act of fate. Instead, Caesar’s power is a consequence of
Brutus’s free will or his inaction.
2. “Beware the ides of March.”
The soothsayer is the speaker of the quote. The quote is said in Act I, scene ii. The quote is
Caesar’s first warning of the conspiracy. Because Caesar brushes off the soothsayer as a
dreamer, Caesar is one step closer to his death.
3. “And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg— / Which, hatched, would as his kind grow
mischievous/ Which, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous, / And kill him in the
shell.”
Brutus is the speaker of this quote. In Act II, Scene i, Brutus is thinking over his decision
to join the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar before the conspirators join him in his
orchard to finalize the plot. The quote reflects that Brutus’ decision to join the assassinate
Caesar stems from his commitment to save the Roman people from potential tyranny. He
loves his country to much to risk its enslavement.
4. “Et tu, Brute?”
This quote is said by Caesar in Act III, scene I when Brutus stabs him. The quote emphasizes
Brutus’s betrayal of his friend. Caesar is in disbelief that Brutus, known for his honor and
integrity, would be part of a ill-willed conspiracy.
Section VI: Short Essay (15 points total)
Directions: In Act III, scene ii, Brutus defends the conspirators’ decision to assassinate Caesar to
the Roman citizens and Mark Antony accuses the conspirators of murder. Whereas Mark Antony
speaks in blank verse to convince the people, Brutus speaks in prose.
In a well-written response, answer the following prompt in 2-3 paragraphs: What implied
message is Shakespeare conveying about Brutus’s and Antony’s characters and political
motivations through their use of prose and blank verse in their speeches? In your response,
define prose and blank verse. Provide evidence from the play to support your inferences about
Brutus’s and Antony’s characters and political motivations.
Scoring Rubric:
Exemplar (15 points): The response clearly defines prose and blank verse. The response indicates
a high level of understanding of what Shakespeare is conveying about language and how the of
prose and blank verse reflects both Brutus’s and Antony’s characters and political motivations.
Students’ claims about Brutus’s and Antony’s characters and political motivations are directly
supported by events from the play. The response is convincing, meets the length requirement,
and is relatively free from grammatical and spelling errors.
Proficient (10 points): The response vaguely defines prose or blank verse. The response indicates
an understanding of what Shakespeare is conveying about language and how the of prose and
blank verse reflects both Brutus’s and Antony’s characters and political motivations. Students’
claims about Brutus and Antony’s character and motivation are supported by events from the
play, but more significant events would have made the claims stronger. The response develops a
rational position, essentially meets the length requirement, and has some grammatical and
spelling errors.
Unsatisfactory (5 points): The response weakly or incorrectly defines prose and/or blank verse.
The response indicates little understanding of what Shakespeare is conveying about language and
how the of prose and blank verse reflects both Brutus’s and Antony’s characters and political
motivations. Students’ claims about Brutus and Antony’s character and motivation are not
supported by the events from the play or not present. The response does not develop a position,
meet the length requirement, and has numerous grammatical and spelling errors.
No Response (0 points)
Both Brutus and Mark Antony give eulogies for Caesar; however, their speeches differ in
form. Whereas Brutus uses prose, Antony uses blank verse. Prose can be defined as ordinary
speech, with no regular pattern of accentual rhythm or rhyme. Blank verse, on the other hand, is
unrhymed iambic pentameter. While the two forms may seem arbitrary, they serve an implicit
purpose; Shakespeare is conveying subtle messages about Brutus’s and Antony’s characters and
political motivations.
Brutus’s prose aligns with his character and political motivations. He is an honest, moral
man whose political motivations are transparent from the beginning. For example, in Act II,
Scene I, Brutus insists that the conspirators do not swear oaths to commit to the conspiracy
because Brutus believes that words are breakable but a man’s resolute nature is not. Because
prose is the speech of ordinary people, Brutus is speaking as one of the Roman people; he does
not see himself as above the plebeians. In fact, the message of his speech is straightforward: He
killed Caesar to protect his fellow countrymen. The speech’s simple content. Therefore, he
chooses a medium that is simple, which speaks his integrity and credible because he refuses to
hide behind grandiose language. Thus, Shakespeare is emphasizing that the downfall of Brutus is
not his dishonesty; it is his vulnerability to be misled by the crafted rhetoric of not only Cassius
but also Antony.
Like Brutus, Antony’s blank verse reflects his character and political motivations.
Antony’s well-crafted speech uses rhythm that is appealing to the masses and to readers.
Antony’s methodical language ultimately turns the masses against Brutus and his fellow
conspirators; thus, Shakespeare is once again emphasizing the power of language. Shakespeare is
also revealing Antony’s character and political nature to the audience. Antony is hungry for
political power and is willing to deceive to get what he wants. The conniving nature of Antony is
seen when he enters the power struggle for Rome with the help of Octavius. Therefore, it is of
little surprise that Antony relies on flowery iambic pentameter to sweet talk his way into the
graces of the masses.