The Tragedy of Julius Caesar: Guided Reading Notes
Act I, Scene I
1. What is the setting?
2. Who are the Tribunes? What is a Tribune?
3. Look carefully at the appearance on the page of the speeches of Flavius and Marullus.
Contrast these with the appearance of the speeches of the commoners. Why do they look
different?
4. The commoners use many puns. Find examples:
5. What is the reason for the celebration of the commoners?
6. Who was pompey?
7. How are the commoners characterized by the Tribunes? What would Machiavelli say?
8. What reference to alchemy can you find?
9. Flavius gives Marullus instructions to do what?
10. He plans to do what?
11. What’s the name of the holiday? How do we celebrate it today?
12. What’s the metaphor applied to Caesar with which the scene ends? What does it mean?
Act I, Scene II
1. At the first of the scene, why are the speeches staggered across the page?
2. Look for clues to Antony’s character & note line number.
3. What does Caesar tell Antony to do? Why?
4. What’s a soothsayer?
5. What’s Caesar’s reaction to him?
6. Note line numbers that reveal Brutus’ character. Cassius’.
7. Of what does Cassius complain in lines 33-37?
8. What metaphor does Brutus use to describe his mental state?
9. What would Machiavelli say Cassius is attempting to do in his speech to Brutus? What does
Cassius say he is? The Metaphor?
10. What line describes the behavior of a hypocrite?
11. What does Brutus fear?
12. What does Brutus say his major concern is?
13. What’s a Homeric simile? Find an example of one.
14. Who is Aeneas? Why did Vergil write the Aneid?
15. What metaphor does Cassius use to describe Caesar?
16. What simile does Cassius use to describe Caesar?
17. Give three examples of weakness in Caesar.
18. What line presents an answer to the old conflict of predestination vs. free will?
19. Find a line that means almost the same as “A rose by any other name would smell as
sweet.”
20. “Age, thou art shamed.”
“Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods.”
These lines contain two examples of the literary device known as _________________.
21. What line proves that Brutus had already considered striking against Caesar?
23. How is Casca characterized?
24. Why does Caesar think Cassius is dangerous? How does he characterize him?
25. List proof of Caesar’s doubt of Cassius.
26. What does Casca say is the reason for Caesar’s and Ciccro’s anger?
27. What is anachrorism? Find one.
28. What is the falling sickness? Explain the pun.
29. Casca compares the multitude to what?
30. How would you characterize the crowd?
31. Note how Casca’s speeches look on the page - - why?
32. What happened to Flavius and Marullus?
33. When Cassius in line 311 says “think of the world” , the world is _____________________.
34. What is a soliloquy or monologue? What do we learn from Cassius’ monologue?
35. Another reference to alchemy.
36. What does Cassius feel will convince Brutus to join him? What would Machiavelli say is the
basis of this plot?
Act I, Scene III
1. How much time has passed?
2. What two archetypes are mentioned as reasons for the weather?
3. What does the weather foreshadow?
4. What strange events has Casca to report?
5. What does Cicero inquire about Caesar?
6. What’s Casca’s attitude toward the gods?
7. How does Cassius insult Casca?
8. How does he interpret the strange events?
9. What does Cassius say to Casca that’s similar to what he says to Brutus?
10. How does he characterize the Romans? The metaphor?
11. If Caesar becomes king, what restriction is to be placed on him?
12. What will Cassius do if Caesar is crowned?
13. What’s a praetor?
14. How Confident is Cassius that Brutus will join them?
15. What’s Casca’s opinion of Brutus?
Act II, Scene I
1. What’s the setting?
2. In Brutus’s soliloquy, what idea is repeated?
3. What metaphors does he use to describe Caesar?
4. What does Lucius find?
5. What does Brutus read?
6. What metaphor does he use to describe his sleeplessness?
7. Why does Brutus criticize the men at his door? What would Machiavelli say?
8. What is Casca’s pun on the rising sun?
9. What is Brutus’s opinion of the oaths?
10. Mettellus wants Cicero, why?
11. Brutus rejects him, why?
12. Decius asks what would would to Machiavelli be an important question. What is Cassius’s
response? Brutus?
13. What synecdoche is used in relation to Antony?
14. What is Brutus’s characterization of Antony?
15. Another anachronism?
Act II, Scene II
1. What is the setting?
2. What has Calpurnia been doing?
3. Caesar sends his servant on what errand?
4. What does Calpurnia beg him not to do?
5. What reasons does she give for asking?
6. On what philosophical basis does Caesar refuse to listen?
7. With what belief does she counter his argument?
8. What’s Caesar’s comment on cowards?
9. What metaphor does Caesar use to describe danger?
10. What does Caesar tell Decius to tell the Senators is the reason for his not coming?
11. What was Calpurnia’s dream? How does Decius interpret it?
12. What does Decius say about the Senate?
13. What is Caesar’s description of Antony?
14. What is an aside?
Act II, Scene III
1. Who is Artemidorus?
Act II, Scene IV
1. How does Portia characterize herself? Women?
Act III, Scene I
1. What is the setting?
2. What’s Caesar’s attitude toward the soothsayer? Artimedorus?
3. On what pretext does Metellus petition Caesar? What is Caesar’s reaction to him? Hubus?
4. What metaphor does Caesar use to explain why he won’t change his mind?
5. What’s Olympus?
6. Et Tu, Brute? What does it mean?
7. What does Cinna scream to the crowd? What would Machiavelli say?
8. What does Brutus assure the Senators of with his statement “ambition’s debt is paid.”
9. What gross act of symbolism does Brutus suggest?
10. How does Shakespeare insert one of his attitudes into the scene?
11. Antony sends a servant to ask what of Brutus?
12. What is Brutus’s answer? Cassius?
13. What question or concern does Antony express upon his arrival?
14. What does Brutus assure Antony?
15. How does Cassius try to win him?
16. In shaking hands with the conspirators, Antony says they must have one of two possible
opinions. What?
17. What metaphor does Antony use for Caesar?
18. Before Antony joins the conspiracy, Brutus must agree to what term?
19. Brutus agrees on what condition?
20. What is Antony’s opinion of Caesar?
21. What is the metaphor for Caesar’s wounds?
22. What does Antony predict for Rome?
23. What information (two parts) is Octavius’s servant to pass on to Octavius?
Act III, Scene II
1. What do you notice about the appearance of Brutus’ speech?
2. On what points does Brutus appeal to the people? Plot them!
3. What’s a rhetorical question?
4. What’s the reaction of the crowd?
5. Plot the appeals of Antony. Look at the appearance of his speech.
6. What’s the reaction of the crowd?
7. Who has come to Rome?
8. What happened to Cassius and Brutus?
Act III, Scene III
1. What’s the purpose of this scene?
____________________________________________________________YOUR QUESTIONS
Act IV, Scene I
1. Who are the three men in this scene? What is their importance?
2. What’s Antony’s characterization of Lepidus?
3. What does Octavius say of him?
4. What do we learn of Brutus and Cassius?
5. With what metaphor does the scene end?
Act IV, Scene II
1. What’s the setting?
2. What do we learn about Cassius?
3. What is the simile for “hollow men”?
4. Why does Brutus insist on going into the tent before speaking with Cassius?
Act IV, Scene III
1. Why is Cassius angry with Brutus?
2. Why is Brutus angry with Cassius? What’s his metaphor for it?
3. For what cause was Caesar killed?
4. How does Brutus characterize Caesar?
5. What is Cassius’ controlling humor?
6. What’s a second reason for Brutus’ anger with Cassius?
7. Brutus refuses to get money by what means?
8. What does Cassius expect of a friend?
9. What’s Brutus’ answer?
10. With what ploy does Cassius try to win Brutus?
11. What is Brutus’ philosophy to which Cassius refers?
12. How did Portia die?
13. What is Brutus’ reaction? How do you explain his reaction?
14. What is Cassius’ reaction to her death?
15. What has been learned from letters about Octavius and Antony?
16. What’s proscription?
17. Note again the attitudes to Portia’s death.
18. What is the discussion on strategy or logistics?
19. What metaphor does Brutus use to support his opinion?
20. What biblical story should the scene with Brutus and Lucius remind us of?
21. What does Brutus see? What does he learn? His Attitude?
More to follow….