Julius Caesar – Act III – Reading Guide Page 1

Julius Caesar – Act III – Reading Guide Page 2

Julius Caesar – Act III – Reading Guide Page 3

March 15, 44 bcThe ides of march

Julius Caesar murdered in the roman senate

At large: brutus, cassius, casca, Decius, trebonius and other senators

English 10 5.0Julius Caesar – Act III Name: _________________

____ / 30 pts

BEFORE READING!!! Looking Back and Thinking Ahead (Predicting)

At this point, do you think the conspirators are justified in their intentions?

Why or why not?

What mistakes and miscalculations do you think the conspirators have made in their plans so far?

What might their errors lead to?

What role have women played in the story?

What role might they play in future events?

Bloom’s Taxonomy – Knowledge & Comprehension

Scene 1: Setting: _________________________________________

1. What do you think is Caesar’s mood as he heads to the Senate?

2. What do you think is the mood of the Senators surrounding him?

3. What purpose does the Soothsayer play in the story?

4. What day is it?

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5. What are people doing as Caesar makes his progression to the Senate?

6. What do the conspirators suddenly fear?

7. What strategy do the conspirators employ with Metellus?

8. For whom do Brutus and Cassius plead to Caesar and why?

9. What is Caesar’s reply and why?

10.Who is to stab Caesar first?

11.What does Caesar say when Brutus stabs him?

12.What does it mean?

13.Why do you think Caesar says it?

14.What do you think is Caesar’s reaction to Brutus’s stabbing him (other than it hurts and he dies! – think about their relationship.)

15.What do the Senators do when Caesar dies?

16.What is Rome’s reaction to Caesar’s death?

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17.What is Antony’s reaction to Caesar’s death?

18.What does Brutus have all the conspirators do in Caesar’s blood? Why?

19.Under whose statue does Caesar fall?

20.Who arrives from Antony and what does he say?

21.What is Brutus’s reply?

22.What does Cassius fear?

23.How do these reactions tell us something about their characters?

24.When Antony arrives, what does he wish to have happen?

25.What is Brutus’s reaction?

26.What are the other Senator’s reactions?

27.What in particular does Cassius think?

28.Who is given Caesar’s body for burial?

29.What does he vow to do?

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Scene 2: Setting: _________________________________________

This scene is one of the most famous in all of Shakespeare’s plays. It is an intense character study between two friends of Caesar who was also their mentor and father figure: Brutus, who has chosen Rome over Caesar and has helped murder him, and Antony, who loved and worshipped Caesar. Both men speak to the crowds of Roman citizens gathered to find out what has happened and why Caesar was murdered.

Brutus’s Speech:

1. What does Brutus say to the crowds?

2. What argument(s) does he put forward for justifying Caesar’s murder?

3. Do the crowds believe Brutus?

4. Why or why not? (Think about Brutus’s reputation with the citizens of Roma.)

Antony’s Speech

5. Antony delivers Caesar’s funeral oration or speech (eulogy). What does he say?

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6. What arguments does he use?

7. How does he turn the crowd to his “side?”

Evaluating the Speeches

8. What do you think is the biggest mistake Brutus makes as the leader of the conspirators and one of the potential leaders of Rome?

Scene 3: Setting: _________________________________________

1. What happens in this scene?

2. With this short scene, how does Shakespeare let the audience know how the citizens of Rome are now feeling, behaving, and acting after Brutus and Antony’s speeches?

3. Who “won” the Oratory contest over Caesar’s body? Why?

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Bloom’s Taxonomy – Application and Analysis

THINKING THINGS THROUGH:

Read again the arguments that Brutus and Marc Antony make about the threat of Julius Caesar to Rome and the validity of the assassination. Then answer the following questions in paragraph form.

What you learn about Brutus and Antony from their speeches?

On a scale from 1-5, with 1 being the lowest score, rate how successful you think Brutus and Antony would be as leaders of Rome based on their performances in these speeches and their actions in Act III. Explain why you rated each as you did.

Brutus: __________ Antony: __________

Why?

Who would you want to follow and why?

Julius Caesar – Act III – Reading Guide Page 9