Name______________________
Gillespie, English 10
Date_______________________
Julius Caesar, Act I scene ii (1.2)
Act I, scene ii (First Half) Lupercalian festival race Caesar leads a procession through the streets of
Rome. A Soothsayer offers a warning to Caesar, a warning that is ignored. Cassius starts to recruit Brutus
towards a conspiracy by implying that Caesar is becoming too powerful.
Read until around line 131. Stop when there is another “flourish” or sound of “fanfare,” namely cheering and yelling. Brutus says,
“Another general shout!”
1. Who is Calpurnia?_____________________________________________________
2. What is Mark Antony doing on this day? ____________________________________
3. Why does Caesar want Mark Antony to touch his wife? (Quote) _________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. What is a soothsayer? ___________________________________________________
5. What is the soothsayer’s warning for Caesar? ________________________________
6. What are “ides”? ______________________________________________________
7. Why has Brutus been acting so weird lately? _________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. What does Cassius mean when offers to be Brutus’ “glass”? ____________________
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9. What does Brutus fear when he hears the crowds cheer? ________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
10. What does Brutus love more than he fears death? ____________________________
11. What is Cassius’ story about swimming with Caesar?________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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12. What is so unfair about this? Caesar has become a god and Cassius must _________
13. What happened to Caesar in Spain? ______________________________________
14. Cassius compares Caesar to what? ________________________________________
15. How would you describe Cassius’ attitude toward Caesar?
Julius Caesar Act I scene ii ( 1.2 continued)
Brutus and Cassius are continuing their discussion. Pay attention to the way Cassius
steers the conversation.
1. What is the Colossus? Who is being compared to the Colossus? __________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What does Cassius mean when he says, “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”?
_______________________________________________________________________
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3. What kind of men does Caesar not like? Why? _____________________ men
because _____________________________________________________________.
4. How does Caesar describe Cassius’ personality? (line ___).____________________
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5. Casca explains what happened to make the crowd scream and cheer. What happened?
(line ___). ______________________________________________________________
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6. What happened to Caesar after the third time? (line ___)._______________________
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7. This scene ends with Cassius delivering a small soliloquy. Explain his plan in the last
lines of the scene.
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8. Define soliloquy.
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