Julius Caesar Acts IV and V Test Review

Act IV, Scene 1

►At the beginning of Act IV, the Second Triumvirate (Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus) set a ruthless mood when they are deciding which senators to kill. At one point, Antony and Lepidus agree that they will kill their own relatives.

► Antony and Lepidus. Antony and Lepidus.

►Antony does not think that Lepidus is worthy to be a member of the Second Triumvirate.

► At one point Antony compares Lepidus to his horse and says that the only reward he should receive is a daily meal

Act IV, Scene 3: Plan of Attack

Many will find that Cassius’ plan is logical because Cassius has shown himself to be a shrewder judge of people and situations. However, others may believe that Brutus’ that Brutus’ argument is persuasive and he is more aware of the impending danger.

Falling Action

-Brutus’ decision to advance to Philippi rather than wait suggests a desire to get it over with

-This leads us to believe that events are proceeding quickly and represents that falling action of the play.

Anachronism

something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time. (ex. Brutus asking Lucius for a book when they would have been reading from a scroll during that time period.)

What happened to Cicero in the play? Was he ever a part of the conspiracy?

A soldier brings a message to Brutus and Cassius informing them that Cicero has been killed. Cicero was not a member of the conspiracy.

Caesar’s ghost haunting Brutus that they will meet again on the fields of Philippi is an example of what?

foreshadowing

Act IV Summary

► Scene 1 opens sometime after Caesar’s death in Rome, where Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus now rule as a triumvirate, although not without conflict (Antony doesn’t like Lepidus).

► After exchanging grievances in the brief second scene, Brutus and Cassius each unleash a flood of emotions that charges the third scene and the falling action of the tragedy with intensity. They quarrel explosively over bribes and money for troops, but eventually reconcile and repledge their love.

► Before the night ends; however, Caesar’s Ghost appears to Brutus with a chilling warning.

Act V

-At the beginning of Act V, Octavius, Antony, Cassius, and Brutus all meet to discuss the rules of engagement

-Brutus and Cassius ridicule Octavius for being too young to fight in this kind of battle

By the end of scene 1, Octavius agrees to fight Brutus and Antony agrees to fight Cassius.

Who says, “I will not lay my sword down until another Caesar adds the deaths of the traitors to the general slaughter.”

Octavius

What is Assonance?

the repeated used of the same vowel sounds.

Foreshadowing

-Brutus’ top general is Lucillius

Cassius’ top general is Messala and his best friend is Titinius

-Cassius tells Messala that it is his birthday and informs him of a recent bad omen: ravens, crows, and other scavenger birds circle over the troops as if the men were diseased and weak prey.

Preparing for Battle

-Cassius walks back to join Brutus and comments that the future looks uncertain; if they lose, they may never see each other again. Cassius asks Brutus if Brutus would allow himself to be led through Rome as a captive should they lose. Brutus replies that he would rather die than go to Rome as a defeated prisoner; he declares that this day “must end that work the ides of March begun”

Cassius’ Death

-Cassius stands on a hill with Titinius, watching the battle

-Cassius notices a series of advancing troops in the distance; he gives Titinius his horse and instructs him to find out whose troops they are. Titinius obeys and rides off.

-Titinius, riding hard, is soon surrounded by the unknown men; he dismounts the horse and the unknown men cheer. Cassius assumes that his best friend was captured, whereupon Cassius assumes that his best friend had been captured, whereupon Cassius gives his sword to a soldier, covers his own eyes, and asks the soldier to kill him. The soldier complies. Dying, Cassius’s last words are that, “Caesar has now been revenged by the very sword that killed him.”

Titinius’ Death

-In actuality, Titinius was not captured, but instead had run into Messala’s men and had a joyful reunion. Titinius and Messala return to the top of the hill, where they find Cassius dead. Messala leaves to tell Brutus what has happened, and Titinius realizes the confusion and kills himself.

Brutus’ Death

Brutus sits with his few remaining men. He asks them to hold his sword so that he may run against it and kill himself. He says the Ghost of Caesar has appeared to him on the battlefield, and he believes that the time has come for him to die.

-His men urge him to flee, and he tells them to leave and he will follow.

-He then asks one of his men to stay behind and hold the sword so that he may yet die honorably. Impaling himself the sword, Brutus declares that he acts on motives twice as pure as those with which he killed Caesar, and that Caesar should consider himself avenged.

Who said: “Caesar, now be still. / I killed not thee with half so good a will”

Brutus

honorable men

-Antony speaks over Brutus’ body, stating that, “Brutus was the noblest Roman of all: while the other conspirators acted out of envy of Caesar’s power, Brutus acted for what he believed was the common good. Brutus was a worthy citizen, a rare example of a real man.” Octavius adds that they should bury him in the most honorable way and orders the body to be taken to his tent, which symbolizes Octavius leading Rome into a peaceful period.