Julius Caesar Act 1 Scene 3

Julius Caesar
Act I Scene 3

MCQs

1. (b)

2. (a)

3. (d)

4. (d)

5. (c)

6. (a)

7. (d)

8. (a)

9. (b)

10. (c)

11. (a)

Contextual Questions

Extract 1

Ans 1: Casca is in a street in Rome. He is breathless and frightened. He is talking to Cicero.

Ans 2:

(a) The entire creation of the earth is shaking as if it is unsteady.

(b) The ocean is in rage filled with foam and is rising up to match the fury of the stormy clouds.

Ans 3: Scolding wind means harsh winds of a storm. They have torn apart large oak trees and they were raising the sea waves up to the clouds.

Ans 4: Casca saw that a slave’s hand was on fire but it still remained unburnt. He concluded that the unnatural events that occur together are a sign of upcoming calamity.

Ans 5: The next day is the Ides of March i.e. 15^th of March. On that day the Senators intended to crown Caesar as king. It will be a fatal day as Caesar will be assassinated. The soothsayer had warned Caesar about that day.

Extract 2

Ans 1: Casca had seen a slave holding up his left hand which burned as brightly as twenty torches but still his hand was unburnt.

Ans 2: Three other incidents are:

• A lion arrogantly walked past Casca without injuring him.
• Terrible looking women huddled in fear swearing they saw men in fire walking the streets.
• The owl hooted at the market place at noon.

Ans 3: Casca believes that they are a sign of upcoming doom. He thinks that the storm is a sign from the gods. He is breathless and staring, frightened by what he has seen. Cassius interprets the storm in a strange way. He says that Caesar has grown fearful like the storm.

Ans 4: For Casca, the storm is a sign from the gods. He is breathless and staring, frightened by what he has seen. Cicero is less clear whether or not the storm is any more than bad weather. He remains uncommitted over this issue, just as he is remains uncommitted over the conspiracy to kill Caesar.

Ans 5: Caesar was unaffected by these strange things. Only his sleep was disturbed. On the other hand, the audience would be at the edge of their seats waiting for something terrible to happen. They would be like Casca, anticipating a terrible tragedy.

Extract 3

Ans 1: The group was planning to crown Caesar as the king. Cassius plans to assassinate Caesar before he is crowned. For this he intends to convince noble Brutus to join him.

Ans 2: Cassius says this because the Romans have become submissive and passive. According to him, they have lost their sense of honour and their independence.

Ans 3:

(a) Cassius will save himself from slavery by committing suicide.

(b) In this respect by allowing men to kill themselves. Gods defeat tyrants.

Ans 4: Cassius says about the strength of spirit that neither towers nor brass walls, nor dungeons nor strong iron chains - nothing can imprison a determined spirit.

Ans 5: Cassius says that if Caesar were to become king, it would be the signal for Cassius to take his own life. He says neither stormy towers nor brass walls, neither dungeons nor strong iron chains can imprison his determined spirit.

Extract 4

Ans 1: “Poor man” refers to Caesar. He would not have been a wolf or lion had Romans not been slaves like sheep or deer.

Ans 2: Romans in their haste would crown a weak man like Caesar just like hasty people would use weak straws to build a fire. This means that that Romans were so weak willed that Caesar could control them as easily as dry straw set to fire. Caesar is "vile" in the eyes of Cassius since Caesar does not treat the citizens of Rome fairly. Caesar has managed to gain power and trust by his weak appearance.

Ans 3: Cassius blames Rome. Three reasons for greatness of Caesar according to him are:

- Romans behaved live sheep giving Caesar the ability to a Wolf.

- Romans behaved like Deer making Caesar look like Lion.

- Romans behaved like twigs giving Caesar the ability to put it on fire.

Ans 4: Casca extends his hand and shakes Cassius’ hand as a sign of fellowship. He promises to get involved as much as the boldest of all does.

Ans 5: The dangerous appointment is to meet and plan an honourable but dangerous enterprise with fellow conspirators. These friends would meet at Pompey’s porch, a theatre built by Pompey. The purpose of their meeting would be planning Caesar’s assassination.

Extract 5

Ans 1: Cinna and Cassius are at a street in Rome. The other person with them was Casca. Casca was there as he and Cassius were discussing the strange occurrences in Rome and Cassius had convinced Casca to join their group.

Ans 2: Cinna says that "I am glad on't' since he heard that Casca had joined the group. Cinna was there because he was searching for Cassius.

Ans 3: Earlier in this scene Casca had also described the fearful night. Two fearful and strange sights seen by him were:

- a group of hundred women who were shaken with fear after having seen men on fire walking on the streets.

- owls hooting and shrieking during broad daylight.

Ans 4: ‘Stay’d for’ means waited for. Cassius asks whether someone is waiting for him, probably in reference to the meeting of the conspirators in Pompey’s porch.

Ans 5: Brutus is believed to be the noblest Roman and is highly respected. His support would make the plot to assassinate Caesar honourable. Cassius believes he has convinced Brutus to join the conspiracy. He instructs Cinna to leave letters where Brutus might find them — one at his window, one at Junius Brutus’ statue and one in the praetor’s chair.