Julius Caesar Shakespeare

ACT ONE: It’s a Pun! Opens with Flavius and Marullus talking to some commoners. The cobbler gives them some trouble with his play on words, e.g., soul/sole.

ACT ONE: Time to Party! Caesar has returned from defeating Pompey. Time to celebrate!

ACT ONE: Good Omens? ACT ONE: BAD Omens! The soothsayer makes a prediction… “Beware the Ides of March!”

ACT ONE: New King, new King! We learn that Caesar was offered the crown three times. And that Cassius thinks that Caesar is not only a total wuss, but a threat to the republic. On the other hand, his bff, Brutus, should be leading the people.

ACT ONE: Time to Duel! (But not really.) Cassius uses FLATTERY! It is somewhat effective. BRUTUS

ACT ONE: Good Omens? Cicero says that there are a bunch of terrible things happening. Surely these are bad omens this time. Cassius says no. Only for people like Caesar who is a bad person to begin with. Cassius continues to try to use flattery to capture Brutus.

How does the play open? What is the significance of Flavius and Marullus’ observations? What is the significance of Brutus’ statement: “What means this shouting? I do fear the people / Choose Caesar for their king.” What might this foreshadow? Why does Cassius think Caesar is weak? What were examples of Caesar’s weaknesses? What are some examples of bad omens throughout the play? What might they foreshadow? How is flattery used in the play? Be specific.

ACT TWO: Brutus is married and it’s not to Cassius. What?! Okay, okay, we shouldn’t be surprised. This play was written in 1599. So Portia wants to know what is happening because she has noticed that Brutus has been sighing a lot. She thinks she deserves to know since they are MARRIED, Brutus. MARRIED. He says he will tell her, but then The Conspirators show up to discuss The Plan.

ACT TWO: The Plan It’s worth noting that the conspirators are all hiding their faces. (They’re not holding lightsabers, though.) There’s a lot of back and forth on whether or not to kill Antony. Brutus decides Antony should be allowed to live. He’s motivated by logic, honor, and maybe a little bit of naiveté.

ACT TWO: I’mmm dreaminggg of a....... stab-y stab-y death for Caesar Calpurnia has a HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE dream about March 15th. Caesar is all ready to stay home and watch TV, but then a conspirator, Decius, shows up and is like, “Women, am I right?” And Caesar traipses off to his death. Moral of the story: Don’t put some random bro above your wife. You’ll end up stabbed 33 times.

ACT TWO: Everybody knows. Except Caesar Artemidorus knows what’s up and he has a letter to prove EVERYTHING. He’s ready to give the letter to Caesar and cut this play super short. (Scene 3) Meanwhile, Portia sends her servant, Lucius, to check on what’s going on at the meeting. The servant is super confused until she tells him to be on the lookout for Suspicious Behavior. The Soothsayer shows up and is like, “Don’t worry, I’ll try to talk to him.” But she’s still worried. (Scene 4)

Why does Brutus finally decide that Caesar must die. Be specific Why does Brutus finally decide that Caesar must die? Be specific. What threat does Caesar pose to the republic? Why does Brutus decide against killing Antony along with Caesar? Do you think Brutus and Cassius have sufficient grounds to topple Caesar, even though much of their apprehension seems to be based on premonitions rather than Caesar’s bad deeds? Why? Who is Calpurnia and what does she dream about?

Format There are a couple things you should know about how to use quotes from a play. You’ll need to know this in the future, so pay attention. Quotes are written like this: “Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now / It is not for your health thus to commit / Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.” See those / marks? Those show the breaks in the lines. Act.Scene.Line Number(s) 2.1.234-236

Lines Find the following: 2.1.214 2.1.94 1.3.40