Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
How many acts is the play 'Julius Caesar' divided into?
Answer
Five.
Question
Which festival is being celebrated in Rome at the beginning of Act I?
Answer
The feast of the Lupercalia.
Question
Whose sons did Julius Caesar defeat just before the play's opening?
Answer
The sons of Pompey.
Question
Why do the Tribunes scold the workmen in Act I?
Answer
For absenting themselves from work to celebrate Caesar.
Question
What is the primary reason the Tribunes are jealous of Caesar?
Answer
His growing power and popularity.
Question
Who is described as the 'most active of the intriguers' plotting against Caesar in Act I?
Answer
Cassius.
Question
Name the three specific conspirators mentioned who plot in Act I.
Answer
Cassius, Casca, and Cinna.
Question
Whom does the conspiracy aim to win over because he 'sits high in all the people's hearts'?
Answer
Marcus Brutus.
Question
Where are the senators expected to name Caesar King in Act II?
Answer
The Capitol.
Question
Who is the wife of Marcus Brutus?
Answer
Portia.
Question
Who is the wife of Julius Caesar?
Answer
Calpurnia.
Question
Which conspirator persuades Caesar to go to the Capitol by giving a favourable interpretation to dreams?
Answer
Decius Brutus.
Question
What specific calendar date did the soothsayer warn Caesar to 'beware'?
Answer
The ides of March.
Question
Who wrote the letter that Caesar refused to read, which warned him of the attempt on his life?
Answer
Artemidorus.
Question
To whom does Brutus ask the crowd to listen immediately after his own speech in Act III?
Answer
Mark Antony.
Question
What does Mark Antony display to the mob to stir them to mutiny?
Answer
'Sweet Caesar's wounds'.
Question
Which three leaders combine forces to plan the final overthrow of Brutus and Cassius?
Answer
Antony, Octavius Caesar, and Lepidus.
Question
Where are Brutus and Cassius encamped when Antony and Octavius set out in pursuit?
Answer
Near Sardis.
Question
What tragic event regarding Portia is revealed to Brutus in Act IV?
Answer
She has taken her own life.
Question
Who appears to Brutus in Act IV to warn him that they will meet again at Philippi?
Answer
The ghost of Caesar.
Question
Where does the final battle between the armies take place in Act V?
Answer
The plains of Philippi.
Question
Why does Cassius order his servant to kill him?
Answer
He mistakenly believes Brutus has been defeated.
Question
What are Brutus's final words before he runs upon his sword?
Answer
"Caesar, now be still!"
Question
How does Antony describe Brutus after his death?
Answer
"This was the noblest Roman of them all."
Question
In the structure of the play, what stage of action is represented by Act I?
Answer
The Situation.
Question
In the structure of the play, what stage of action is represented by Act II?
Answer
The Development.
Question
In the structure of the play, what stage of action is represented by Act III?
Answer
The Crisis.
Question
In the structure of the play, what stage of action is represented by Act IV?
Answer
The Falling Action.
Question
In the structure of the play, what stage of action is represented by Act V?
Answer
The Catastrophe.
Question
Who led the rebellion that deposed King Tarquin and established the Roman republic in 509 BC?
Answer
Lucius Junius Brutus.
Question
What is the term for the ruling group of three people (Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar) formed in the first century BC?
Answer
A triumvirate.
Question
What happened to Crassus in 53 BC?
Answer
He was killed whilst fighting against the Parthians.
Question
In which battle did Julius Caesar defeat Pompey?
Answer
The Battle of Pharsalia.
Question
Between which years did Julius Caesar govern the Roman Empire as dictator?
Answer
46 BC to 44 BC.
Question
Approximately how many senators were part of the group that decided to murder Caesar?
Answer
Sixty.
Question
Following the assassination, where did Brutus and Cassius encamp with their followers?
Answer
Macedonia.
Question
The main events of the play occur between the festival of Lupercalia and which battle in 42 BC?
Answer
The Battle of Philippi.
Question
According to the text, why does Shakespeare depart from historical accuracy regarding dates and events?
Answer
To heighten the dramatic effect.
Question
Why is the play named after Julius Caesar despite his limited appearances and mid-plot death?
Answer
He dominates the entire drama, as his spirit rules the second half.
Question
As a political tragedy, what primary conflict does 'Julius Caesar' depict?
Answer
The conflict between monarchic and republican principles.
Question
Why was the murder of Caesar described as a 'political blunder' in the context of the play?
Answer
The people of Rome were not yet ready for democracy.
Question
The play emphasises that a strong ruler like Caesar was necessary to prevent what outcome for Rome?
Answer
Disintegration of the Roman empire.
Question
In what linguistic medium are Shakespeare's plays largely written?
Answer
Verse.
Question
What function does prose serve in Shakespearean tragedies?
Answer
A conversational medium of expression.
Question
Which character speaks in prose when reporting the events of Act I Scene 2 to Brutus and Cassius?
Answer
Casca.
Question
Which two characters from the beginning of the play speak in prose to represent common people?
Answer
The cobbler and the carpenter.
Question
Characters use prose when discussing matters that belong to what aspect of life?
Answer
Everyday life (trivial matters).
Question
Why is Brutus's speech after Caesar's murder written in prose?
Answer
To appeal to the reason of the mob with well-balanced arguments.
Question
Why is Mark Antony's funeral speech written in verse?
Answer
To appeal to the emotions of the Roman citizens.
Question
What is the effect of using a mixture of prose and verse in the play?
Answer
Greater variety is achieved and characters/atmospheres are precisely delineated.
Question
What three historical events (with dates) form the background of the play's climax?
Answer
Formation of the Second Triumvirate (43 BC) and the Battle of Philippi (42 BC).
Question
Concept: The Crisis.
Answer
Definition: The third stage of the play's structure, reached with Caesar's murder and its immediate aftermath.
Question
The first part of the play represents Caesar's power, while the second part is dominated by Caesar's _____.
Answer
Spirit
Question
Who gave Caesar the letter he failed to read before his death?
Answer
Artemidorus.
Question
In the historical context of 509 BC, who was the brutal tyrant deposed by the Roman people?
Answer
King Tarquin.
Question
Shakespeare's use of _____ for letters and notes is a common stylistic choice.
Answer
prose
Question
Which specific character's thoughts and feelings are normally expressed in poetry, except during his speech to the mob?
Answer
Brutus.
Question
In Act IV, why is Brutus annoyed with Cassius?
Answer
Cassius refused to supply funds for their troops.
Question
How does the text describe the construction of the play 'Julius Caesar' compared to other Shakespeare plays?
Answer
Remarkably regular.
Question
Which stage of the play's structure involves the 'causes of the mounting hostility to Caesar'?
Answer
Act I (The Situation).