Act 1
In Act 1, Scene 1 (with Flavius, Marullus, and the commoners), why are Flavius/Marullus' interactions with the commoners important/meaningful? (somewhat open-ended)
Responses may vary, but I'd expect something along these lines:
1) Shows that Caesar is on the rise/that his power and popularity are getting out of hand
2) Helps reveal the nature & personality of the commoners (they're fickle/easily affected or manipulated)
Based on Brutus' conversation with Portia later in Act 2, Scene 1, why would your group say they are either "relationship goals" or not?
Answers may vary. Clear good and bad elements abound.
Good: Portia seems supportive/tries to be there for Brutus; Brutus is at least somewhat kind/courteous
Bad: Brutus refuses to open up to Portia/confide in her, which might partially explain why Portia kills herself later on (when Brutus leaves the city)
What is one arrogant/ "get over yourself brah" comment that Caesar makes in Act 3, Scene 1? I don't need an exact quote, but it should clearly be something Caesar actually brings up.
Too many options to list
Why is it reasonable or unreasonable to say that Cassius genuinely cares about Brutus as a friend?
Responses may vary. On some level, Cassius is clearly about manipulating/using Brutus to help bring Caesar down.
However, Cassius also seems to value Brutus' opinion and goes along with stuff Brutus wants even when Cassius has a problem with it.
Tragedy/Kill Count: Name three important characters that die and explain how each character dies
1) Caesar: knifed in the back by Brutus
2) Cassius: kills himself on the battlefield
3) Brutus: kills himself on the battlefield
(a) Define hubris
(b) Give an example of hubris
(c) Explain how Caesar or Cassius demonstrates hubris in Act 1, Scene 2
(a) Hubris: overconfidence/arrogance that leads to a character's downfall or misfortune
(b) Yes
(c) Caesar: ignores/laughs at the Soothsayer's warning to beware the Ides of March (calling him a dreamer)
Cassius: shows that he believes he/Brutus deserve power just as much as Caesar does (when you come at the king, you best not miss)
(b) What's the potential downside to Brutus when it comes to insisting there's no need to swear an oath?
(a) Flexibility: He's not bound/tied to the conspirators and could back out pretty easily if he wanted to.
(b) Less reason to trust/believe in the other conspirators (and less reason for the other conspirators to trust/believe in him)
Answers may vary, but likely something about how they appeal to Caesar about lifting the banishment of Cimber (and how Caesar responds by being obnoxiously arrogant)
Explain how Cassius and the conspirators (wow, how's that for a rock band name) correctly or incorrectly read Antony's character?
Correctly: Cassius seems to vibe that Antony is dangerous/is not to be trusted
Incorrectly: It's incorrect to think that Antony is harmless/incapable of doing anything without Caesar. He proves very, very capable.
Give at least one piece of evidence that shows how Antony has at least some respect for Brutus
Calls Brutus the noblest Roman of them all (because he was motivated by acting for the good of Rome rather than by selfish reasons)
Brutus is buried/ordered to be buried in honor
(a) What is one criticism, judgment, or observation Caesar makes about Cassius in Act 1, Scene 2?
(b) Based on what happens later in the play, explain why that criticism/judgment proves to be accurate or inaccurate.
Answers will vary, but Caesar says something about how Cassius has "a lean and hungry look" (and that he wishes Cassius were fatter). Caesar also says that Cassius seems to be inconveniently sharp/observant.
Explain why Brutus' relationship with the other conspirators could be considered complex and difficult.
Brutus isn't completely on their side, but also isn't totally against them either. Although he understands the value of killing Caesar, he shows he's personally conflicted.
In Act 3, Scene 1, explain two different ways in which Antony's character/personality can be interpreted
Answers may vary, but
(1) Antony shakes hands ===> could show that he's playing the long game, trying to be slick, trying to act like he and the conspirators are on the same side
(2) Antony clearly shows that he has loyalty to Caesar even after Caesar's death
(a) Antony
(b) Brutus
(c) Cassius
(a) Revenge for Caesar's death
(b) Motivated by acting for the good of Rome
(c) Hatred for Caesar/jealousy
Give two different examples of how Cassius showcases his intelligence, ability to read people, or anticipate the future.
Answers could include
(a) Manipulating Brutus (in the initial conversation + in sending letters to him)
(b) Making a strong and accurate read on Antony (that he's dangerous, that it's a mistake to let him speak at the funeral)
(a) What is pathetic fallacy?
(b) What are two ways in which pathetic fallacy has some significance in Act 1, Scene 3? Beyond just identifying the examples, briefly explain your response.
(a) Pathetic fallacy is when elements of nature show/reflect human emotion (like when rain emphasizes how sad and depressing a day is)
(b) Answers may vary, but there's (1) lightning in the air (ominous/stuff's going down), (2) animals doing crazy stuff, (3) weird visions of ghosts/people
What are two different flaws that Caesar shows in the first two acts of the play? Identify and explain two examples.
Note: Do not include anything from the assassination scene; I will automatically bypass your group's response if you do, since that's in Act 3
Answers may vary, but...
(1) He seems to love power, even though he pretends he doesn't (he's tempted by the idea of being crowned)
(2) He doesn't listen to his wife/doesn't seem to care that much about her opinion
(3) He's got an ego/his ego can be played (Decius plays him by presenting a scenario where Caesar looks foolish to everyone)
(4) He believes he's untouchable (doesn't listen to the soothsayer's warning)
Turn to page 745. Near the bottom of the page, Antony begins his soliloquy (speaking his thoughts aloud) about the whole situation with Caesar's death.
As a group, pick at least one line that has significance extending beyond just this scene (and explain your response). (2 minute timer, because this is kind of a beast of a question)
Options include
"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war"
all the stuff involving war/bloodshed
Top 10 Anime Betrayals: Identify and explain two different ways in which one character betrays another.
Answers could include
(a) Brutus being the one to literally stab Caesar in the back ("Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar."
(b) Antony showing why he should never be allowed to go second in a rap battle (as he turns Rome's citizens against Brutus)
(c) I'd also accept Cassius acting in bad faith to manipulate Brutus (sending him fake letters to change his mind)
In the song "Magic" (B.o.B ft. Rivers Cuomo) and in the end of Act 1, Scene 3, there's a reference made to "alchemy".
(a) What is alchemy and how does it relate to what Cassius/the conspirators are doing?
(b) In your opinion, why do Cassius/the conspirators succeed or fail at performing "alchemy"?
(a) Something about turning something average & unimpressive into gold (the line from the song is "EVERY TIME I TOUCH THAT TRACK, IT TURNS INTOOOOO GOLD ===> YES, IT TURNS TO GOLD"
(b) Responses may vary
Dramatic irony is when the audience/reader knows something important that a character in the story does not (like when you see a killer sneaking up on someone in a horror movie while they remain unaware).
What are two different examples of dramatic irony in the first two acts of the play?
Some possible answers include:
(1) Cassius talking smack about Caesar/trying to turn Brutus against him
(2) We know that Cassius is sending fake letters to Brutus to pump him up
(3) Brutus' clear conflicted nature/reluctance to full commit to the conspiracy
(4) Conspirators plan to merk Caesar; Caesar doesn't fully know about it
(5) Trebonius: something about being near to Caesar lol
Explain how Antony uses ethos, pathos, and logos to achieve his desired outcome in his speech (can be from anything he says in Act 3, Scene 2).
I need one line for each of ethos, pathos, and logos, along with a brief explanation (3 minutes b/c this is a beast of a question)
Explain two ways in which Caesar clearly has an impact on the action, even after he's no longer alive.
(1) He's clearly a motivating factor for Antony's revenge/punishing actions
(2) Caesar's ghost appears to haunt Brutus
(3) Cassius & Brutus have to deal with the backlash/fallout of Caesar's death (they're driven out of Rome + have to fight in a civil war)
An anti-hero can be defined as someone who clearly has good qualities and good intentions but also has noticeable character flaws (or questionable methods).
Pick one character and come up with 2 examples of how they show signs of being an anti-hero (2 min)