Julius Caesar
A Study Guide
PREWRITE
In the space provided write what each
of these words means to you.
POWER
DICTATORSHIP
DEMOCRACY
FREEDOM
SAFTEY
GLORY
THEMES
Fate vs Free Will
Public vs Private Self
Inflexibility vs Compromise
Power
DISCUSSION / ESSAY TOPICS
1. Discuss the attention paid (or not paid) to omens,
nightmares, and other supernatural events. What do the
various responses to these phenomena show about the struggle
between fate and free will in Julius Caesar? Can the play's
tragedies be attributed to the characters' failure to read
the omens properly, or do the omens merely presage the
inevitable?
2. Think about Caesar the mortal man as opposed to Caesar
the public figure. How does he continue to wield power over
events even after he is dead? Do the conspirators succeed in
their goals by killing him, or is Caesar's influence too
powerful to be contained even by his death?
3. How might Caesar be the role model for dictators that
followed like Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Hussein?
4. Though Julius Caesar focuses on the struggles between
powerful men, what role do the plebeians, or common people,
play? Are they as fickle as claimed in the opening scene?
How important is their support to the successes of the
various military leaders and the outcome of the play? The
play depicts Rome at a time of transition between republic
and empire — a time in which, theoretically, the Roman people
are losing their power. What role do the people themselves
play in this transition? How is this similar to modern day
governments and governmental issues?
5. Who is the protagonist in this play? Is it Caesar, who
dies well before the end but whose power and name continue
on? Or is it Brutus, the noble man who falls because of his
tragic flaws?
Before Reading the Play
Politics, Patriotism, and Protest Opinionnaire
From the NCTE Online Discussion Group
1. In light of the 2000 presidential election controversy,
have the students mark “ A gree ” or “ Disagree ” for each of
the following statements, before reading the play.
a. It is never right to kill another person.
b. Political leaders usually act in the best interests of
their countries.
c. If a political leader has done something wrong, it is
acceptable to get rid of him or her by whatever means
necessary.
d. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
e. In certain situations it may be justified for a political
leader to bend or break the law for the good of the country.
f. People should never compromise their ideals or beliefs.
g. My country right or wrong is not just a slogan; it is
every citizen’s patriotic duty.
h. No cause, political or otherwise, is worth dying for.
i. Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant
taste of death but once.
j. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is [often
buried] with their bones.
After Reading the Play
Politics, Patriotism, and Protest Opinionnaire
From the NCTE Online Discussion Group
1. In light of the 2000 presidential election controversy,
have the students mark “ A gree ” or “ Disagree ” for each of
the following statements, before reading the play.
a. It is never right to kill another person.
b. Political leaders usually act in the best interests of
their countries.
c. If a political leader has done something wrong, it is
acceptable to get rid of him or her by whatever means
necessary.
d. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
e. In certain situations it may be justified for a political
leader to bend or break the law for the good of the country.
f. People should never compromise their ideals or beliefs.
g. My country right or wrong is not just a slogan; it is
every citizen’s patriotic duty.
h. No cause, political or otherwise, is worth dying for.
i. Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant
taste of death but once.
j. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is [often
buried] with their bones.
Characters
Prepare a map of all the characters and how they link
together.
CHARACTERS
Julius Caesar:
Casca:
Calpurnia:
Marcus Antonius (Mark Anthony):
Marcus Brutus:
Cassius:
Octavius Caesar: