Julius Caesar Study Questions
p. 222, #15; p. 225, # 9; p. 229, #6; p. 238 #4 a-d, g,
15.
On his arrival at the Senate, Caesar has 30 lines (Act III Scene 1, lines 35-48; 58-73) to speak
before Casca strikes his first blow. Find examples in those lines of:
a.
his pomposity
b. his vanity
c.
his arrogance
d. his affection
e.
his pride
9.
In his address to the mob in the forum (Act III Scene 2, lines 12-44), Brutus speaks in prose,
not blank verse. His words have been described as “a lecture”.
a.
Show from the speech that Brutus knows he enjoys the respect of Roman citizens.
b. Show that he believes the crowd is capable of making rational and just decisions.
o
Show that he believes the crowd is capable of making rational
and just decisions.--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I lovedRome more. Had you rather Caesar were living anddie all
slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to liveall free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;in this quote he is showing that
the crowd can make rational decisions because he sakes the crowed if they want to be living and die all slaves with Caesar
living or rather him be dead and live a free man.
c.
Show that his speech is based on an appeal to reason and logic.
o
Had you rather Caesar were living and
die all slaves, than
that Caesar were dead, to live
all free men?
d. Show that he is proud of his patriotism and his republicanism.
e.
Show that he wishes to act magnanimously. Comment on the wisdom of his approach and assumptions.
Do you think it is reasonable to describe him as politically naïve?
6.
In Act II Scene I, in which Cassius wins over Brutus to the conspiracy, show evidence of
a.
his tact
b. his ability to strike the right note when making his approach.
c.
His willingness to take a second place when it suits him.
4.
Antony shows a masterly control over the fickle nature of the common
people.
a.
Before Antony ascends to the Public Chair
to make his oration, which remark typifies the commoners’ dull-wittedness?
o
He tells them that he is there to burry Caesar and he isn’t
there to praise him so they will listen to what he has to say.
b. Whereas Brutus’s speech appealed to the intellect, Antony’s
is emotional. He ends his opening remarks by choking back tears. How do the people react?
o
They think that he is saying the speech from his heart, and
that he means what he is saying. So they come to believe him and think that he is right
c.
Marullus says of the commoners, “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things”
(Act I Scene I, line 36). Antony says, “You
are not wood, you are not stones, but men” (Act III Scene I, line 140). Explain why Antony’s oratorical approach shows a greater understanding of crowd psychology.
o
It shows the approach better because it shows that they have
feelings too, and that they are worthy of respect.
d. Why does Antony mention the will to the crowd , but
decline at first to read it?
o
He mentions it to them to show how Caesar actually cared about
his citizens, but then declines to read it because he has respect for the man and will not go through his things.
g. The commoners forget the will till Antony
reminds them of it (line 236). What does this tell us of their powers of concentration?
o This tells us that their powers of concentration are very low and can be molded like clay. If you keep
telling them things they will have forgotten of the first thing you told them. They are un-intelligent.
