Act II, scene i
1. In Portia's speeches, line. 261 & 291, "Is Brutus sick..." and "If this were true..." what does she do and say to know Brutus' secret and to prove her worthiness? Why doesn't Brutus tell her his plans?
Act II, scene ii
2. After reading Calpurnia's speech to her husband, show how she and Portia differ.
3. How does Caesar contradict himself in his famous speech "Coward die many times..."?
4. Caesar gives what reason to Calpurnia for going out despite her fears?
5. How does Calpurnia answer?
6. How does Cecius trick Caesar into leaving? Find four tricks.
Act III, scene i
7. Everyone in the audience knows that Caesar will die. What does Shakespeare do to add tension and suspense in this scene?
8. Why does Caesar say "Et tu, Brutè?"
9. In line 81, Brutus names Caesar's crime. What is it?
10. Brutus refers to the Fates. There are three &emdash; Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. One weaves the thread of your life, one measures it, and one cuts it. This determines how long you will live. How does Casca play off on this image in line 101 and what is he saying?
11. How are Cassius and Brutus winking at the audience when they speak lines 111-116, beginning with "Stoop then..."
12. In his speech beginning on line 183 "I doubt not of your wisdom..." why is Antony shaking each of the murderer's hands? (Name at least two reasons.) What are the two meanings for the "slippery ground" he stands on? Why does he call himself either a "coward or a flatterer"?
13. Why does Antony want to speak to the public? Why does Cassius not want it? Why does Brutus permit it? Is Brutus changing here?
14. In Antony's speech, beginning with line 254 "O pardon me, thou bleeding..." tell us why this is such a great speech. What do Caesar's wounds become? Over what will mothers smile?
Act III, scene ii
15. Analyze Brutus' speech to the crowds. Is it full of emotion or logic? What kind of rhetorical sentence structure does he use? What is his message to the crowd? Does it seem artificial or natural? Does the crowd understand or misunderstand his message? What big mistake does he make after giving his speech? Where's Cassius while he's speaking these lines and what might have happened had Cassius been there?
16. Now examine Antony's long speech (lines 74-230). Is he speaking to a sympathetic audience? How does he begin his speech that is similar to and different from Brutus' opening line? What are all the devices he uses to turn the crowd against Brutus and Cassius? Does the crowd respond to his reasons or to the emotions of his speech? (What do they say, and what is the truth?)
17. What is the point of the final scene where the crowd turns on Cinna the poet?
Act IV scene i
18. How does this scene show a very different kind of conspiracy than Brutus' and Cassius' conspiracy? What is this triumverate planning?
19. What does Antony reveal about himself in his speech beginning on line 18?
20. How does Antony (in his speech beginning "So is my horse...") turn Octavius' praise into criticism; who of Octavius and Antony seems to be in charge at this point?
scene ii
21. line 43: "Cassius, be content..." What does Brutus want and does it signify any growth in him?
scene iii
22. What is the dangerous thing that can happen to one group that splits from a larger group? The trouble with factions is that they might... Given this, what is Cassius' grievance? So far, we've seen both Antony's side and Brutus' side argue among their own. Which side argues among itself with more emotion?
23. line 18: Here, Brutus gives a new reason for killing Caesar: because his officers. . .; thus, they shouldn't. . .
24. line 42: In this speech, is Brutus showing new signs of strength and leadership or is he being rash and dictatorial? Further, in line 65, what is Brutus' complaint with Cassius?
25. Look at the exchange between Cassius and Brutus (lines 83-122). What does Brutus call Cassius in his speech "A flatterer's would not. . . "; What is Brutus concerned with? What is Cassius' grievance? how do they resolve their differences?
26: Be aware of the philosophies of Brutus and Cassius. In line 144, Cassius refers to Brutus' philosophy. He is a Stoic, and Stoicism holds that nothing evil would happen to a good man. A Stoic is also indifferent to pleasure or pain and believes all that happens happens because of divine will.
27: Why did Portia kill herself? Why does Brutus pretend to hear of Portia's death for the first time when Messala tells him of it?
28: line 197: What is Cassius' strategy for defeating Antony? Does it make sense? What is Brutus? Who has the better plan? What does this show about Brutus and Cassius?
29. What does the ghost really mean when he tells Brutus that he will see him at Philippi?
Act V, scene i
30. Is Antony right when he guesses the reason why Brutus' and Cassius' armies came to them? What does this tell us about Antony?
31. What does the encounter between the combatants reveal about their characters? About their confidence?
32. What is ironic about Antony's speech (line 39?) Who is Brutus referring to in line 56?
33. Look at Cassius' speech starting on line 70: He compares himself to Pompey because Pompey was urged to do battle against Caesar against his better judgement. That battle led to Pompey's defeat and murder. What is Cassius saying in this speech? He is an Epicurean, meaning that he doesn't believe in omens, that the soul dies with the body, that if there are gods, they don't care about us, and that we should make the most of our lives while we are alive. Why does he give up this philosophy now? What does he become if not an Epicurean?
34. In line 93 "Now, most noble Brutus..." what does Cassius hint he will do if his army loses? See Brutus' next speech for the answer. Will Brutus do the same thing?
scene ii
35. What tactical error does Brutus make in the beginning here? What do Brutus' soldiers do after winning a short battle?
36. From line 28 on, what does Pindarus see and how does he misinterpret it? Given Cassius' good foresight, it is ironic that he has bad. . .
37. Cassius dies. Is he a tragic hero? Explain why or why not?
38. Line 94: "O Julius Caesar. . ." Before killing Caesar, Brutus laments that he wishes he could kill Caesar's spirit without killing his body. Ironically, by killing Caesar's body, it frees Caesar's spirit to do what?
39. Why in scene iv does Lucius impersonate Brutus? Why does Antony want to spare his life and be his friend?
40. Does Brutus feel any remorse before he dies? Does he believe killing Caesar was a noble act?
41. How does Antony portray Brutus? Does he portray him as a tragic hero?