Sri Venkateshwar International School

Sector-18, Dwarka, New Delhi-78

English Worksheet- X

JULIUS CAESAR

WRITER-WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Summary:

The play opens with a crowd celebrating the victory of Julius Caesar over the sons of Pompey. Julius
Caesar along with his wife celebrate the feast of Lupercal where a soothsayer warns him to beware
of Ides of March. Antony offers the Crown to Julius Caesar but he refuses the offer three times which
the commoners love. Cassius tries to poison the mind of Marcus Brutus to stand against Julius
Caesar. The tricky words of Cassius succeed in drawing Brutus into the conspiracy. Casca, who is very
superstitious gets afraid of thunder, lightning, and storm over the night. Cassius being cunning
interprets the bad omens in such a way that Casca also joins the conspirators.

Brutus becomes double-minded and confused to choose between his friend Julius Caesar and the
well-being of Romans. Ultimately, he chooses the latter and the plan for the murder of Caesar is
made. The following morning of the 15th of March, the wife of Julius Caesar tries to stop him as she
has seen some bad omens last night. Artemidorous, who is a good wisher of Julius Caesar tries to
stop him by giving him a letter but Caesar did not bother reading it. Julius Caesar reaches the Senate
being unaware of the conspiracy and firstly Casca and Brutus in the last stab him to death. Brutus
calms down the public by acting very wisely after the death of Julius Caesar. Mark Antony gives a
diplomatic speech to enrage the crowd against the conspirators.

The conspirators flee to Asia to save themselves and prepare to attack the supporters of Julius
Caesar. Cassius uses unethical means to collect money which starts a quarrel between Cassius and
Brutus.

Character Sketches:

Brutus

A supporter of the republic who believes strongly in a government guided by the votes of senators.
While Brutus loves Caesar as a friend, he opposes the ascension of any single man to the position of
dictator, and he fears that Caesar aspires to such power. Brutus’s inflexible sense of honour makes it
easy for Caesar’s enemies to manipulate him into believing that Caesar must die in order to preserve
the republic. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believes that
Caesar’s death will benefit Rome. Unlike Caesar, Brutus is able to separate completely his public life
from his private life; by giving priority to matters of state, he epitomizes Roman virtue. Torn between
his loyalty to Caesar and his allegiance to the state, Brutus becomes the tragic hero of the play.

Julius Caesar

A great Roman general and senator, recently returned to Rome in triumph after a successful military
campaign. While his good friend Brutus worries that Caesar may aspire to dictatorship over the
Roman republic, Caesar seems to show no such inclination, declining the crown several times. Yet
while Caesar may not be unduly power-hungry, he does possess his share of flaws. He is unable to
separate his public life from his private life, and, seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization
and idolization of his image, he ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing himself as
eternal as the North Star.

Antony

A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in
order to save his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he
spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as
a traitor. With tears on his cheeks and Caesar’s will in his hand, Antony engages masterful rhetoric to
stir the crowd to revolt against the conspirators. Antony’s desire to exclude Lepidus from the power
that Antony and Octavius intend to share hints at his own ambitious nature.

Cassius

A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius dislikes the fact that Caesar has
become godlike in the eyes of the Romans. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that Caesar has become
too powerful and must die, finally converting Brutus to his cause by sending him forged letters
claiming that the Roman people support the death of Caesar. Impulsive and unscrupulous, Cassius
harbours no illusions about the way the political world works. A shrewd opportunist, he proves
successful but lacks integrity.

Portia

Brutus’s wife; the daughter of a noble Roman who took sides against Caesar. Portia, accustomed to
being Brutus’s confidante, is upset to find him so reluctant to speak his mind when she finds him
troubled. Brutus later hears that Portia has killed herself out of grief that Antony and Octavius have
become so powerful.

Calpurnia

Caesar’s wife. Calpurnia invests great authority in omens and portents. She warns Caesar against
going to the Senate on the Ides of March, since she has had terrible nightmares and heard reports of
many bad omens. Nevertheless, Caesar’s ambition ultimately causes him to disregard her advice.

Octavius

Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor. Octavius, who had been traveling abroad, returns
after Caesar’s death; he then joins with Antony and sets off to fight Cassius and Brutus. Antony tries
to control Octavius’s movements, but Octavius follows his adopted father’s example and emerges as
the authoritative figure, paving the way for his eventual seizure of the reins of Roman government.

Casca

A public figure opposed to Caesar’s rise to power. Casca relates to Cassius and Brutus how Antony
offered the crown to Caesar three times and how each time Caesar declined it. He believes, however,
that Caesar is the consummate actor, lulling the populace into believing that he has no personal
ambition.
Metellus Cimber

A citizen of Rome whose brother was banished by Caesar before the events of the play take place. He
is also one of the conspirators. On the Ides of March, he pleads with Caesar to terminate his
brother’s banishment but Caesar refuses, claiming that his opinion is as “constant as the Northern
Star” and that trying to change his opinion is as impossible as lifting the weight of Mount Olympus.

Please note:

Ides of March, day in the ancient Roman calendar that falls on March 15 and is associated with
misfortune and doom. It became renowned as the date on which Roman dictator Julius Caesar was
assassinated in 44 BCE and was further immortalized in the tragedy Julius Caesar by English dramatist
William Shakespeare. In the play, a soothsayer warns Caesar to “beware the Ides of March.”

A. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow?

(i) Caesar Cowards die many time before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. Of
all the wonders that, I yet have heard. It seems to me most that men should fear: seeing that
death, a necessary end, come when it will Come.

(a) Whom is Caesar speaking to? Why does he say these words?

(b) What fears has the listener expressed?

(c) What is the basis for the fears expressed?

(ii) But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar: I found it in his closet, ‘it’s his will: Let but the
commons hear this testament- which, pardon me. I do not mean to read— and they would go and
kiss dead Caesars wounds.

(a) Who speaks these words?

(b) Where is the speaker at this moment?

(c) Why does the speaker read Caesar’s will to the citizens?

(d) What is the reaction of the listeners to the will?

B. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.

(a) What does Calpurnia dream about Caesar? How does Decius Brutus interpret the dream?
(b) What are the arguments put forward by Decius Brutus to convince Caesar to go to the Capitol?
(c)Who says ‘Et tu Brute When are these words spoken? Why?
(d) In the moments following Caesar’s death what do the conspirators proclaim to justify Caesar
death?
(e) Seeing the body of Caesar, Antony is overcome by grief. What does he say about Caesar?
(f) Who says, “Let him be Caesar”? What light does this throw on the speaker?
(g) Why is Antony’s speech more effective?

B. Answer the following questions in 100-120 words.

1. Discuss the power of speech and/or the written word in Julius Caesar.
2. Discuss the power of deception and manipulation in Julius Caesar.
3. In all the chaos of Julius Caesar, is there a single voice of reason? If so, who? Please explain
your answer citing details from the text.