DRAMA & SHAKESPEARE
What are the two major categories of drama?
Comedy & Tragedy
Why aren’t the men at work in the beginning of the play?
They are celebrating Caesar’s victory.
Why is Portia upset with Brutus?
He is keeping secrets from her
How does the crowd initially react to Brutus’ funeral speech?
They support and praise him.
How does Cassius die?
He asks Pindarus to stab him with his own sword
Drama is always intended to be…
Performed
Why does Caesar want Antony to touch Calpurnia during the race?
It is believed to cure her barrenness.
How does Decius plan to persuade Caesar to go to the Capitol?
By reinterpreting Calpurnia’s dream to flatter Caesar
Why do the citizens kill Cinna the poet?
They mistake him for Cinna the conspirator
What motivates Brutus to continue fighting after Cassius’s death?
He believes in the cause and his duty to Rome
How long did plays typically last?
4+ Hours
What does Cassius plan to do to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy?
Forge letters from citizens expressing concern about Caesar.
Why does Brutus say Antony should not be killed?
Killing him would make the conspirators look too bloody.
What does Antony reveal about his real intentions when he is alone with Caesar’s body?
He vows to avenge Caesar and cause civil strife in Rome.
What happens to Lucilius?
Lucilius is spared and praised for his loyalty
The theatre where William Shakespeare’s plays would have been performed?
The Globe
Why does Casca compare Caesar’s refusal of the crown to acting?
He believes Caesar was pretending to reject the crown for effect.
Why does Brutus say Antony should not be killed?
Killing him would make the conspirators look too bloody.
How does Caesar’s nobility doom him in regard to Artemidorus’ letter?
He refuses to read it because it concerns himself, not Rome.
How does Brutus feel about fate and death before the battle?
He accepts that death is inevitable and fate is fixed
"Translate"
Act VI, Scene iv, Lines 22-26
Act 6, Scene 4, Lines 22-26
What does Caesar’s response to the soothsayer suggest about him?
He is dismissive and arrogant.
What are the two reasons Brutus gives for not wanting to kill Caesar yet?
He hasn’t done anything wrong yet and that power might corrupt him once crowned
Who is the first and last person to stab Caesar?
Casca & Brutus
Why does Antony call Brutus “the noblest Roman of them all”?
Brutus acted from honorable motives, not envy