by William Shakespeare Name:
Characters
1.
Julius Caesar: Caesar is a leader in both in the military and the senate. His recent victories lead the people to offer him the crown, but he refuses. Other leaders fear he will become ambitious and thus view him as a threat.
2.
Octavius Caesar: Octavius is Julius Caesar’s adopted son and heir apparent. After Caesar’s death he rules Rome with
Marc Antony and Lepidus as part of the triumvirate.
3.
Marcus Antonius: Loyal to Julius Caesar, Marcus Antonius seeks revenge against the conspirators and shows some ambition of his own. Referred to as Marc Antony.
4.
M. Aemilius Lepidus: He is a member of the triumvirate. Lepidus seems to have less power than either Marc Antony or Octavius Caesar although Octavius relies on him considerably.
5.
Cicero: Cicero is a member of the Roman senate who is known for delivering excellent speeches. He is unaware of the conspiracy.
6.
Publius: Publius is another member of the Roman senate.
7.
Popilius Lena: Popilius Lena is unaware of the conspiracy. He is also a member of the Roman senate.
8.
Marcus Brutus: Dedicated to preserving freedom in Rome by preventing the rise of a sovereign, Marcus Brutus overcomes his loyalty to Caesar for what he believes is the greater good. Referred to as Brutus.
9.
Cassius: Cassius is a Roman general who conspires against Julius Caesar, using treachery and deceit to accomplish his own desires.
10.
Casca: Casca is a Roman who dislikes Julius Caesar and works to persuade Brutus and Cassius that Caesar’s ambition will destroy Rome.
11.
Trebonius: Trebonius is a member of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar.
12.
Ligarius: Ligarius is also a member of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar.
13.
Decius Brutus: Decius Brutus is a member of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. He plays a big role in the plot.
14.
Metellus Cimber: Metellus Cimber is a member of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar.
15.
Cinna: Cinna is also a member of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar.
16.
Flavius & Marullus: As elected officials, Flavious and Marullus fault the masses for switching their allegiances quickly and easily. These tribunes are punished for anti-Caesar activities.
17.
Cinna, a poet: Cinna is a poet who unfortunately shares the same name as one of the conspirators.
18.
Calpurnia: Calpurnia is the wife of Julius Caesar. She fears for his safety, but, ultimately, her pleas cannot overcome his wishes.
19.
Portia: She is the wife of Marcus Brutus. Portia senses Brutus’ unease but is unable to help him.
Literature Terms:
1.
Foreshadow: hint or clue about something that will happen in the play
2.
Dramatic Irony: knows something that the characters do not
3.
Shakespearean Tragedy: exposition, rising action, and resolution/denouement
or turning point, falling action, climax,
4.
Tragedy: play depicting serious & important events, in which the main character comes to an end
5.
Tragic flaw: a serious character that may lead to the character’s downfall
6.
Tragic hero: a man who rises to a high position and then from that high position - usually to utter desolation and/or death. Two forces seem equally powerful in the classical tragedy – the tragic hero’s flaw and fate.
7.
Blank verse: iambic pentameter
8.
Simile: comparison of two
9.
Metaphor: comparison of two unlike things
things using “like, as, resembles, or than”
using “like, as, resembles, or than”
10.
Iambic pentameter: 5 syllables stressed and 5 syllables unstressed (Total of syllables)
11.
Couplet: 2 consecutive or back-to-back lines of poetry that
12.
End-stopped line: a line punctuation (period, comma, dash, etc.)
1

13.
Run-on line: a line punctuation
Intro to Julius Caesar p.831-832
1.
In a time of chaos, a great leader rises to power by promising to order. He rewards his followers who have helped him. Soon he grows so powerful and arrogant that even his followers no longer trust him and conspire to kill him. In the hands of William Shakespeare, this true story from history became a great tragic drama, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
2.
Explain the triumvirate – the who and what.
3.
Caesar considered himself a defender of . His critics said that he gained the people’s support with
4.
How did Cleopatra influence Caesar?
5.
Upon returning from Rome, Caesar was declared
6.
Explain his statue.
7.
When did certain senators plan to assassinate Caesar?
.
for 10 years.
8.
The new government, the second triumvirate, was composed of Caesar’s closest followers:
.
9.
Who was the succeeding emperor? What was his relation to Caesar?
Elizabethan Stage p.835-837
1.
Sets needed to be
2.
The costumes were very
3.
Plays were in the
4.
All actors were
and were not
.
.
.
. Women’s clothing was concealing, and women wore elaborate wigs and powdered faces, allowing the younger boys to pull off the ruse.
5.
How many people attended a play?
6.
Describe the physical qualities of The Globe.
Act I, Scene I
Plot Summary
Act I, Scene II p.846 (lines 12-24, 78-322)
1.
Explain how Calpurnia’s barrenness reflects the concerns of Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience.
2.
What does Caesar tell Antony to do during the race and why?
3.
What does the Soothsayer tell Caesar?
4.
What does Brutus fear when he hears the crowds shouting?
5.
Describe Caesar’s two physical ailments that are viewed as weaknesses.
6.
What does Caesar think about Cassius?
2

7.
Who offers Caesar the crown?
8.
What happened to Flavius and Marullus?
Plot Summary
Act I, Scene III
1.
Explain why the conspirators plant papers on Brutus’ chair.
2.
What the 5 things does Casca see that upset him?
3.
What do the senators plan to do the next day?
4.
What is the message behind Cassius drawing his dagger?
5.
On whom does Cassius blame Caesar’s power?
6.
What is Cassius’ plan to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy?
Plot Summary
Act II, Scene I
1. According to Brutus, why is it is necessary that Caesar be killed?
2. What actions does Lucius perform that help the plot unfold?
3. What is Brutus’s internal conflict?
4. Why does Brutus disagree about taking an oath?
5. Why does Metellus think it would be a good idea to ask Cicero to join the conspiracy?
6. Why does Brutus say they should not ask Cicero to join the conspiracy?
7. What does Brutus say about killing Marc Antony?
8. What reason does Cassius give for why Caesar might not come out of his house today?
9. By what method does Decius say he will use to get Caesar out of the house?
10. Why is Portia, Brutus’s wife, worried about Brutus?
11. How does she prove her strength to Brutus?
Plot Summary:
Act II, Scene II
1.
Describe the types of evidence Calpurnia offers to support her assertion that Caesar should stay home? a.
Natural - b.
Supernatural – Soothsayer’s
3

c.
Personal – her
2.
Summarize Calpurnia’s dream.
3.
How does Decius Brutus interpret the dream for Caesar?
Plot Summary:
Act II, Scene III
1.
What does Artemidorus plan to do?
2.
Who are the conspirators named (lines 1-4)
Act II, Scene IV
1.
Why is Portia so nervous?
2.
What does Portia want Lucius to do?
3.
What does the soothsayer tell Portia?
Act III, Scene I
1.
Why doesn’t Caesar read Artemidorus’ letter first?
2.
What pretense do the conspirators use to circle around Caesar?
3.
What does Casca mean when he says, “Speak, hands, for me!”?
4.
What are Caesar’s last words?
5.
What does Antony do immediately on hearing the news of Caesar’s death?
6.
What do the conspirators do with Caesar’s blood?
7.
What 2 requests did Antony make regarding Caesar’s funeral?
8.
Why does Antony send word for Octavius not to come to Rome yet?
Plot Summary:
Act III, Scene II (lines 12-29, 75-109, 175-198, 240-254)
1.
Explain Brutus’ reason for Caesar’s death.
2.
Describe the mood of the crowd when Brutus finishes his speech.
3.
What does Brutus offer at the end of his speech?
4.
List 3 points about Antony’s speech that work to persuade the crowd to turn on the conspirators.
5.
How does Antony describe Brutus during the speech?
6.
According to Antony, what does Caesar’s will say?
7.
Describe the crowd’s reaction to Antony’s speech.
4

Plot Summary:
Act III, Scene III
1.
What happens to Cinna the Poet?
Plot Summary:
Act IV, Scene 1
1. Who are the members of the second triumvirate?
2. What kind of list are the three making at the beginning of the scene?
3. What does Antony say they will do to Caesar’s will?
4. What is Antony’s opinion of Lepidus?
5. What reason does Antony give letting Lepidus help in choosing who shall die?
Plot Summary:
Act IV, Scene 2:
6. Why does Brutus suggest that he and Cassius talk inside the tent?
Plot Summary:
Scene 3:
7. Why is Cassius mad at Brutus?
8. What does Brutus accuse Cassius of?
9. For what has Brutus asked Cassius that he did not receive?
10. What does Brutus refuse to do as a means to raise money for his army?
11. How does Portia die?
12. Explain the disagreement that Brutus and Cassius have about the battle strategy?
13. Who wins the argument?
5

14. What unexpected visitor does Brutus see when everyone else is asleep?
Plot Summary:
Act V, Scene 1 p.947
1. About what do Octavius and Antony argue?
2. What is significant about this day for Cassius?
3. What are two things Brutus says he will never do, even if he loses the war?
Plot Summary:
Act V, Scene 2 p.953
4. How does Brutus feel about the battle at this point?
Plot Summary:
Act V, Scene 3 p.953
5. Who wins the first battle?
6. What does Cassius send Titinius to do?
7. Why does Cassius decide to kill himself?
8. How does Cassius’s death help Pindarus?
9. What mistake caused Cassius’s death?
10. What does Titinius do when Messala goes to inform Brutus of Cassius’s death?
Plot Summary:
Act V, Scene 4 p.957
11. What happens to Cato?
12. Who does Lucilius pretend to be?
13. What happens to Lucilius?
Plot Summary:
Act V, Scene 5 p.959
14. What does Brutus ask Clitus, Dardanius, and Volomnius to do?
15. How does Brutus die?
16. According to Marc Antony, why is Brutus better than the other conspirators?
Plot Summary:
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