NAME:_________________________
Julius Caesar Study Guide
I. Vocabulary – Study the following vocabulary:
affable
exalt
lament
augment
flourish
malice
derision
grievous
mutinous
enfranchise
homage
ominous
engender
indignation
prodigious
prostration
reputable
revere
rhetoric
servile
spurn
unassailable
vanquished
vexation
vouchsafe
II. Plot Diagram – Fill in the plot diagram below with the major events of the play.
III. Themes – Discuss each theme as it pertains to the play. Give as many examples as apply.
a. Revenge
b. Deception
c. Fate vs. Free will
d. Power
e. Misconceptions vs. Misreadings
IV. Characters – Give each character a brief description of his/her characteristics as well as
his/her role and importance in the play.
Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Marcus Brutus, Caius Cassius, Octavius Caesar, Calpurnia
Caesar, Portia Brutus, Soothsayer, Plebians
V. Act Summaries – Summarize the events of each act in complete sentences.
Act I:
Act II:
Act III:
Act IV:
Act V:
NAME:_________________________
VI. Essay/Discussion Questions – These questions will be used as either short answer questions
or your essay topics.
 Was Brutus tricked into the conspiracy, or was he making his own choices? What are
Brutus’s reasons for joining the conspiracy? Were these reasons just and noble? Why or
why not? Use examples to explain your answer.
 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? Similarly, is the protagonist here the same as the victim? Which of the two
men is truly the victim in this play? Use examples to explain your answer.
 Compare and contrast the two female characters in the play. What characteristics do they
have in common? What personality traits make them different? What ideas does this play
give us about women in general? Use examples to explain your answer.
 Consider the friendship between Cassius and Brutus, then the friendship between Caesar
and Antony. Are they friends out of necessity or are they truly friends? Which reveals
more about Brutus’ and Caesar’s personalities – their friendships or their marriages? Use
examples to explain your answer.
 What is the significance of the warnings Caesar is given and his response to them? How
about Cinna the Poet? What is Shakespeare suggesting about fate, warnings, and omens?
Use examples to explain your answer.