Julius Caesar
Act 1
Procedures
Have students preview and predict the story by
identifying symbols on slide 3 and answering the
question. Call on them to share their predictions.
Review the symbols and then print copies of the fill in
the blank summary and quickwrite for students to fill
in as they listen to the play.
Quickwrite responses can be collected and read as a
summation for the day or to open class the next day.
The answers to the fill in the blank summaries are
provided at the end.
Preview and Predict
Match each of these symbols with their
meanings. Answer the question below.
1. Fire
A. King
2. Lion
B. War
3. Owl
C. Foreshadows trouble
4. Storm
D. Assassin
Will Caesar will heed these warnings? Justify
your position.
Symbols and Signs
This play is full of signs and symbols.
The lion is a symbol of the King, Caesar,
A storm foretells troubling times
The owl is a symbol of the assassin who wants to take Caesar
out of power
Fire predicts war
Listen for these signs and symbols and notice whether Caesar
heeds them
Julius Caesar
Fill in the Blank Summary and Questions
Act 1 Scene 1
1.___________ and 2.___________ ask the
local workers why they aren’t working.
The 3.___________ jokingly answers that “he
is a mender of soles.”
4.___________ is not amused. He and
Flavius make the workers go home.
They scold the workers for being fickle,
celebrating Caesar when just a few weeks ago,
everybody celebrated 5.___________, who
Caesar just killed.
Act 1 Scene 1
All the people seem to want is a party.
Murellus and Flavius warn of a
6.___________ because the people are
celebrating a tragedy.
Murellus and Flavius take down the
7.___________ and fake crowns.
Act 1 Scene 2
Caesar is enjoying the celebration.
He asks 8.___________ to touch Calpurnia before his
celebration run. This will cure her inability to have
children.
Cassius and 9.___________ talk alone about their fears
about Caesar.
Cassius says that 10.___________ is a poor swimmer an
prone to fevers. In other words, he is weak.
Cassius says they should be the “masters of their own
11.___________” and take power.
Act 1 Scene 2
Caesar shows up saying 12.___________ is dangerous
because he reads too much, is skinny, and doesn’t smile a
lot.
13.___________ and Cassius notice everyone is upset about
something.
14.___________ tells Brutus and Cassius that Caesar put
on a show of refusing the crown three times and offered to
let the crowd cut his throat.
The crowd, full of smelly commoners, went wild with
cheering. Their breath stank so bad that 15.___________
passed out. In truth, he had a seizure.
Act 1 Scene 2
No one noticed but those close by.
The 16.___________ were especially wild about Caesar’s
antics, thinking it was a great show.
Cassius asks 17.___________ to dinner.
18.___________ plans to get Brutus to join the
assassination attempt on Caesar.
A 19.___________ warns Caesar of March 15, the Ides of
March.
Caesar ignores him.
Act 1 Scene 1
Flavius and Murellus ask the local workers why they
aren’t working.
The cobbler jokingly answers that “he is a mender of
soles.”
Murellus is not amused. He and Flavius make the
workers go home.
They scold the workers for being fickle, celebrating
Caesar when just a few weeks ago, everybody
celebrated Pompey, who Caesar just killed.
Act 1 Scene 1
All the people seem to want is a party.
Murellus and Flavius warn of a plague
because the people are celebrating a
tragedy.
Murellus and Flavius take down the
decorations and fake crowns.
Act 1 Scene 2
Caesar is enjoying the celebration.
He asks Antony to touch Calpurnia before his
celebration run. This will cure her inability to have
children.
Cassius and Brutus talk alone about their fears about
Caesar.
Cassius says that Caesar is a poor swimmer an prone
to fevers. In other words, he is weak.
Cassius says they should be the “masters of their own
fates” and take power.
Act 1 Scene 2
Caesar shows up saying Cassius is dangerous because
he reads too much, is skinny, and doesn’t smile a lot.
Brutus and Cassius notice everyone is upset about
something.
Casca tells Brutus and Cassius that Caesar put on a
show of refusing the crown three times and offered to
let the crowd cut his throat.
The crowd, full of smelly commoners, went wild with
cheering. Their breath stank so bad that Caesar
passed out.
In truth, he had a seizure.
Act 1 Scene 2
No one noticed but those close by.
The women were especially wild about Caesar’s
antics, thinking it was a great show.
Cassius asks Casca to dinner.
Cassius plans to get Brutus to join the assassination
attempt on Caesar.
A soothsayer warns Caesar of March 15, the Ides of
March.
Caesar ignores him.
Quickwrite
If Caesar had actually heeded the warning to "beware the Ides
of March," could he have changed the course of events that
day?
Write response on index card and hand in before you leave.
Act 1 Scene 3
Casca and Cicero meet, talking of the night’s
strange events.
A lion was seen at the Capitol, an owl was out
during the day, a storm blew up, a slave’s left
hand was on fire, and men on fire walked the
streets.
Cassius persuades Casca to join the conspiracy.
Cassius plans to forge letters from the common
people to Brutus asking Brutus to take Caesar
out of power.
Summation
Caesar pays little attention to the signs and
symbols around him. This is partially because
he is too vain to believe anyone would possibly
challenge him. This will lead to his downfall.