Julius Caesar Act 1 Study Questions: Due 10/10

Act 1 Scene 1: You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!

   1)       Write down a quote that seems to show whether Shakespeare is supporting the mindset of the commoners or of the patricians:

   2)     Explain the importance of the quote “These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing/ Will make him fly an ordinary pitch,/ Who else would soar above the view of men/ And keep us all in servile fearfulness.” What does this quote say about Caesar’s power?

Act 1 Scene 2: It was Greek to me…

   1)       What does Caesar say that could be considered insulting to his wife?

   2)     When Cassius first approaches Brutus and asks him about the state of his mind, how does Brutus respond?

   3)      During the conversation between Brutus and Cassius, identify three different tactics Cassius uses to convince Brutus to distrust Caesar. Use quotes to support your answer:

a.       

b.       

c.        

   4)     What does Brutus mean when he says “The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars,/ But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”

   5)     How does Caesar describe Cassius? Does he trust him?

   6)     According to Casca, what events occurred offstage while Brutus and Cassius were speaking?

   7)      What does Cassius’s soliloquy at the end of the scene tell the audience about him and his plan? Use a quote for your support.