| Shakespearean tragedy | a drama where the central characters suffer disaster/great misfortune; In many of which downfall results from fate, character flaw/fatal flaw, or a combination of the two. |
| soliloquy | a long speech expressing the thoughts of a characters on stage. Ex: Juliet – “Oh Romeo, Romeo!” |
| aside | words spoken, usually in an undertone; not meant for others to hear. |
| pun | the humorous use of a word with two meanings; missed often due to archaic language; Shakespeare liked to use types of these that hinted at sexual innuendos. |
| comic relief | the use of comedy within literature that is not comedy to provide relief from seriousness or sadness. |
| The Feast of Lupercal, Caesar’s defeat of Pompey. | Two celebrations that took place at the beginning of the play. |
| Calphurnia | Caesar’s wife. |
| Beware the Ides of March | What does the soothsayer warn Caesar? |
| He brushes it off and walks away, declaring the soothsayer crazy. | How does Caesar react to the soothsayer’s warning? |
| Brutus says that he’s been having a major internal conflict and it causes him to forget his behavior; he is at war with himself. | Why does Brutus say he has been unfriendly to Cassius? |
| That they have crowned Caesar king. | What does Brutus say he fears has happened when the people shout? |
| He says that ‘men like him’ are dangerous because they ‘think too much’. | What is Caesar’s opinion of Cassius? |
| He fainted to the ground. | What happened to Caesar after the third shout from the crowd? |
| Caesar, prodigious | To whom does Cassius compare the storm to? What adjective does he use? |
| If being crowned will change Caesar. | What is Brutus pondering at the beginning of Act II? |
| Which theme do Brutus and Cassius explore in saying farewell to each other before they begin the battle with Octavius’ army? | honor and friendship |
| How does The Tragedy of Julius Caesar explore the theme of betrayal? | As the tragic figure in the play, Brutus’ involvement in Caesar’s assassination, in which Brutus murders his friend, eventually leads to his downfall. |
| Which rhetorical appeal does Mark Antony use in the above excerpt? | Mark Antony uses an appeal to pathos by first recalling the memory of Caesar’s military success and then showing his body stabbed by the conspirators. |
| How does Shakespeare use language and dialogue to create a sense of anxiety and frenzy among the conspirators just before the assassination? | The conspirators exchange short bursts of one-syllable words, which shows their urgency and fear that the assassination might not succeed. |
| Which choice correctly labels the form used in Brutus’ and Mark Antony’s eulogies? | Brutus: prose; Mark Antony: blank verse |
| The excerpt above is from Brutus’ farewell speech to Cassius. How do Brutus’ words highlight the theme of honor in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar? | Brutus’ honor will not allow him to return to Rome “bound,” or as a prisoner of Octavius’ army. He assassinated Caesar to end such tyranny. |
| In act 5.3 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Pindarus, a servant of Cassius, mistakenly informs his master that Brutus is dead. This information leads to Cassius’ suicide. Scholars question whether it was a mistake or intentional misinformation from Pindarus.Which theme describes this scenario best? | betrayal |
| Which archetype fits Brutus’ character in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?Father FigureVillainWitchTragic Hero | tragic hero |
| Why is Caesar considered a round character in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?Caesar is one dimensional: everyone adores him. His story line is essential to the plot.Caesar is multifaceted: he is stubborn and proud, and the plebeians adore him, while the senators hate him. His story line is essential to the plot.Caesar is one dimensional: everyone adores him. His story line is not essential to the plot.Caesar is multifaceted: he is stubborn and proud, and the plebeians adore him, while the senators hate him. His story line is not essential to the plot. | Caesar is multifaceted: he is stubborn and proud, and the plebeians adore him, while the senators hate him. His story line is essential to the plot. |
| Mark Antony speaks these lines after Brutus’ death. According to Mark Antony, which theme exemplifies Brutus’ life best?honor betrayalhopegreed | honor |
| Who is not a flat character in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?LepidusMark AntonyMessalaPindarus | Mark Antony |
| Which description correctly explains the deaths of Cassius and Brutus?Cassius stabs himself due to the information that Brutus has been killed; Brutus is killed by Octavius.Cassius and Brutus are both killed by Octavius.Cassius and Brutus are both killed by Mark Antony.Cassius asks Pindarus to kill him with his own sword; Brutus runs onto his own sword, which is held by Strato. | Cassius asks Pindarus to kill him with his own sword; Brutus runs onto his own sword, which is held by Strato. |
| Which universal theme does this passage not address?friendshiploss fearhonor | fear |
| How are Caesar’s and Brutus’ tragic flaws different?Caesar’s tragic flaw is his ambition; Brutus’ flaw is his idealism.Caesar’s tragic flaw is his shyness; Brutus’ flaw is his ambition.Caesar’s tragic flaw is his idealism; Brutus’ flaw is his manipulative anger.Caesar’s tragic flaw is his anger; Brutus’ flaw is his manipulative nature. | Caesar’s tragic flaw is his ambition; Brutus’ flaw is his idealism. |
| Which of following choices correctly labels the missing numbers in the above diagram? | B 1: Act 3.2-4: Falling Action; 2: Act 5: Resolution |
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar – William Shakespeare
April 12, 2020