Name _____________________________________________________
Date ___________________
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act V, by William Shakespeare
Selection Test
Critical Reading
In the blank, write the letter of the one best answer.
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1. How might you best describe the meeting between Brutus, Cassius, Antony, and
Octavius at the beginning of Act V?
a. friendly
b. hostile
c. long
d. quietly restrained
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2. According to the following statement, what mistake is the cause of Cassius’ problems?
Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself; / This tongue had not offended so
today, / If Cassius might have ruled.
a. not following his instincts and killing Antony along with Caesar
b. not paying enough attention to the words of Antony
c. not flattering Antony to get on his good side
d. not inviting Antony to join the conspiracy against Caesar
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3. What is the effect of Cassius’ belief that he is doomed to die?
a. He tries to enjoy each moment of his life.
b. He takes unnecessary risks.
c. He loses all hope of surviving the battle.
d. He fears being captured.
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4. What do Brutus and Cassius say to each other before they depart for battle?
a. They speak angry words to each other.
b. They discuss quitting the battle and leaving Rome forever.
c. They bid each other farewell in case they do not see each other again.
d. They say a quick good-bye and plan to meet again in a few hours.
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5. How might you describe the feelings of Brutus and Cassius as they head into battle?
a. unconfident
b. angry
c. excited
d. eager
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6. What is Cassius’ fatal mistake?
a. He believes that they will never win and kills himself out of frustration.
b. He forgets where he is supposed to be stationed.
c. He mistakenly believes Titinius has been captured and kills himself out of guilt.
d. He mistakenly walks into a trap set by Antony’s army.
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7. Which of the following statements by Brutus on the death of Cassius is most reflective of his stoicism?
a. “O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty/yet!”
b. “Friends, I owe/more tears/To this dead man than you will see me pay./I shall
find time, Cassius; I shall find time.”
c. “Are yet two Romans living such/as these?”
d. “Where, where, Messala, doth his/body lie?”
188 Formal Assessment
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8. In Act V, Scene iv, to what does Brutus attribute the suicides of Cassius and
Titinius?
a. the power of Caesar’s ghost
b. the enemy’s superior numbers
c. his own men’s cowardliness
d. his errors in judgment
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9. Which of the following is a good argument against Cassius’ being described as the
noble hero who is brought low through his own fault?
a. He is greedy and dishonest rather than noble and heroic.
b. He is not heroic because he was afraid to kill himself.
c. He does not fail because he dies a free man.
d. His death is not his fault because it was fated.
____ 10. Which of the following words best characterizes the attitude of Antony and Octavius
toward Brutus’ followers when they have been captured?
a. pity
b. mercy
c. contempt
d. vengeance
____ 13. What is an important effect of Brutus’ death?
a. Antony surrenders.
b. Cassius is deemed the hero of the battle.
c. Brutus’ army is chased away.
d. Antony recognizes Brutus as noble and virtuous.
____ 14. Why is The Tragedy of Julius Caesar considered a tragedy?
a. A main character is involved in a struggle that ends in disaster.
b. The plot features a battle.
c. The plot features a power struggle between two leaders, one of whom dies.
d. More than one person dies by the final act.
____ 15. Which of the following may be used to argue that Brutus is the tragic hero of The
Tragedy of Julius Caesar?
a. He is defeated by a supernatural being.
b. He was devoted to the cause of liberty.
c. His own actions caused his downfall.
d. He was unfairly manipulated by Cassius.
____ 16. Which of the following best expresses the theme of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?
a. Mercy to the losing faction is more noble than vengeance.
b. Individuals can affect events even from beyond the grave.
c. Good consequences cannot result from an evil deed.
d. Philosophy is no help in times of great crisis.
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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act V
189
Drama
____ 12. What is the main reason why Brutus does not want to be captured and taken back
to Rome?
a. He is afraid of seeing Antony face to face.
b. Being captured would be a disgrace and rob him of honor.
c. He no longer wishes to rule Rome.
d. He feels his army will be unable to function without him.
Unit 8:
____ 11. Which of the following events convinces Brutus that he was wrong to kill Caesar?
a. his ethical disagreement with Cassius
b. Antony’s reproaches of the killers
c. the mysterious death of Portia
d. the apparition of Caesar’s ghost
Vocabulary and Grammar
____ 17. Which of the following passages from Act V contains a word of direct address?
a. “They stand, and would have parley.”
b. “Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left.”
c. “What says my general?”
d. “Stand fast, Titinius, we must out and talk.”
____ 18. Which of the following is the best meaning of the word presage as it is used in this
sentence?
Cassius’ feelings of doom are influenced by symbols that seem to presage
disaster.
a. foretell
b. protect against
c. recall
d. fight
____ 19. What is a word of direct address in the following passage from Act V?
O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early, / Who, having some advantage on
Octavius, / Took it too eagerly; his soldiers fell to spoil, / Whilst we by Antony are
all enclosed.
a. Antony
b. Who
c. Brutus
d. Cassius
____ 20. Which of the following is the best meaning of the word envy as it is used in the following line from Act V?
All the conspirators save only he / Did that they did in envy of great Caesar . . .
a. admiration
b. anger
c. jealousy
d. forgetfulness
Essay Questions
21. How does Antony’s attitude toward Brutus change by the end of Act V? What is the reason
for this change? According to Antony, why were Brutus’ actions against Caesar different
from those of the other conspirators? Answer these questions in an essay.
22. In an essay, discuss cause and effect in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. What are the effects
of Caesar’s death? What are some of the events that lead to the play’s tragic ending in Act
V?
23. Write an essay in which you discuss Brutus as a tragic hero. In your essay, answer the
following questions: What are his heroic qualities? When in the play does he exhibit these
qualities? What is his tragic flaw? When in the play is this flaw most obvious? Why is his
death so tragic?
190 Formal Assessment
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