Julius CaesarTest #1 Notes

Act I, scene I

• Ln. 11 – pun on cobbler; • Ln. 14 – pun on soles• Ln. 24 – pun on recover• Ln. 34 – metaphor comparing plebains to

rocks; they can’t think• Ln. 39 – Anachronism; chimney tops• Ln. 58-60 – hyperbole; “cry me a river”• Ln. 72 – Metaphor; décor taken down

Act I, scene 2

• Feast of Lupercal: Race and games

• Caesar’s superstitions

• Ln. 10: Antony, a total suck-up

• Soothsayer = truth teller

• Ln. 18 – foreshadowing

• Ln. 19 – Irony; Later, Brutus is a conspirator

Act 1, Scene 2

• Ln. 23 – intro of motif of 3

• Ln. 24 – Caesar arrogant in dismissal

• Cassius’ persuasion perfected

• Ln. 39 & 45 – Brutus struggles internally

• Ln. 51 – mirrors motif

• Ln. 54 – Cassius will be Brutus’ mirror

• Ln. 55-7 – total manipulation of Brutus

Act 1, scene 2 (pg. 1207 or 12 & 14)

• Ln. 63 – Brutus points out that Cassius is only ‘buttering him up’

• Ln. 74-78 – Cassius tells Brutus to trust him and asks, “Have I ever been not trustworthy?”

• Ln. 79-80 – Brutus is hooked

• Ln. 88-89 – Brutus’ flaw of honor; he will do anything, as long as its honorable

Act 1, scene 2 (Pg. 1208 or 16&18)

• Cassius once had to rescue Caesar during a race

• Cassius points out physical weaknesses; symbolic of Caesar as a weak (or unfit) ruler

• Ln. 120 – Caesar is an epileptic • Ln. 128 – Cassius calls Caesar a girl!• Ln 136 – Allusion: the Colossus (huge statue

that stood over the harbor at Rhodes)

Act I, scene 2 (Pg. 1209 or 18 - 22)

• Ln. 139-141 – Great Chain of Being. Elizabethean idea; Man is in control of his own fate, not ruled by gods

• Ln. 158-161 – Cassius appeals to the fact that Brutus’ ancestors got rid of the last bad leader

• Ln. 171 - Shakespeare invented ‘chew on this’• Ln. 192 – Caesar prefers to be around men that

are slow to reason. Why?

Act 1, scene 2 (Pg. 1210 or 20 & 22)

• Ln 194-195 – Cassius is dangerous; he can reason and question authority

• Ln. 199-208 – Caesar’s only fear? Cassius

• Ln. 203-4 – Antony is preferred company; he likes sports and music

• Ln. 213 – Caesar is deaf in his left ear

• Casca = comic relief

• Ln. 225 - #3, again!

Act I, scene 2 (Pg. 1211 or 22, 24, 26)

• Casca, our comic relief, likes to exaggerate

• Ln. 243-248 – Hyperbole about the plebian’s smell

• Ln. 254 – “falling sickness” = epilepsy

• Ln. 255-256 – pun on falling sickness

Act I, scene 2 (Pg. 1212-4, 28-32)

• Ln. 284 – “It was Greek to me”

• Ln. 285 – Fate of Flavius and Marullus revealed

• Ln. 308 – Beginning of Cassius’ soliloquy; reveals plans to twist murdering Caesar into something honorable so that he can persuade Brutus to join

End of Scene 2

• Ln. 315-319 – Cassius plans to forge letters from citizens of Rome and have them delivered to Brutus

Act I, Scene 3 (pg. 1214 or 34)

• Scene 3 beings with a storm, which is an archetype of disturbance and foreshadows that all is not right in Rome

• Ln. 11-13: Casca’s words suggest there is a disturbance in the heavens – possibly a threat to the Great Chain of Being

• Introduced to the character Cicero who is Rome’s greatest orator (speaker) – he does not favor Caesar

• In this scene, omens and signs in abundance that things are wrong:– Hand that does not burn, A lion who did not attack wandering the

streets, Men on fire, Owls hooting in midday

Scene 3, cont.

• Ln. 30-33: Casca expresses his fear of these omens; he is a character that is easily convinced and swayed

• Ln. 34-35: Cicero’s response to the supposed signs and omens is to be careful because men read these things and see what they want to see.

• Ln. 48-52: Cassius is a proud man; he tempts the heavens by opening his shirt and daring the gods to strike him down if he is in the wrong

• Ln. 54: another Great Chain of Being reference

Scene 3, cont.

• Ln. 64-66: another catalog of the omens seen; use of parallel structure

• Ln. 73: Cassius hints at the fact that Caesar is the cause of all these disturbances

• Ln. 82-84: use of slave imagery; Cassius says we are acting weak like women

• Ln. 97: Cassius in order to get what he wants often makes threats; he says either he will see Caesar dead or will no longer live himself

Scene 3, cont.

• Ln. 103-106: Cassius says Caesar would not be powerful if they were not weak; uses a wolf and sheep metaphor

• Ln. 116-120: Casca suggests that Cassius forms an opposition (is it really his idea?) and that he will be there to help out if Cassius will just tell him what to do

• Ln. 128-130: Cassius uses a simile to compare the appearance of the sky to what the conspirators are planning; also an example of foreshadowing

Scene 3, cont.

• Ln. 140-141: Cinna wishes that the conspiracy had Brutus on their side – which of course, is Cassius’ big plan

• Ln. 142-146: motif of letters; Cassius gives Cinna the forged letters to leave for Brutus at 3 important places (motif of three) one at Brutus’s work (it’s your job to go against Caesar) one at Brutus’s house (your home is Rome too) one at the statue of Brutus’s ancestors (you have the honor of your name to keep)

End of Scene 3

• Ln. 154-155: Cassius believes he has Brutus about ¾ convinced to join the conspirators’ side – and now he goes to seal the deal

• Ln. 157-160: Casca believes that Brutus has the ability to change people’s minds about the conspirators’ actions; he thinks Brutus’s name will bring honor to their cause and sway the people to their side

Act II, scene 1 (Pg. 1220-2 or 48 & 50)

• Ln. 10-34: Brutus’ soliloquy; gives reasons for joining conspiracy; being proactive

• Ln. 11-12: Killing Caesar would be for the good of the people

• Ln. 14-17: Metaphor – compares Caesar to a snake; “he might do danger”

• Ln. 32-34: Similie – Caesar is like a serpent’s egg; better off smashed before it is hatched

Pg. 1222 or 50-54

• Ln. 44: Brutus recognizes the extreme weather• Ln. 46: One letter accuses Brutus of not being

aware of what is happening in Rome• Note: Brutus’ character is so honorable and

incapable of seeing the bad in people, that he never suspects forgeries

• Ln. 59: What day is it?• Ln. 61-65: Brutus has been losing sleep over the

decision to join the conspiracy

Pg. 1223 or 54 & 56

• Ln. 77-85: Brutus speaks an apostrophe

• Personification – the ugly face of the conspiracy shows itself

• Ln. 90-94: Cassius harps on the honor thing one more time

• Cassius introduces Brutus to the other conspirators

Pg. 1224 or 56 & 58

• Ln. 100: at this point we can assume that Brutus is in

• Ln. 114-140: The conspirators meet to talk ‘business’; Brutus says no to swearing an oath of allegiance – its not honorable– Brutus’ first mistake and shows he has weak

character insight

Pg. 1225 or 60-66

• Cicero – an old man with much influence in Rome; Cassius says to add him. Brutus says no (Brutus’ 2nd mistake)

• Ln. 155-161: Cassius suggests mudering Antony, too– Brutus says no; Antony is nothing; 3rd mistake

Ln. 189: Brutus thinks Antony is just a party boy, whereas Cassius says to fear him (Ln. 183)

Pg. 1227-8 or 66-76

• Portia – Brutus’ wife; notices something is ‘off’ in Brutus’ character

• Ln. 255-256: Portia begs Brutus to share his emotions

• Ln. 257: a stoic Brutus• Ln. 299-302: a stoic Portia; she stabs

herself in the leg and doesn’t yell in pain• Ln. 327: Pun – curing those sick of tyranny

(Brutus) vs. murdering Caesar (Ligarius)