Julius Caesar, play / movie
Study Guide
Name
William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, ~1599.
Julius Caesar
Calpurnia
Mark Antony
Brutus
Portia
Cassius
Characters
Casca
Decius Brutus
Cinna
Trebonius
Metellus Cimber Caius Ligarius
Octavius
Lepidus
Cicero
Act I, Rome, approximately 100 B.C.E.
1. Why are some Romans upset with Caesar’s growing power?
2. Who leads the conspiracy against Julius Caesar at this point? Also, name two other
conspirators.
3. Who do the conspirators think they need on board for their plan to be successful? Why
do they need him?
4. How does Cassius plan to get this person (from #3) to join their plan?
Act II. Brutus’s home; later, Caesar’s home; later still, the streets of Rome.
5. What are Brutus’s concerns about Caesar?
6. What convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar?
7. Who does Brutus say to spare when they kill Caesar? Why?
8. What could prevent the conspirators’ plan from working, and how do they plan to cope
with the problem?
9. What are Portia’s concerns?
10. What possible reasons could Brutus have that he doesn’t tell Portia his plans?
11. On what are Calpurnia’s fears for Caesar based? How does he respond?
12. Who changes Caesar’s mind about staying at home on March 15 (the Ides of March)?
Act III. The capitol in Rome on March 15; later, the square outside the capitol.
13. After Caesar dies, what does Cassius tell everyone to call out?
14. What does Brutus tell them to do?
15. Antony challenges the conspirators to kill him as they had just killed Caesar. How do
they respond?
16. What does Cassius warn Brutus about Antony?
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Julius Caesar, play / movie
Study Guide
Name
17. What are the restrictions Brutus places on Antony’s eulogy for Caesar?
18. What are Antony’s real feelings about Caesar? His plan for the conspirators?
19. What reasons does Brutus give for killing Caesar?
20. What does Antony say about Caesar? About Brutus and the conspirators?
21. With whom does Antony seek an alliance against the conspirators?
Act IV. Antony’s home in Rome; then, Brutus’s tent near Phillippi in Greece.
22. What three men are now allied against the conspirators who killed Julius Caesar?
23. What does Brutus accuse Cassius of?
24. What heals the break between Cassius and Brutus?
25. What personal grief has come to Brutus?
26. What military strategy does Cassius argue for?
27. What strategy does Brutus decide to use?
28. What does it tell you about Brutus that he sees Caesar’s ghost?
29. What does the Ghost tell Brutus about the Phillippi battlefield?
Act V. The plains of Phillippi in Greece.
30. Antony and Octavius argue. About what?
31. In the middle of the battle, what message does Brutus send to Cassius?
32. What mistake does Cassius think Brutus has made?
33. What does Cassius conclude from what he sees happen to his messenger?
34. What does Cassius do?
35. How does Brutus react to his friend’s death?
36. How does Brutus die?
37. What does Antony say about Brutus’s motives in taking part in the conspiracy?
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