1. Julius Caesar Test #1 Notes

2. 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 – hyperbole; “cry me a river”
Ln. 72 – Metaphor; décor taken down

3. 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

4. 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 – total manipulation of Brutus

5. Act 1, scene 2 (pg or 12 & 14)
Ln. 63 – Brutus points out that Cassius is only ‘buttering him up’
Ln – Cassius tells Brutus to trust him and asks, “Have I ever been not trustworthy?”
Ln – Brutus is hooked
Ln – Brutus’ flaw of honor; he will do anything, as long as its honorable

6. Act 1, scene 2 (Pg 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)

7. Act I, scene 2 (Pg or )
Ln – Great Chain of Being. Elizabethean idea; Man is in control of his own fate, not ruled by gods
Ln – Cassius appeals to the fact that Brutus’ ancestors got rid of the last bad leader
Ln Shakespeare invented ‘chew on this’
Ln. 192 – Caesar prefers to be around men that are slow to reason. Why?

8. Act 1, scene 2 (Pg or 20 & 22)
Ln – Cassius is dangerous; he can reason and question authority
Ln – Caesar’s only fear? Cassius
Ln – Antony is preferred company; he likes sports and music
Ln. 213 – Caesar is deaf in his left ear
Casca = comic relief
Ln #3, again!

9. Act I, scene 2 (Pg or 22, 24, 26)
Casca, our comic relief, likes to exaggerate
Ln – Hyperbole about the plebian’s smell
Ln. 254 – “falling sickness” = epilepsy
Ln – pun on falling sickness

10. 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

11. End of Scene 2
Ln – Cassius plans to forge letters from citizens of Rome and have them delivered to Brutus

12. Act I, Scene 3 (pg or 34)
Scene 3 beings with a storm, which is an archetype of disturbance and foreshadows that all is not right in Rome
Ln : 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

13. Scene 3, cont.
Ln : Casca expresses his fear of these omens; he is a character that is easily convinced and swayed
Ln : 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 : 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

14. Scene 3, cont.
Ln : 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 : 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

15. Scene 3, cont.
Ln : Cassius says Caesar would not be powerful if they were not weak; uses a wolf and sheep metaphor
Ln : 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 : Cassius uses a simile to compare the appearance of the sky to what the conspirators are planning; also an example of foreshadowing

16. Scene 3, cont.
Ln : Cinna wishes that the conspiracy had Brutus on their side – which of course, is Cassius’ big plan
Ln : 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)

17. End of Scene 3
Ln : Cassius believes he has Brutus about ¾ convinced to join the conspirators’ side – and now he goes to seal the deal
Ln : 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

18. Act II, scene 1 (Pg or 48 & 50)
Ln : Brutus’ soliloquy; gives reasons for joining conspiracy; being proactive
Ln : Killing Caesar would be for the good of the people
Ln : Metaphor – compares Caesar to a snake; “he might do danger”
Ln : Similie – Caesar is like a serpent’s egg; better off smashed before it is hatched

19. 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 : Brutus has been losing sleep over the decision to join the conspiracy

20. Pg. 1223 or 54 & 56 Ln. 77-85: Brutus speaks an apostrophe
Personification – the ugly face of the conspiracy shows itself
Ln : Cassius harps on the honor thing one more time
Cassius introduces Brutus to the other conspirators

21. Pg or 56 & 58
Ln. 100: at this point we can assume that Brutus is in
Ln : 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

22. Pg or 60-66
Cicero – an old man with much influence in Rome; Cassius says to add him. Brutus says no (Brutus’ 2nd mistake)
Ln : 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)

23. Pg or 66-76
Portia – Brutus’ wife; notices something is ‘off’ in Brutus’ character
Ln : Portia begs Brutus to share his emotions
Ln. 257: a stoic Brutus
Ln : 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)