English 10 GP Name______

Zarnas/Labenberg Per____Date______

Julius Caesar: Act Five

The two sides meet on the battlefield and exchange insults. Brutus

and Cassius say their final farewell in case the battle does not go their way.

Scene One

1.  Why is this day significant for Cassius? (lines 71-72)

2.  Cassius tells Messala that he is not normally superstitious, but now he senses a bad omen. Explain Cassius’ fears. (lines 79-88)

3.  What might happen to Brutus and Cassius if they lose the battle? What are they willing to do to prevent this?

4. What does Brutus say he will do if they lose the battle? Why is he reluctant to do this?

Scene Three

Cassius must retreat because he’s losing the battle with Antony.

1.  How has Cassius become an enemy to his own people? (lines 1-4)

2.  How do these lines show Cassius’ attitude?

“This day I breathed first. Time is come round,/And where I did begin, there I shall end./My life is run his compass.”

3.  What news does Cassius receive of Tintinius? (lines 28-32)

4.  What does Cassius do as a result? Were there other alternatives for Cassius? If so, what? (lines 33-46)

5.  How appropriate are Cassius’ last words?

“—Caesar, thou are revenged

Even with the sword that killed thee.”

6.  What mistake led to Cassius’ suicide?

7.  When Brutus sees Cassius he exclaims, “O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!/Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords/In our own proper entrails.” What does he mean by this?

8.  What is Brutus’ attitude at the end of this scene

Scene Four

1. What role does Lucilius take upon himself? What was Antony’s response to his masquerade?

Scene Five

Brutus faces defeat.

1. What request does Brutus make of Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius? How do they respond? What would you do if you were one of them? (lines 4-34)

2. Who helps Brutus with his request?

3. Consider what Brutus tells Clitus: “My heart doth joy that yet in all my life/I found no man but he was true to me.” Is this true? What does it tell us about Brutus?

4. Comment on Brutus’ last words: “Caesar, now be still./I killed not thee with half so good a will.” What does he mean?

5. What will Octavius and Antony do with Brutus’ body?

6. In Antony’s last speech he describes Brutus. What good qualities of Brutus does Antony identify? Do you believe Antony is sincere? Why or why not? (lines 75-82)

YOUR THOUGHTS:

7. Write a sentence describing how you feel about the way the play ends.

8. Do you still believe Brutus is the tragic hero of the story? Explain.

9. Can you identify “the villain” of this play? Who is it and why?

ENRICHMENT:

Catharsis- The feeling one has after experiencing a tragedy.