Julius Caesar Acts 1-2 (Shakespeare)

How do Flavius and Marullus feel about commoners?

They aren’t happy the commoners . They think of commoners as sheep. The commoners celebrate Caesar instead of showing loyalty to Pompey

How does Caesar respond to the Soothsayer’s warning?

Caesar doesn’t take him serious. Just some lunatic.

How does Cassius feel about Caesar.

He is an ordinary guy yet, people have to worship him

How does Caesar feel about Cassius

He fears him. He isn’t “fat and satisfied”

Why is Brutus’ participation in the assasination so important to Cassius. In what essential way is Brutus different from Cassius.

Brutus is close to Caesar. Brutus is honorable and cares about Rome more than anything

How does Cassius try to win Brutus over? What is it about Brutus that allows this technique to be effective?

Cassius uses flattery. Brutus has more of a personality—> This is a weakness of Brutus.

Why does Caesar refuse the crown?

he wants to seem humble in

Who does Cassius blame for Caesar’s actions? Why?

He blames everybody. Men have the ability to make their own fate. “Fault is not in the stars”

Act 2

What changes to the assassination plan does Brutus reccomend.

1.Everybody wants Cicero except for Brutus→Cicero is undesisive in the plan

2.Everybody views Mark Antony as a threat, Brutus does not. He doesn’t think Mark Antony is much of a threat.

Brutus justifies his actions by comparing Caesar to a serpent’s egg. Is this a good analogy?

No, Caesar is unpredictable. We don’t know for certain if Caesar is definitively going to be a bad ruler. A serpent is a serpent no matter what.

Why does Brutus finally decide to go along with the conspirators? Does his decision prove him honorable?

Brutus cares about the greater good of Rome. There isn’t one definitively good and moral way of doing things because it isn’t great if you kill a person even if it benefits other people.

Characterize Portia and Calpurnia

both are strong women who care about their husbands. Yet, their husbands ignore them. This is ironic because if they listened to them they might have avoided tragedy.

characterize brutus

he cares about the greater good of Rome. He is easy to manipulate because he is easily flattered. He could be considered the tragic hero of the story.

Characterize Caesar

Caesar shows no inclination to take the crown despite the conspirators. His flaw is that he is too full of himself to listen to the omens and threats of his life.

Characterize Mark Antony

Brutus doesn’t see him as a threat as he is just a friend of Caesar but doesn’t seem like he is enough to fight against the conspirators

characterize Cassius

A general of Caesar. He doesn’t like that Caesar has become god-like. He sends fake letters to Brutus to try and persuade him into becoming a conspirator.

Characterize Casca

Opposed to Caesar’s rise of power. Believes Caesar declining the crown is a paper tiger.