English II
Julius Caesar Notes—Act III
Name: __________________________
scene i
1.
2.
3.
4.
setting = Rome; before the Capitol
An air of suspense is present in Act III, scene i.
Artemidorus gives Caesar the letter he wrote about who is trying to kill Caesar.
Decius Brutus is trying to focus Caesar’s attention away from Trebonius. Trebonius is to keep Mark Antony
away so he can’t stop the murder of Caesar.
5. The conspirators are afraid that Popilius Lena has discovered what they’re up to. (ll. 22-26)
6. Casca will be the first conspirator to stab Caesar (l. 30).
7. cur = mongrel (dog) (l. 46)
8. Metellus Cimber’s brother, Publius, (l. 53) was banished from Rome. MC wants to ask JC if Publius can
come back to Rome. The purpose of this conversation between these two men is to get close enough for
the conspirators to kill Caesar.
9. enfranchisement- the restoration of the rights of citizenship
10. Caesar criticizes MC for begging for the repealing of the banishment of MC’s brother (Publius).
11. Brutus shows disrespect to Caesar in l. 52 by using the word “thy.”
12. Caesar says, “But I am constant as the Northern Star, . . . “ in l. 60 (SIMILE!). This line means Caesar feels
he is above the gods. How ironic that he says this right before he dies.
13. The tone in ll. 58-73 is anger.
14. One of the most famous lines from this play is l. 78: “Et tu, Brutè? Then fall Caesar.” Caesar says this to
Brutus.
15. Caesar was stabbed 33 times. (Act V, scene i, l. 53)
16. l. 78: “Tyranny is dead!” (Cinna) and l. 83 “ . . . ambition’s debt is paid.” (Brutus) are examples of
personification.
17. ll. 98-102: Brutus says, “Fates, we will know your pleasures. / That we shall die, we know ‘tis but the time /
And drawing days out, that men stand upon (wait for).” Then, Casca says, “Why, he that cuts off twenty years
of life / Cuts off so many years of fearing death.” These lines mean that the Romans have escaped 20 years
of Caesar’s torture (according to the conspirators). (The current literature book lists this line as being said
by Cassius, but several other copies of this play indicate Casca. We’ll learn Casca. )
18. ll. 105-106: Brutus says, “ . . . Stoop Romans, stoop, / And let us bathe our hands in Caesar’s blood . . . “ The
significance of these lines is that Calpurnia’s dream is coming true.
19. ll. 123-137: Antony wants to know from Brutus why he (and the conspirators) murdered Caesar.
20. l. 158: Mark Antony says, “Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke, / Fulfill your pleasure. Live a
thousand years, / I shall not find myself so apt to die; / No place will please me so, no mean of death, / As here
by Caesar, and by you cut off, / The choice and master spirits of this age.”
21. Purple is a symbol for royalty / bravery. This color refers to Caesar.
22. Shakespeare was a master of IMAGERY. He uses the color purple to describe the incredible amount of
Caesar’s royal blood which had been spilled.
23. WS uses the word “smoke” because the conspirators still have Caesar’s warm blood on their hands.
24. ll. 177-178: Cassius is in favor of giving Mark Antony political power.
25. Antony shakes each conspirator’s bloody hand in ll. 184-189.
26. This deed is noteworthy because he is shaking the hands of the murderers of Antony’s dear friend.
27. In ll. 194-210 Antony is praising Caesar.
28. Antony wants three things from the conspirators:
a. why was Caesar murdered
c. speak in Caesar’s funeral
b. prepare Caesar’s body for funeral
29. Brutus feels okay about Antony’s requests.
30. Cassius feels like Antony is dangerous.
31. l. 254: Antony refers to Caesar as “ . . . thou bleeding piece of earth, . . . “ This line is an example of an
implied metaphor.
32. The predictions from Calpurnia’s dream are coming true:
a. l. 263
“civil strife” = fighting (like warriors in the sky)
b. l. 270
“Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge”
men rising up
c. l. 275
“carrion men, groaning for burial”
out of their grave
33. In l. 276, we find that Octavius Caesar is on his way.
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Julius Caesar, Act III Notes (cont.)
English II
scene ii
34. setting = the Forum
35. Notice that WS uses prose when Brutus talks to the plebeians.
36. ll. 22-23: “Not that I love Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” Brutus says this line. He is giving his
reason for why Caesar had to be murdered.
37. ANTONY’S FUNERAL SPEECH: ELEVEN CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE HIS ARGUMENT
EFFECTIVE (ll. 74-138)
1. repetition
a. “Brutus is an honorable man.”
b. “The noble Brutus says Caesar was ambitious.”
c. conspirators = honorable men
2. Antony talks about what JC had done for the commoners.
3. refused crown three times
4. full of emotion
5. no criticism of Brutus
6. offers to read Caesar’s will
7. Antony wants the Roman people to know how much Caesar loved them.
8. Antony gathered the commoners around JC’s body to see the wounds the conspirators made.
9. Antony moves to the commoner’s level.
10. reminisces
11. shows wounds
38. l. 186: “ . . . the most unkindest cut of all . . .” Antony said this line referring to Brutus’s stab (because Brutus
was Caesar’s friend).
39. L. 192 is IRONIC because Caesar had the “falling sickness.” He fell literally and politically.
40. ll. 241-253 Caesar leaves the Roman people four things in his will:
a. 75 drachmas
c. private arbors
b. walks
d. orchards
scene iii
41.
42.
43.
44.
setting = the street
This scene is actually comedic relief (a common feature in a Shakespearean tragedy).
The commoners kill a man (Cinna, the poet) just because he has the same name as a conspirator.
After hearing Antony’s funeral oration (speech) at Caesar’s funeral, the Roman people could be described as
fickle, angry, and vengeful.