Name _____________________________________________________
Date ___________________
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act III, by William Shakespeare
Selection Test
Critical Reading
In the blank, write the letter of the one best answer.
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1. Why do the conspirators ask Caesar to pardon Publius Cimber in Act III of The
Tragedy of Julius Caesar?
a. They need Publius Cimber’s political support.
b. They want to divert Caesar’s attention from the assassination.
c. They want to prove Caesar is just and kind.
d. Publius Cimber is a rival for Caesar’s crown.
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2. In Caesar’s last few speeches, when he refuses to pardon Publius Cimber, his tone is
a. proud and arrogant.
c. reasonable and accommodating.
b. excited and irrational.
d. kind and sympathetic.
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3. When Antony first shakes hands with the conspirators, it suggests that he
a. knows nothing about the assassination.
b. plans to join them to kill Caesar.
c. accepts the murder and supports the conspirators.
d. wishes they would kill him as well.
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4. Which choice is the best paraphrase of this passage from Scene i?
ANTONY O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
[255] That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever livèd in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
a. Forgive me, Caesar, for being friendly with your murderers. You are the noblest man that
ever lived, and you are ruined. I wish misfortune on the hand that made your wounds.
b. Antony addresses Caesar’s corpse and pledges to get revenge on his killers.
c. Pardon me, bloody earth, that I did not kill these butchers! You have ruined the
noblest man, regardless of the times. That hand that shed this blood will pay.
d. Forgive me for being meek. These butchers have ruined a noble man. This blood
has been shed by a woeful hand.
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5. When Antony delivers a dramatic speech over Caesar’s body, he is alone onstage. A
speech delivered under these circumstances is called a(n) __________ .
a. aside
b. soliloquy
c. monologue
d. eulogy
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6. What are the connotations of Antony’s image of Caesar as a hart, or deer?
a. untamed, shy, hidden
c. timid, weak, quick to flee
b. gentle, attractive, tender
d. free, noble, proud
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7. How are Antony’s true feelings about the conspirators first revealed?
a. in dialogue with the conspirators
c. in his funeral oration for Caesar
b. in his soliloquy over Caesar’s body d. in a series of asides in conversation
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8. In his oration, how does Antony show that the conspirators were not honorable ?
a. He contrasts Caesar’s deeds with the reasons for the assassination.
b. He attacks their character directly.
c. He gives examples of their past acts of dishonor.
d. He explains the meaning of honor.
182 Formal Assessment
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9. Choose the item that most accurately paraphrases the following lines.
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
a. Poor people and Caesar cried; they are not stern enough to be ambitious.
b. Caesar wept right along with his poor citizens; if he’s ambitious he ought to be
tougher than that.
c. Caesar cried with the poor people who cry because Caesar’s ambition is stern.
d. When is it that the poor have cried, when Caesar has cried? Ambition should be
more stern.
____ 10. Antony’s speech at Caesar’s funeral is interrupted by the plebeians’ reactions in several places. Because Antony delivers the speech to other characters on stage, it is
considered a(n) __________.
a. conversation
b. aside
c. dialogue
d. monologue
____ 11. Why does Antony point to the wounds on Caesar’s body and the tears in his cloak
and identify whose dagger made each one?
a. It shows that Antony saw the murder and knows who is responsible.
b. It increases Antony’s credibility with the crowd.
c. It emphasizes the treachery involved and makes each conspirator personally responsible for Caesar’s death.
d. He is so horrified by the crime that he can’t help exclaiming over it.
Unit 8:
____ 12. What do Antony’s speeches in Act III reveal about his character?
a. He uses the deeds of others to his advantage.
b. He is a loyal and clever supporter of Caesar.
c. He did not truly care for Caesar.
d. He is unaware of his effect on others.
Drama
____ 13. What news is reported to Antony at the end of Scene ii?
a. The conspirators are celebrating in the city streets.
b. Caesar’s funeral is over.
c. Octavius has arrived in Rome.
d. The mob is on the way to declare him king.
____ 14. Which statement sums up the purpose of Scene iii, in which a group of plebeians
attacks Cinna the poet?
a. The poet was a murderer.
c. Romans are barbarians.
b. Workers hate the arts.
d. Mob rule now governs.
____ 15. What impression does Shakespeare give of the plebeians in Act III?
a. They are easily manipulated.
c. They respect the noblemen.
b. They are men of principle.
d. They do not care for politics.
____ 16. The purpose of a paraphrase is to
a. restate a passage as briefly as possible.
b. interpret a passage.
c. find hidden meaning in a passage.
d. restate a passage in one’s own words.
Vocabulary and Grammar
____ 17. Which of the following sentences contain reflexive pronouns?
I. If I live a thousand years, I shall not find myself so apt to die.
II. Only we ourselves will take responsibility for the deed.
III. Do you consider yourself so vile that you will not love your country?
IV. I tell you that which you yourselves do know.
a. I and II
c. II and III
b. I and III
d. III and IV
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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act III
183
____ 18. When Antony and Brutus first speak after the assassination, Brutus speaks of malice, which means __________ .
a. ill will
b. regret
c. suspicion
d. violence
____ 19. Which of the following statements is false?
a. A reflexive pronoun ends in -self or -selves.
b. A reflexive pronoun points back to a noun or pronoun in the same sentence.
c. A reflexive pronoun adds information to a sentence.
d. A reflexive pronoun always follows a linking verb.
____ 20. Both Brutus and Antony make an oration at Caesar’s funeral. An oration is
a. a funeral speech.
c. a formal speech.
b. a personal way of showing grief.
d. an ancient Roman custom at funerals.
Essay Questions
21. Lines 148–163 of Act III, Scene i, contain Antony’s first public words following the assassination of Caesar. He has just gained permission to speak to the conspirators in safety. Examine the monologue carefully, and in an essay, relate Antony’s message in the speech.
Describe Antony’s tone and discuss what he hopes to accomplish with this speech. What
are Antony’s motives? Why doesn’t Shakespeare have Antony deliver this speech as a soliloquy, with no other characters on stage?
22. The surprise and the power of Act III lie in Antony’s words and actions. In an essay consider Antony’s dual roles in Act III. What are those dual roles? How does he switch from
one role to the other? Finally, how does Scene iii add to the drama of the act?
23. In lines 175–190 of Act III, Scene ii, Antony has just asked the plebeians to allow him to
step down and to gather around Caesar’s body so that he can read the will. Upon viewing
Caesar’s body again, Antony apparently gets distracted and delivers the words in the
speech. Paraphrase the speech. Then, in an essay, consider the words of Antony. Why
does he speak the way he does to the crowd? Why does he mention Brutus’ and Caesar’s
relationship specifically? What effect do these words have on the plebeians? Keep in mind
that this is the third of four major sections of Antony’s funeral oration.
184 Formal Assessment
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