Julius Caesar Act I Packet:

Transcription

1 Name: Period: Due Date: Julius Caesar Act I Packet: Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Credit will not be given to incomplete, shallow, or low quality answers. 1. Before you read Julius Caesar, think about the Elizabethan view of the universe. How is it different from our ideas about government? Write your responses to the following statements. Do you agree? Disagree? Why? Are you unsure about some of them? Are any of them disturbing? A. Chaos results when the lawful social order is broken. B. The best intentions of good, noble people can lead to tragedy. C. Language is a powerful weapon, and in the hands of a skilled person, it can be used to manipulate others. D. Violence and bloodshed can never have morally good results. E. Orderliness and stable rule, even rule by a dictator, are preferable to chaos. In Act I, the exposition introduces the main characters and their conflicts, establishes the setting, and provides the background information. 2. It is important in this play to watch the moods of the crowd. Do you think these commoners are afraid of the military men, or are they acting comically and boldly? Why might Shakespeare begin his tragedy on a comic note? What important facts does the cobbler reveal?

2 4. Shakespeare depicts the plebeians throughout the play as a gullible and easily led group. Why do you think Flavius and Marullus are anxious to change their point of view? What details tell you that the crowd once supported Pompey? What does this interaction between Caesar and Mark Antony tell you about their relationship? The word soothsayer comes from the Old English word sooth, meaning truth. What are some possible synonyms for this word? 8. Although the soothsayer has an extremely minor role, his few words have great implications. What simple dramatic technique does Shakespeare use to focus the audience s attention on the soothsayer s words? How does the soothsayer s repeated warning serve as foreshadowing?

3 9. Why do you think Caesar dismisses the soothsayer s warning so quickly? What does Brutus mean when he says he is with himself at war? What is Cassius telling Brutus? Define a Tragic Hero. 13. Color or colors can mean one s flag or the banner to which one owes allegiance. How does color become a pun in ? 14. Does Cassius rely on facts or on eloquent language in his efforts to persuade Brutus to join the conspiracy?

4 15. A character foil is a character who serves as a contrast to another character, so that each one stands out vividly. How is Cassius a foil to Brutus? 16. Do you think Brutus is aware that Cassius is hinting at a conspiracy against Caesar? Do you think Brutus understands that Cassius is trying to flatter and manipulate him? What do Caesar s remarks about Cassius tell you about the Roman leader? The real Caesar was not deaf in one ear, as Shakespeare suggests in Why do you think Shakespeare might have invented this detail about the Roman leader? 19. How does Cassius pun on the term falling-sickness? Why do you think Cicero expressed himself in Greek at the Forum? What might he have said? 4

5 21. Cassius s speech is a soliloquy, a long speech by a character who is alone on stage, in which he expresses his innermost thoughts and feelings. What do you learn from Cassius s soliloquy? In Shakespeare s time, the dramatist used imagery to do what is now done by special effects. What does Shakespeare s imagery suggest about Rome? How does Cassius interpret these strange occurrences? What two things are being compared in this passage? What effect does this comparison have? How does Cassius use this scene of storm and terror to advance his own agenda? What does this tell you about him?

6 26. Why is Pompey s porch an appropriate place for the conspirators to meet? What does Cassius compare the appearance of the sky to? Why do you think Cassius wants the letter posted on the statue of Brutus s ancestor? What is Cassius asking Cinna to do? The conspirator Cinna is a minor character who appears only briefly in this scene. What do his behavior and comments suggest about those who support the conspiracy?

7 Plot Summary By Act Julius Caesar Act I - Exposition Directions: There are one or two boxes for each scene in Act I of the play. Your job is to make a comic strip depicting the most important events in the scene. Then, below each box, write a short description of the drawing. Your pictures do not have to be professional, but it should be apparent that you spent some time on them. This portion of the packet should be done as homework. Scene 1 Scene II Scene III 7