Julius Caesar Act Iii Notes

JULIUS CAESAR ACT III NOTES

SCENE 1

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The scene begins with Caesar approaching the Capitol on the ides of March
Remember Artemidorus has written a warning letter to Caesar about the conspiracy
Ln. 1-2: Caesar shows his ego in his boastful attitude, and the soothsayser warns to not let his guard down just yet
Ln. 8: Caesar gives us a false sense of being humble by refusing to look at Artemidorus’s plea since it deals with Caesar – this is a BIG mistake. There is irony here as Caesar chooses public concerns over private when really he’s just going to the Capitol to be crowned.
The conspirators intercept Artemidorus to make sure they can get Caesar to the Capitol
Ln. 16-17: Cassius acts very jumpy as compared to the very composed and calm Brutus
Ln. 19-21: urges Casca to be ready to strike the first blow in case they are discovered

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Ln. 25-26: Trebonius’s job in the conspiracy is to make sure Mark Antony is out of the way
Ln. 27-28: Metellus Cimber’s job is to present Caesar with a petition which gives the conspirators a reason to crowd around Caesar
Ln. 30: Casca’s job in the conspiracy is to strike the first blow
Ln. 36-37: Caesar tells them that the flattery is being laid on a little thick – he’s not moved by it
Ln. 47-48: Caesar expresses that he makes no mistakes

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Ln. 58-74: Does this speech make the reader want to feel sorry for Caesar?
Ln. 60: uses a simile to compare himself to the Northern Star, which never moves in the sky and is used to provide direction
Ln. 74: allusion to MountOlympus and hyperbole saying that changing his mind is a great feat like lifting up a mountain
Ln. 76: Casca strikes
Ln. 77: Caesar’s dying words are to Brutus – who could saying it differently change the meaning of the lines?
Once he is dead, celebration and confusion break out

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Ln. 98-99: chaos and disorder in Rome – the chain has been broken

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Ln. 103-105: Brutus says they have been friends to Caesar because they have done away with all the years Caesar might have lived in fear of death
Ln. 105-110: very much like Calphurnia’s dream – they are washing themselves in Caesar’s blood like the are sacrificers and intend to walk about the streets like this
Ln. 111-113: Cassius shows his ego in proclaiming that their deed in so great that it will be reenacted for centuries to come (ironic that this is a play)
Ln. 116-117: Cassius believes they will be remembered as heroes
Ln. 126-129: Antony’s servant comes with a message – notice how he compares/contrasts Brutus and Caesar (foreshadowing of Antony’s speech to come)
Ln. 130-134: Wants to know why Caesar deserved to die, and then he shall be loyal to Brutus – is this a ploy?

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Ln. 138-139: Does Brutus suspect anything?
Ln. 144-146: Cassius echoes his warning against Mark Antony
Ln. 148: Begins his speech with an apostrophe talking to Caesar’s dead body
Ln. 152: puns on the words “let blood” (a common cure or to kill) and “rank” (swollen with power or swollen with disease)
Ln. 159-163: Antony says if it is in their plan to take his life, than there is no nobler place to die than next to Caesar
Ln. 165-169: Brutus says don’t judge us by our actions, judge us by our motives and intentions – are those any better?

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Ln. 173-176: Brutus welcomes Antony as a brother and sees him as a good man (appeals to his ethos)
Ln. 177-178: Cassius assures Antony that he will have a share of power too in the new Rome – makes sure Antony is fully satisfied
Ln. 184: Shakes each bloody hand – dramatic irony – the conspirators take it as a sign he agrees with their actions, a blood bond, but Antony is secretly noting whom he will seek revenge against
Ln. 191-193: Pun on slippery ground – the ground he is standing on is literally slippery with Caesar’s blood, but he is also on uncertain terms with the conspirators – he says they must see him as a coward or a flatterer
Ln. 204-210: use of apostrophe again and a hunting metaphor

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Ln. 215-217: Cassius questions Antony’s devotion to their cause because of his moving and tender speech to Caesar’s corpse
Ln. 218-220: Antony realizing his error, assures them that he is on their side, and that he was only temporarily swayed by the sight of Caesar’s body
Ln. 226-230: Antony wants to take Caesar’s body to the public and speak at the funeral – do you think this is a good idea?
Cassius’s warnings here against it act as foreshadowing
Brutus’s mistake is again underestimating Antony by agreeing to his request
Ln. 235-242 & 243-251 : Brutus’s great plan is to tell the audience first that Antony has the conspirators’ permission and that he shall not say anything bad about them

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In Antony’s soliloquy, he addresses Caesar’s dead body again using apostrophe
Ln. 254 marks a great shift in Antony’s behavior – he is not on the conspirators’ side truly

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Ln. 262-275: use of chaos imagery again
Ln. 265, 270, & 273: all examples of foreshadowing of what is to come
Antony sends message that it is not safe for Octavius (Caesar’s heir by blood) to come in to Rome
By the end of the scene, Antony’s plan for revenge is in full swing.

SCENE 2

Page / What is the main message from this page? / Additional Notes from Teacher
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The scene opens in the forum or Roman public square – used to conduct business
Brutus’s speech is spoken in prose not blank verse – speech of the common people, but makes it almost sound less elegant or persuasive.
Ln. 13-15: Gives them orders to be quiet – look at how his tone from the start is very emotionless
Ln. 13-16: Hear me, Believe me, Censure me uses parallel structure – which is a logical appeal (logos)
Ln. 15: References his “honor” – character appeal (ethos) His first mistake in his speech is that he believes that honor alone is enough to excuse murder
Ln. 21-22: Caesar has been murdered for Rome’s sake – I did it for you!
Ln. 24-29: use of parallel structure (logos)– “as Caesar , I .
Ln. 29-30: Caesar receives death for ambition – Brutus has not offered any proof of this ambition – so he builds on the crowd’s fear of enslavement (bondman) and tyranny
Ln. 33-35: Gives the people the power to speak out against him, if they think he has been false

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Ln. 38-41:again he relies on parallel structure (logos)
The crowd is swayed by Brutus’s appeal to honor (ethos) because they do not understand his logical appeals (logos)
Ln. 53: the plebian’s cry shows that they do not really understand Brutus, his cause or Caesar’s supposed wrongdoings

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Leaving Mark Antony alone to speak to the crowd shows that Brutus is too sure of himself and misreads the plebeians thinking that they have understood him and that he is too trusting of Antony
Antony speaks in blank verse which makes his speech more passionate sounding
Antony knows he cannot directly speak badly about Brutus and the conspirators, so he must do it in a devious way using repetitive verbal irony to say the opposite of what he really means
Ln. 77-78: evil lives on after death – the good is often buried with you – does Antony really want that to happen to Caesar?
Ln. 78-81: Antony reintroduces the thesis of Brutus’s speech – which we will see him break down – logical appeal (logos)
Ln 81: notice he says “If it were true…” were is a conditional verb, like may or might
Ln. 84-85: Antony reminds the audience that these are “honorable men” (remember verbal irony)

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Ln. 87-89: Gives proof of how Caesar is good, but then repeats the phrase “But Brutus says he was ambitious / And Brutus is an honorable man” – the repetitive verbal irony makes the phrases seem less and less true to the audience as Antony offers up more proof
Ln. 87: also shows that Antony knows he must proof that Caesar loved the Romans too
Ln. 90-101: presents them with external/physical proof of Caesar’s non-ambitious behavior always followed by the statement about Brutus, which is the use of logical appeal (logos)
External proofs:
Brought captives home and gave their ransom money to the public
Wept for the poor
Refused to take the crown three times
Ln. 99: use of rhetorical question
Ln. 104-105: where has the love gone? an emotional appeal (pathos)
Ln. 106-107: uses an apostrophe to say good judgment has left
Ln. 107-109: uses an emotional appeal (pathos)as he states he must pause because his heart has died along with Caesar
Ln. 110: Notice the plebeians initial response is hesitant, but turning towards Antony
Antony will often use nonverbal rhetoric to persuade the commoners by using Caesar’s body as a symbol

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Ln. 123: uses verbal irony to say it’s a good thing my words are meant to blame Brutus and Cassius and not will not cause you to rebel – but secretly they are
Ln. 130-139: Antony mentions the will to the plebeians, but says he won’t read it – but hints that it would cause them to praise Caesar
The will can be seen as a symbol of Caesar’s love for the people

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Ln. 142-147: words echo Marullus and Flavius’s words at the beginning – only this time, he is saying because you are not objects, reading the will will only stir your passion (use of nonverbal rhetoric)
Ln. 153-154: strong verbal irony as he contrasts the words honorable men and the image of daggers
Ln. 160: Uses Caesar’s body as a gathering point, a symbol for Antony’s cause, and he comes physically down to their level to show them how Caesar was on their side
Ln. 171: emotional appeal (pathos)
Ln. 172: Uses Caesar’s cloak/toga as a symbol of the conspirator’s deed (nonverbal rhetoric)

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Ln. 176:-180: uses an emotional appeal and dramatic irony to “murder” Caesar again by pointing out where each conspirator stabbed Caesar – something he would not actually know
Ln 83-88: Brutus was Caesar’s most beloved and Caesar’s heart burst when Brutus turned against him (use of emotional appeal – pathos)
Ln. 98-99: Look at how badly Caesar’s body is wounded – it speaks for itself
Ln. 100-105: see how the plebeians are already moved to violence
Ln. 210: notice the plebeian uses parallel structure just like Antony does in his speech – sign of loyalty to Antony
Ln. 214-215: They are honorable – but they might have private reasons for doing this – a direct contrast to Brutus saying that they did it for Rome
Ln.218-220: use of verbal irony as Antony says he is not a good public speaker – he is appearing humble

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Ln. 227-232: uses personification when talking about Caesar’s wounds – he hopes they do the talking for him – notice the use of the word “stones” again
Mutiny – a popular uprising against lawful authority
Ln. 240: reminds them of the will so that they will not run straight off to mutiny
Ln. 244: Caesar leaves 75 drachmas (silver coins) to every man
Ln. 249-253: Caesar leaves his private gardens for the public to use

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The plebeians now want to honor Caesar body and desecrate the conspirators’
Ln. 262-263: apostrophe to mischief – saying he is run amok in Rome
Ln. 270-271: Cassius and Brutus have fled the city of Rome

SCENE 3

Page / What is the main message from this page? / Additional Notes from Teacher
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This scene is built on the idea of confusion and mob mentality
Ln. 1-2: Cinna’s dream foreshadows his doom

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Cinna the poet≠ Cinna the conspirator
Cinna’s death here symbolizes the fall of Rome into utter moral chaos as the citizens act without consideration of what is wrong and what is right