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Passage Analysis Guide Acts 1-3
Name: ______
Mr. Valentin
English 10
Spring 2014
Murellus’ speech Act 1, scene 1:
Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?
What tributaries follow him to Rome
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things,
O you hard hearts, you cruèl men of Rome, 5
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climbed up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The livelong day with patient expectation 10
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome.
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks
To hear the replication of your sounds 15
Made in her concave shores?
And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey’s blood? 20
Be gone!
Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude. 23
From the first line, what might you notice about Murellus’ speech?
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How does Murellus feel towards the citizens of Rome?
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How does Murellus feel towards Pompey? What can you infer about the relationship between Caesar and Pompey?
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Line 14 is an example of what literary term?
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Explain 1 other literary term after line 15.
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Cassius Speech Act 1 scene 2.
I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favor.
Well, honor is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life, but, for my single self, 5
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Caesar. So were you.
We both have fed as well, and we can both
Endure the winter’s cold as well as he. 10
For once upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me, “Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood
And swim to yonder point?” Upon the word, 15
Accoutred as I was, I plungèd in
And bade him follow. So indeed he did.
The torrent roared, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy. 20
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried, “Help me, Cassius, or I sink!”
I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber 25
Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
Is now become a god, and Cassius is
A wretched creature and must bend his body
If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain, 30
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake. 'Tis true, this god did shake!
His coward lips did from their color fly,
And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
Did lose his luster. I did hear him groan, 35
Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his speeches in their books—
“Alas,” it cried, “give me some drink, Titinius,”
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
A man of such a feeble temper should 40
So get the start of the majestic world
And bear the palm alone.
Who is the subject of Cassius’ monologue? What does he say about him? Why would he focus on this when he is talking to Brutus?
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How does Cassius compare himself to Julius Caesar?
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Line 12 is an example of what two literary terms?
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Explain one of the stories that shows Julius Caesar’s weakness.
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Explain line 33.
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Define the word feeble in line 40.
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Examining Casca’s speech Act 1, Scene 3:
A common slave—you know him well by sight—
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches joined, and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remained unscorched.
Besides—I ha' not since put up my sword— 5
Against the Capitol I met a lion,
Who glared upon me and went surly by,
Without annoying me. And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
Transformèd with their fear, who swore they saw 10
Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night did sit
Even at noon-day upon the marketplace,
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say, 15
“These are their reasons. They are natural.”
For I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.
What happened to the common slave? What literary term is this?
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Name three other peculiar sightings and explain what they are peculiar.
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Define the word conjointly in line 15.
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Define the word portentous in line 17.
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Examining Brutus’ speech Act 2, Scene 1
It must be by his death, and for my part
I know no personal cause to spurn at him
But for the general. He would be crowned.
How that might change his nature, there’s the question.
It is the bright day that brings forth the adder 5
And that craves wary walking. Crown him that,
And then I grant we put a sting in him
That at his will he may do danger with.
Th' abuse of greatness is when it disjoins
Remorse from power. And, to speak truth of Caesar, 10
I have not known when his affections swayed
More than his reason. But ’tis a common proof
That lowliness is young ambition’s ladder,
Whereto the climber upward turns his face.
But when he once attains the upmost round, 15
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend. So Caesar may.
Then, lest he may, prevent. And since the quarrel
Will bear no color for the thing he is, 20
Fashion it thus: that what he is, augmented,
Would run to these and these extremities.
And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg—
Which, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous—
And kill him in the shell. 25
In line 1, Brutus talks about “his” death. Who is he talking about?
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What is an adder (line 5)?
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The adder gains a sting (line 7). What does this mean? How does this apply to Julius Caesar?
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Brutus is concerned about Julius Caesar’s tragic flaw. According to Brutus, what is Julius Caesar’s flaw? Name one other Shakespeare character this may relate to.
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Explain the ladder metaphor in line 16.
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What literary term is found in the last 3 lines? Explain it.
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Is this soliloquy an example of internal conflict or external conflict? Explain your answer.
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Examining Julius Caesar’s speech Act 2, scene 2
The cause is in my will. I will not come.
That is enough to satisfy the senate.
But for your private satisfaction,
Because I love you, I will let you know.
Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home. 5
She dreamt tonight she saw my statue,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood. And many lusty Romans
Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it.
And these does she apply for warnings and portents 10
And evils imminent, and on her knee
Hath begged that I will stay at home today.
Why does Caesar want to stay home?
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What does the word stays mean in line 5.
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Explain what happens in Calphurnia’s dream. What literary term is this.
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Define the word imminent (line 11).
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Artemidorus’ speech Act 2, Scene 3:
Caesar, beware of Brutus. Take heed of Cassius.
Come not near Casca. Have an eye to Cinna. Trust not
Trebonius. Mark well Metellus Cimber. Decius
loves thee not. Thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius.
There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent 5
against Caesar. If thou beest not immortal, look
about you. Security gives way to conspiracy.
The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover, Artemidorus”
Here will I stand till Caesar pass along,
And as a suitor will I give him this. 10
My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.
If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayst live.
If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive.
Name the eight conspirators.
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Explain how four of the conspirators are essential to the conspiracy. What do they do in previous scenes to aid in the eventual death of Julius Caesar?
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What does the word lover mean in line 8. ______
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Explain two literary terms in Artemidorus’ speech. ______
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In literature, we have studied characters who are visceral, emotional or intelligent. Your task is to choose a character for each of these from Julius Caesar and explain how each character demonstrates this. Use textual support to emphasize ideas. For each character explanation be sure to include a literary term (simile, metaphor, internal conflict, external conflict etc). This will graded as a 25 point quiz grade.
Antony’s speech Act 3, scene 1:
O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.
—I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank. 5
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Caesar’s death’s hour, nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard, 10
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfill your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die.
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Caesar, and by you cut off, 15
The choice and master spirits of this age.
Explain one of Antony’s questions. Why does he ask so many questions, and what could be the potential answers?
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Define the word rank in line 5. ______
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Why does Antony call blood “noble” in line 9. What is he trying to convey to the conspiracy. What literary term is this?
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Explain lines 11-16. What does Antony want the conspiracy to do to him?
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Examining Brutus’ speech Act 3 scene 2
Be patient till the last.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my
cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for
mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you
may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake 5
your senses that you may the better judge. If there be
any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him
I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his.
If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against
Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, 10
but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar
were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead,
to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him.
As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I
honor him. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There 15
is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his
valor, and death for his ambition. Who is here so base
that would be a bondman? If any, speak—for him
have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be
a Roman? If any, speak—for him have I offended. Who 20
is here so vile that will not love his country? If any,
speak—for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.
Why does Brutus begin his speech with “Romans, countrymen, and lovers!” (line 2)?
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What does Brutus say about his love of Julius Caesar? Once this is established, explain why he kills Julius Caesar?
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Brutus brings attention to Julius Caesar’s tragic flaw. According to Brutus, what is Caesar’s tragic flaw? Is he correct in this assessment?
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Brutus asks people to speak up against his treason. Why might the people of Rome be scared to speak up?