Julius Caesar Study Guide
Act I, scene i
1. Shakespeare starts the play in media res. What does that mean and why is it significant?
2. Why does Marullus rebuke the commoners?
Note: Tribunes= iambic pentameter
Commoners= prose
3. Identify and explain the cobbler’s puns.
123Note: Shakespeare uses the cleverness of the puns- and the fact that Marullus is baffled by them- to show that
the commoners are not brainless beings, but actually quite clever.
4. Why are Marullus and Flavius upset about Caesar’s triumphant return?
Hint: Discuss their fears concerning Rome as well as Pompey (who was, historically, Caesar’s son-in-law
until the death of Caesar’s daughter, Julia).
5. What literary term is illustrated in the following quotation:
“And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way…”?
Act I, scene ii
1. Why does Caesar mention his desire that Calpurnia stand “directly in Antonio’s way”? Why is it
significant in terms of a Caesarian dynasty?
Note: Caesar’s concerns would have been especially understandable to Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience.
Like Caesar, Elizabeth had no apparent heir to the throne. Elizabeth’s death would mark the end of the Tudor
Dynasty, and, without a clear heir, the same type of civil disturbance could arise again. The potential horrors of
an unclear succession were still very fresh in the minds of Elizabethans who remembered the long-lasting and
bloody Wars of the Roses that resulted from two rival branches of the royal family vying for the throne.
Shakespeare was not able to comment directly on his country’s political situation, but through the
theater he provided a sharp commentary that politically aware theatergoers would appreciate.
2. Another Interesting Fact: Caesar’s triumphal entry, Antony’s ceremonial race, and the presentation of
the crown to Caesar happened on the Lupercal, which is in February. The assassination occurred on
_______________. However, the progress of the action makes it seem as if the assassination happened on the
day immediately following his triumphal entry.
3. What fear does Brutus note?
4. According to Cassius, what happened when Caesar and Cassius went swimming in the Tiber? What is
the point of this story?
5. What does Cassius say about fate, free will, and being “underlings”?
Note: The contrast between fate and free will is a recurring theme in the play.
6. What is noticeably different about Casca’s speech pattern compared to Caesar’s or Brutus’s? Why is
this significant? (Hint: think about the content of Casca’s information and its significance.)
7. What two physical ailments of Caesar’s are mentioned in this scene? Why are they significant?
Note: Historically, under Octavius’s reign (as Caesar Augustus), Julius Caesar was declared a god and
Augustus declared the son of a god.
8. In response to the “falling sickness,” what is the meaning of Cassius’s sarcasm?
Act I, scene iii
1. Why do the conspirators plant papers on Brutus’s chair?
2. While some medieval notions were being reevaluated and discarded during the English Renaissance,
others remained. Elizabethans still maintained a firm belief in the “Natural Order,” the hierarchy that
set God above humans, humans above animals, animals above inanimate living things like plants, and
plants above non-living things like rocks. This concept originated with Plato and expressed the idea
that there is a proper order within all things, and among all things, based on complexity, from the
tiniest grains of sand to heaven and God. When everything was in its proper position, there was
harmony.
This “great chain of being” was likewise reflected in the human social structure, in which royalty,
nobility, gentry, and peasantry were not mere social classes but considered almost different species. If
the chain was broken, EVERYTHING was upset and EVERYONE suffered.
Any upset in this great chain was portended by signs and divinations in nature—signs in
the stars, the weather, unusual animal behavior, et cetera. Shakespeare makes much of these signs
in his plays.
Elizabethans, likewise, still maintained their belief in the Divine Rule of Kings, the belief that the
reigning monarch was God’s agent, and to rebel against a reigning monarch was to rebel against God.
To rebel against a reigning monarch was to upset the great chain, and disastrous
consequences followed.
There are four specific things Casca has seen. What are they?
1234Note: Casca believes these events are omens, signs that the gods are displeased with humans: “Either there is a
civil strife in heaven,/Or else the world too saucy with the gods/ Incenses them to send destruction.”
Cassius, on the other hand, relishes the omens and interprets them as signs that Caesar’s ambition has upset the
balance of nature, and the conspirators are justified in their plan to kill him and restore balance.
3. Which quote signifies that Cassius blames Caesar’s power on the weakness of the Romans? Why is this
significant?
Hint: If gods are to blame, then there is nothing mortals can do. But if it is the fault of mortal weakness,
then “stronger men” can take action.
4. Why is it important to the conspirators to have Brutus come in with them?
Act II, scene i
1. What are the “exhalations” by which Brutus reads the letter Lucius delivers? Hint: it is another
example of nature rebelling against the “unnatural” act of regicide.
2. What strategical error do Brutus and Cassius make when they are discussing Caesar’s death? Why
do they commit such a blunder?
3. Why does Portia stab herself?
Act II, scene ii
1. What are the details of Calpurnia’s dream, as recounted by Caesar? How does it foreshadow events to
come?
Act II, scene iii
1. What is the purpose of this scene? How does it provide dramatic irony?
2. How does Artimidorus’s letter advance the theme of fate versus free will?
Act II, scene iv
1. Why do you think Shakespeare going to such lengths to try to warn Caesar?
Act III, scene i
1. What motivates Caesar to say he will not read Artimidorus’s letter first?
2. How does Caesar’s opening of the senatorial session show his self-glorifying, pompous nature?
Hint: “Caesar and HIS senate”
3. Why does Metellus bring a petition to Caesar?
3. Why does Caesar compare himself to the North Star?
4. Who is the first to stab Caesar?
5. Anagnorisis is a moment in a play or other work when a character makes a critical discovery.
Anagnorisis originally meant recognition in its Greek context, not only of a person but also of what
that person stood for. It was the hero's sudden awareness of a real situation, the realisation of
things as they stood, and finally, the hero's insight into a relationship with an often antagonistic
character in Aristotelian tragedy.
How is anagnorisis exemplified by Caesar’s famous lines, “Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!”
What additional blunder do Cassius and Brutus commit?
Act III, scene ii
1. What is the reason Brutus gives for Caesar’s death?
2. Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the
same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel
structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."
Example 1: Not Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much,
and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much,
and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some
warm-up exercises before the game.
Example 2: Not Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be
time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective
buyers. (passive)
Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be
time for him to show his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him
questions.
Find an example of parallelism in Brutus’s speech:
3. Antithesis: A rhetorical term for the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses.
"Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee."
(advertising slogan)
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the
age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season
of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we
were all going direct the other way."
(Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
Find an example of antithesis in Brutus’s speech:
3. Anaphora: a rhetorical device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of
neighboring clauses, thereby lending them emphasis.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the
epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything
before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we
were all going direct the other way...
— Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has
turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed.
Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the
children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue
sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever.
Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity,
of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my
God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these
things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.
— Elie Wiesel, Night
Find an example of anaphora in Brutus’s speech:
4. What is being foreshadowed by Brutus’s ending his speech by saying: “With this I depart, - that as I
slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my
country to need my death”?
4. Write and compare the opening lines of each speech. How are they similar? How are they
different? Why is Antony’s usage of synecdoche more effect?
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a term is used in one of the following ways:

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

Part of something is used to refer to the whole thing, or
A thing (a "whole") is used to refer to part of it, or
A specific class of thing is used to refer to a larger, more general class, or
A general class of thing is used to refer to a smaller, more specific class, or
A material is used to refer to an object composed of that material, or
A container is used to refer to its contents.
5. In which lines does Brutus appeal to the mob’s reason? (logos)
6. In which lines does Antony appeal to the mob’s emotion? (pathos)
How does Antony also employ anaphora in his speech?
At the end of his speech, Antony claims to lack what talent?
What do the reactions of the mob indicate?
Act III, scene iii
1. What does this scene indicate about the decline of the Roman republic?
Act IV, scene i
1. What are Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus doing at the opening of this scene? What is suggested
about their collective and individual characters?
2. How does Antony show himself to be ruthless in this scene? Discuss the simile regarding Lepidus.
Act IV, scene ii
1. What is suggested about the true nature of the Cassius/Brutus friendship?
2. Why does Brutus request that the conference be held inside?
Act IV, scene iii
1. Why is Brutus so outraged at official corruption? What does this indicate about his character?
2. What does Cassius mean when he calls the bribery a “nice offense”?
3. About what do Brutus and Cassius argue? What is the tone of their argument? What is the
significance of their argument in comparison to Octavius and Antony?
4. Why and how did Portia kill herself?
5. What prophecy of Calpurnia’s do Brutus’s and Messala’s letters confirm?
6. What is the significance of the appearance of Caesar’s ghost?
Note: A guilty conscience will cause the appearance of another ghost in Macbeth. Due to the significance of
ghosts in Shakespeare’s plays, the audience now knows that the conflict of this play is not external: not Brutus
versus Cassius or the conspirators versus the triumvirate; but internal: Brutus versus himself.
Act V, scene i
1. What is the significance of the omen Cassius reports he saw?
2. What is being foreshadowed when Brutus tells Cassius, “Think not, thou noble Roman,/ That ever
Brutus will go bound to Rome”?
Act V, scene ii
1. Why does Shakespeare include this scene? What does it reveal regarding Brutus?
Act V, scene iii
1. According to Titinius, why is Cassius’s side losing to Antony’s forces?
2. How does Cassius die? Why?
3. It turns out that Cassius killed himself prematurely. Why?
4. Explain the metaphor Titinius uses to lament Cassius’s death.
Act V, scene iv
1. Why does Lucilius impersonate Brutus?
2. How does Antony respond to the impersonation?
Act V, scene v
1. Why does Brutus commit suicide? Give at least three reasons.
2. How do Octavius and Antony treat Brutus’s body? Why?
3. Typically in Shakespeare’s plays, especially in tragedies and histories, the final speaker is the
character who will restore the order that has been disrupted during the course of the play. What is
significant about the fact that Octavius has the closing lines of the play?
4. What event would you identify as the climax of the play? Why? (Two possible answers)
The Tragic Hero
The tragic hero, according to Aristotle, was a man (god, demi-god, hero, high-ranking official) who
rises to a high position and then falls from that high position—usually to utter desolation and/or death. Two
forces seem equally powerful in classical tragedy: the tragic hero’s tragic flaw (or hamartia) and fate.
Some tragic heroes clearly bring about their own downfall, as in the case of Creon in Antigone, whose
downfall is due to his hubris (excessive pride)—he believes his Law holds precedence over the gods’s sense of
Right.
Other tragic heroes seem to be more a pawn of Fate, like Oedipus who has done everything in his
power (as had his parents before him) to prevent the fatal prophesy from coming to pass that Oedipus would
murder his father and marry his mother. It is in the very act of trying to avoid destiny that he prophesy is
fulfilled.
By the Renaissance, however, people generally felt themselves to be less pawns of fate and more in
control of their own destinies. The Elizabethan tragic hero, therefore, is much more often responsible for his
own downfall. This “waste of human potential” seems to be much more tragic to the Elizabethans than the
vagaries of fate.
Discussion Topics/Questions
1, Why would Elizabethans have considered the slaying of Caesar an unnatural act? Point out how this
idea is reinforced by comments and incidents from the play.
3. Discuss the different reasons for the conspirators’s desires to see Caesar dead. Be sure to
determine motives for each character.
4. The wives of Caesar and Brutus appear only briefly in the play. How does Shakespeare use them?