Thursday, April 5, 2012

As you finish reading Act I, please use these questions to guide your reading and annotations:

Act I Scene ii  (some of these questions we have already discussed, so please use them to review our in-class reading)
1. Why does Caesar mention his desire that Calpurnia stand “directly in Antonio’s way”?
2. Why are the tribunes Flavius and Marullus punished?
3. What is the soothsayer’s warning to Caesar? What does it mean?
4. What fear does Brutus note?
5. According to Cassius, what happened when Caesar and Cassius went swimming in the
Tiber? What is the point of this story?
6. What does Cassius say about fate, free will, and being “underlings”? What is noticeably different about Casca’s speech pattern compared to Caesar’s or Brutus’? Why is this significant?
7. What two physical ailments of Caesar’s are mentioned in this scene? Why are they significant?
8. In response to the “falling sickness,” what is the meaning of Cassius’ sarcasm?

Act I, scene iii
1. Why do the conspirators plant papers on Brutus’s chair?
2. There are four specific things Casca has seen. What are they? How does Casca interpret
these strange happenings? How does Cassius? How would Shakespeare’s audience have interpreted them?

3. On whom does Cassius blame Caesar’s power? Why is this significant?
4. Cassius describes Caesar as a wolf and a lion, and the Romans as sheep. What literary term is illustrated here? What is its significance?
5. Why is it important to the conspirators to have Brutus come in with them?

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