Act V, Scene I

1. Which hopes of Octavius are “Answered”?

(a) The conflict between Brutus and Cassius (b) The armies of the conspirators’ advance towards Philippi
(c) The surrender by the armies of the conspirators (d) None of the above

2. What reason does Antony give for the enemy’s advance towards Philippi?
(a) To hide their fears and show their unity (b) To hide their conflict and show their unity
(c) To show their patriotism and friendship (d) None of the above.

3. Cassius compares Antony’s sweet words with which of the following?

(a) Honey made by Sybla bees (b) Honey made by Olympus bee,
(c) Honey made by Hybla bees (d) None of the above

4. When does Octavius say his sword will go back into its sheath?
(a) When Caesar’s ghost will disappear (b) When thirty-three wounds of Caesar have been avenged
(c) When another Caesar will appear (d) When he becomes Caesar

5. Who has been described by Cassius as “A peevish schoolboy”?

(a) Marcus Brutus (b) Mark Antony (c) Lucius (d) Octavius Caesar

6. With whom has Cassius compared himself in this scene?

(a) Brutus (b) Pompey (c) Caesar (d) Lucius

7. Cassius has changed his mind about the doctrine of Epicurus regarding which of the following?
(a) Superstitions (b) Ghosts (c) Republicanism (d) Omens and Premonitions

8. Who according to Cassius has formed a “canopy most fatal” over their heads?
(a) Two huge eagles (b) Crows and kites (c) Enemy soldiers (d) None of the above

9. How does Brutus define Cato’s act of committing suicide?

(a) Mean and short-sighted (b) Sensible and timely (c) Low and cowardly (d) None of the above

10. Why would Cassius and Brutus smile at each other if they meet again?
(a) It will be after their victory over their enemies (b) It will be their farewell meeting
(c) It will mark an end of their differences (d) It will be in front of their armies.
Workbook: Xavier Pinto

1. Octavius They mean to warn us at Philippi here / Answering before we do demand of them
Antony Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know / Wherefore they do it: they could be content / To visit other places;
and
come down / With fearful bravery, thinking by this face / To fasten in our thoughts that they have
courage; / But ’tis not so.
(i) Who are “they” referred to in line 1? What warning would they give? From where would they come to Philippi?
“They” refers to Brutus and Cassius, the leaders of the opposing forces.
The warning they would give is their intention to engage in battle at Philippi.
They would come down from the hills and upper regions where Octavius and Antony expected them to stay.

(ii) Give the meaning of:

(a) Answering before we do demand of them: This means that Brutus and Cassius are preparing for battle before being
provoked or challenged by Octavius and Antony.
(b) I am in their bosoms: This means that Brutus and Cassius are preparing for battle before being provoked or challenged
by Octavius and Antony.

(iii) Whose military strategy has dictated that the battle should take place at Philippi? What had Brutus argued regarding
this strategy?
Brutus dictated the strategy that the battle should take place at Philippi.
He argued that they should march to Philippi to confront their enemies before the enemy’s strength could grow, opposing
Cassius’s more cautious approach.

(iv) What did Octavius hope that the enemy would do? What according to him is the intention of the enemy?
Octavius hoped that the enemy would stay in the hills and upper regions, avoiding direct confrontation.
According to him, the enemy intended to come down with a show of bravery, trying to give the impression of courage.

(v) What, according to Antony, is the planning of the enemy? Why does Antony feel so confident that he knows what the
enemy intends to show?
According to Antony, the enemy plans to show a brave face, hoping to make Octavius and Antony believe they are
courageous.
Antony feels confident because he believes he understands their minds and motives, knowing they are actually fearful
rather than truly brave.

2. Cassius Now, Brutus, thank yourself: / This tongue had not offended so today, / If Cassius might have rul’d.
Octavius Come, come, the cause: If arguing make us sweat. / The proof of it will turn to redder drops. / Look, – / I
draw
a sword against conspirators; / When think you that the sword goes up again? / Never, till Caesar’s three-
and-thirty wounds / Be well aveng’d; or till another Caesar / Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
(i) Whose is the “tongue” of which Cassius speaks? Give the substances of what the tongue had said which so “offended”
Cassius.
The “tongue” Cassius refers to is Mark Antony’s.
Antony had just insulted the conspirators, particularly Brutus and Cassius, by accusing them of betrayal and murder.
Antony described how the conspirators, especially Brutus, pretended to honour Caesar while secretly plotting his
assassination, even going as far as to mock them for their hypocrisy, calling them “flatterers” who acted like apes and
hounds.

(ii) Give a brief explanation of the earlier episode that Cassius is referring to when he reminds Brutus that he has only
himself to thank for the present situation
Cassius is referring to an earlier moment when he had urged Brutus to allow him to kill Antony along with Caesar. Brutus,
however, had refused, arguing that they should not appear as butchers and that Antony was no threat without Caesar.
This decision ultimately backfired, as Antony incited the people against the conspirators and now stands ready to avenge
Caesar’s death.

(iii) Give the comments made by Cassius, in his next speech, when he scornfully describes Octavius.
In his next speech, Cassius scornfully describes Octavius as “a peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,” and associates
him with Antony, whom he calls “a masker and a reveller.” This reflects Cassius’s disdain for Octavius, whom he sees as
immature and undeserving of the power and responsibility he holds.

(iv) What does Octavius mean by “the cause”? State in your own words the meaning of the last two lines of the passage
—“or till another Caesar… sword of traitors.”
Octavius refers to “the cause” as the reason or justification for the battle against the conspirators, which is avenging
Caesar’s death.
In the last two lines, Octavius means that he will not sheathe his sword until either Caesar’s death is fully avenged or until
another leader (symbolized as “another Caesar”) continues the battle to punish the traitors.

(v) Was Octavius successful in his task of vengeance? How does the play end?
Yes, Octavius was successful in his task of vengeance. The play ends with the defeat of Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of
Philippi. Both Brutus and Cassius commit suicide rather than be captured. Octavius and Antony emerge victorious, with
Octavius taking control of Rome, paving the way for his eventual rise as Emperor Augustus.

3. Cassius Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign / Two mighty eagles fell’; and there they perch’d, / Gorging and
feeding from our soldiers’ hands; / Who to Philippi here consorted us: / This morning are they fled away
and gone; / And in their stead do ravens, crows, and kites / Fly o’er our heads, and downward look on us, /
As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem / A canopy most fatal, under which / Our army lies, ready to
give up the ghost.
Messala Believe not so,
(i) In this extract, Cassius narrates something he has seen. What is it? Did he believe in the significance of such things
earlier in his life? Why?
Cassius describes how, on the previous day, two mighty eagles had perched on their ensign and fed from the soldiers’
hands. However, on the morning of the battle, the eagles had fled, and in their place, ravens, crows, and kites flew over
their heads, casting ominous shadows.
Earlier in his life, Cassius did not believe in omens or superstitions, as he followed the philosophy of Epicurus, who
dismissed such signs as irrelevant. However, now he has changed his mind and partly believes in these presages, indicating
a shift in his mindset due to the gravity of the situation.

(ii) Give the meaning of: “As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem/ A canopy most fatal.” What do these lines signify?
The phrase “As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem / A canopy most fatal” means that the birds (ravens, crows, and
kites) are circling over them as if they were weak and dying prey, ready to be devoured. Their shadows, cast on the army
below, resemble a fatal covering or a shroud, symbolizing impending death or doom. These lines signify Cassius’s belief
that the army is on the brink of defeat and death.

(iii) What did Cassius see on the previous day and on that particular morning? What do these signs signify?
On the previous day, Cassius saw two mighty eagles perched on their ensign, feeding from the soldiers’ hands. However,
on the morning of the battle, the eagles were gone, replaced by ravens, crows, and kites flying overhead.
These signs signify a bad omen, indicating that the favour of the gods has left them, and their army is likely to face defeat
and death.

(iv) How can you conclude from what Cassius says, a little later, that he was prepared for a possible defeat?
Cassius expresses that he is “resolved to meet all perils very constantly,” and he discusses with Brutus the possibility of this
being their final conversation if they lose the battle. He acknowledges the uncertainty of human affairs and suggests they
prepare for the worst outcome. This acceptance of potential defeat shows that Cassius is mentally prepared for the
possibility that they might not survive the day.
(v) How does Brutus console him?
Brutus consoles Cassius by asserting that he will not allow himself to be taken captive and paraded through the streets of
Rome in defeat. He implies that they will either win the battle or meet death with honour. Brutus’s philosophical
acceptance of whatever fate may bring provides a measure of comfort, as he assures Cassius that they will either smile in
victory or accept their parting with dignity if they do not meet again.

4. Cassius Then, if we lose this battle, / You are contented to be led in triumph / Thorough the streets of Rome?
Brutus No, Cassius, no think not, thou noble Roman / That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome; / He bears too great
a mind. But this same day / Must end that work the ides of March begun, / And whether we shall meet
again I know not. / Therefore our everlasting farewell take.
(i) What has Brutus just said which makes Cassius say the words given in the extract? Which Roman practice is referred to
in Cassius’ speech?
Brutus had just expressed his resolve to face whatever fate awaits them in battle, stating that he would not take his own
life prematurely out of fear, unlike Cato. This leads Cassius to ask if Brutus would be willing to be paraded through the
streets of Rome in defeat.
The Roman practice Cassius refers to is the Roman Triumph, a ceremonial procession celebrating a victorious general,
often including captured prisoners who were publicly paraded in chains.

(ii) State briefly to what extent Brutus bears a great mind.

Brutus bears a great mind in his steadfastness and sense of honour. He refuses to be captured and paraded in Rome,
valuing his dignity and principles over life itself. His decision to continue fighting and face the consequences without fear of
death shows his noble and courageous character.

(iii) What was begun on the ides of March? How will the words of Brutus be prophetic?
The assassination of Julius Caesar was begun on the ides of March.
Brutus’s words are prophetic because they foreshadow the end of the conspirators’ efforts; the battle at Philippi marks the
culmination and failure of their rebellion against Caesar’s rule. Brutus’s death on the battlefield completes the cycle of
events that began with Caesar’s murder.

(iv) Do Cassius and Brutus meet again? Why?

No, Cassius and Brutus do not meet again after this farewell.
Both commit suicide following their respective defeats in battle. Cassius, misled by misinformation, kills himself believing
that his friend Titinius has been captured, while Brutus takes his own life after recognizing that their cause is lost.

(v) Brutus and Cassius are affected by the latest events. This makes them act in a different way than their normal
behaviour. Give one incident to illustrate this.
One incident illustrating this is Cassius’s decision to take his own life after mistakenly believing that his forces have been
defeated and his friend Titinius has been captured. This is contrary to his usual rational and strategic thinking,
demonstrating how the pressures of impending defeat lead him to act impulsively and despairingly.