Julius Caesar Notes
Puns
“A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.”
The commoner is a cobbler that can fix bad souls.
“I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I recover them.”
The old shoes are referring to old souls in which he helps them from danger.
Metaphors
You blocks, you stones, you wo
Simile
“Like a Colossus, and we petty men”
“The angry spot doth glow on Caesar's brow, And all the rest look like a chidden train.”
Images
“These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing”
“Who else would soar above the view of men”
Iambic Pentameter
You blocks, / you stones, / you worse / than sense / less things. 5 feet
Beware / the ides / of March. 3 Feet
2. Who speaks in poetry? Who speaks in prose? Who speaks in blank verse? why?
The characters of higher rank and class speak in poetry, like Marullus, Flavius, Caesar, Casca, Brutus and Cassius. The commoners speak in prose because they are lower class and they do not deserve to act like higher members of society.
3. Identify at least 5 characteristics found in the characters of Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius.
Caesar- Leader, honest, smart, truthful, generous
Brutus- Noble, Virtuous, Courageous, Honorable, Admirable
Cassius- Dangerous, witty, smart, Power hungry, two faced
6. Our Course will seem to bloody , Caius Cassius (Act III Scene 1, Line 162)
a. Brutus says, "Let's be sacrifices, but nor butchers, Caius." Collect together the expressions used by Brutus which are appropriate to butchery.
“And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood”
“Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords”
“And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads”
b. Brutus says that ideally they should be killing Caesar's spirit, not his body. Look up the words of Caesar's ghost in Act IV Scene 3, lines 281, 282, and 284, and comment on the irony.
“Evil Spirit”
The irony is that Brutus wishes he could kill Caesar’s spirit but instead it kills Cassius.
c. Brutus turns harsh words and phrases into softer ones, to make a savage act seem like a civilized one. How does he choose his words to achieve this?
He tries to make what he is doing seem as though what he’s doing is to save his people.
d. How is Brutus's dismissal of Antony consistent in expression with his earlier imagery?
It is easy to dismiss Antony because he trusts Brutus.
Venn Diagram
Caesar and Brutus have differences and similarities. The similarities between the two are that they are both virtuous and honorable. The differences are that Brutus is righteous and much has good intentions. He is deceived into doing something bad. Caesar is for the people in public but selfish in private. He is self centered and always is thinking about himself. He does not respect his wife and he becomes arrogant when things do not work out for him
Calpurnia and Portia had differences and similarities as well. Both love their husbands and they try to be their for them. Calpurnia dreams of bad things to come and she has visions of things that symbolize Caesar’s death, but he won’t listen. She is also a weak willed woman by depending on others Portia is head-strong and loves Brutus. She respects him and tries to help him. Stubbornly she stabs herself in the leg to prove that she can keep a secret.
8. “Romans, countrymen and lovers” (Act III Scene2, line13)
a. This is a speech based on reason (unlike Antony’s later, which is based on passion). Why does Brutus say the crowd should believe him?
Brutus thought he killed Caesar for the people and that it was something the people wanted because he had read the letters that told him to kill Caesar.
b. How many words can you find that are antithetical (that is, in strong contrast), such as “less”/ “more”, “living”/ “dead”? What is the cumulative effect?
The cumulative affect is if the word is something positive such as lovers then the effect would be something negative such as haters.
c. Many words and phrases are balanced: for example, “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him ; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him”. Find more, and say why they are calculated to win over the crowd.
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”
“I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him”
Brutus’s words won over the crowd because he says that he honored and loved Caesar but he killed him because he loved his people more.
9. “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears” (Act III Scene 2, line 71)
a. Antony uses the word “honourable” to describe Brutus and Cassius eight times. Each time the way in which it is spoken is different, and with a different purpose. Carefully trace the transition from the first “For Brutus was an honourable man” to “They that have done this deed are honourable”, explaining how Antony’s oratory has led the crowd from one point of view to another.
Each time Antony uses the word honourable to describe Brutus and Cassius, he gets more sarcastic to show how dishonorable they were.
b. In his second sentence, Antony says he is content to let Caesar’s good points be buried with his bones. How many good points does he in fact make before this 35-line speech is ended?
There were no good points given by Antony. Instead he focused more on Brutus and why he was so “ambitious.”
c. How does Antony deploy the words “ambition” and “ambitious” to win over the commoners to hid point of view?
Antony uses these words “ambition” and “ambitious” to show how honorable Caesar was when he gave Rome power or when he refused the crown. He also states that Brutus is “ambitious” but he does not really mean it because Brutus was not the one who brought Rome their wealth and he was not the one who turned down the crown.
1. “Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe”
“Mine honour” is being repeated to give epistrophe.
2. “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”
Brutus contrasts his love for Caesar with his love for Rome to give Antithesis.
3. “I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, Who, you all know, are honourable men:”
“Wrong” is being repeated to give epistrophe.
4. “You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;”
“You are not” is repeated to create Anaphora.
5. “For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech, To stir men's blood:”
The sentence makes an isocolon because “nor” is being repeated.
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
“Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause Will he be satisfied”
Caesar talks in the third person view.
b. his vanity
“Are we all ready? What is now amiss That Caesar and his senate must redress?”
Caesar believes that only him and the senate can make things right.
c. his arrogance
“Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause Will he be satisfied.”
Caesar says that he does not make mistakes.
d. his affection
“If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him, I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.”
Caesar tells the people to not praise him.
e. his pride
“I must prevent thee, Cimber. These couchings and these lowly courtesies Might fire the blood of ordinary men,”
Caesar distinguishes himself from being an “ordinary” man.
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.
“Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here; Those that will follow Cassius, go with him; And public reasons shall be rendered Of Caesar's death.”
Brutus tells his citizens to either stay and listen or leave with Cassius.
b. Show that he believes the crowd is capable of making rational and just decisions.
“Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.”
Brutus asks the citizens if he offended them and he gave them the option to reply.
c. Show that his speech is based on an appeal to reason and logic.
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?”
Brutus bases his decision in killing Caesar on the people of Rome.
d. Show that he is proud of his patriotism and his republicanism.
“I depart,--that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.”
Brutus tells his people that he would kill himself if it were for the good of the people.
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?
“Good countrymen, let me depart alone, And, for my sake, stay here with Antony: Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech Tending to Caesar's glories; which Mark Antony, By our permission, is allow'd to make.”
Brutus allows Antony to speak and the people of Rome to praise Caesar.
6. In Act II Scene I, in which Cassius wins over Brutus to the conspiracy, show evidence of
a. his tact
“Yes, every man of them, and no man here But honours you; and every one doth wish You had but that opinion of yourself Which every noble Roman bears of you.”
Cassius tells that he and his men honor Brutus and he wants Brutus to know it for himself.
b. his ability to strike the right note when making his approach.
“And let us swear our loyalty.”
Cassius tries to be loyal to Brutus to make him feel noble and important.
c. His willingness to take a second place when it suits him.
“Still I'm afraid of him,”
Cassius wants Antony to die with Caesar but Brutus denies Antony’s death and Cassius is forced to let Antony live.
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?
'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.”
“Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.”
One citizen says that Antony better not talk bad to Brutus and another citizen wants to hear what Antony 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?
The people begin to understand what Caesar has gone threw and they take Antony’s side.
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.
Antony understands that the crowd is not the smartest of people but he makes them feel essential.
d. Why does Antony mention the will to the crowd , but decline at first to read it?
Antony wants to be sure that the crowd will listen and respect Caesar before he reads Caesar’s will.
g. The commoners forget the will till Antony reminds them of it (line 236). What does this tell us of their powers of concentration?
This shows that the commoners lack concentration and that they need to be reminded often.
17. In his argument with Cassius in Act IV scene 3, Brutus refers to Caesar in terms of both praise and censure. Find the speech and decide whether
a. the praise is consistent with earlier references to Caesar’s qualities and
"Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?"
The praise is not consistent with earlier references.
b. whether the criticism is so major that Brutus should have mentioned it earlier.
The criticism should have been mentioned earlier because Brutus refers Caesar and a noble man.
10. The quarrel scene (Act IV Scene 2) has been belittled by the critic Thomas Rymer in the seventeenth century; praised by John Dryden, his contemporary, for its “masculinity” in the eighteenth century; admired as an example of dramatic genius in the nineteenth century (by Samuel Taylor Coleridge); and dismissed as irrelevant by twentieth century critic Henry Bradley. Read it carefully and decide for yourself
a. Whether Brutus is (i) unrealistic in expecting his allies always to act honorably or (ii) admirable in his inflexible attitude toward corruption.
(ii) admirable in his inflexible attitude toward corruption.
b. Whether Brutus is (i) arrogant and insensitive towards Cassius at the beginning of the quarrel or (ii) properly firm and uncompromising.
(ii) properly firm and uncompromising.
c. Whether Brutus is (i) taunts Cassius or (ii) refuses to be browbeaten by him (Explain your answer)
(ii) refuses to be browbeaten by him
d. Whether Brutus is (i) insultingly cold or (ii) admirable forthright
(ii) admirable forthright
e. Whether Brutus is (i) sober form …”hides wrongs” or (ii) whether he is “armed so strong in honesty” that he cannot compromise.
(ii) whether he is “armed so strong in honesty”
Form an opinion of your own about the character of Brutus as it is revealed in the quarrel with Cassius from its beginning to its height.
10. The quarrel scene (Act IV Scene 3) shows Cassius in many moods.
a. choleric: what are the reasons for his anger, and are they justified?
Cassius was angry because Brutus publicly announced that Lucius Pella for taking bribes.
b. tormented: how does Brutus provoke him , and what does Cassius’s restraint reveal about his personality?
Brutus laughs at Cassius whenever he shows his emotions and Cassius not doing anything shows that he may be afraid of Caesar.
c. passionate: does the passion throw a new light on his character?
The passion does throw a new light on the character because
d. affectionate: how does this show and is it surprising?
Cassius says that he will stab himself and this is not surprising because this is what Cassius always says when things go wrong for him.
e. jocular: which episode brings out a flash of humor, and what is its purpose?
When the poet comes in and tells Brutus and Cassius should love and be friends. The purpose was lighten the mood.
f. sympathetically emotional: would you have expected him to react to Portia’s death in the way he does? How does it compare with Brutus’s own response?
I would have expected Cassius to act way he did to show his sympathy towards Brutus’s loss. Brutus does not seem as surprised as Cassius was.
g. dependent: what evidence is there to show that in his relationship with Brutus, there is another side to Cassius than the one presented before the assassination?
Cassius relenting and agreeing to march to Philippi shows that he can be weak when he is with Brutus.
Identify the following parts of Julius Caesar and post it on your web sites: (Provide an explanation of each stage and where it occurs in the play. If you have problems remembering the terms, go to the top of the page and follow the Greek Tragedy link for definitions.)