2. 1. Fire
2. Lion
3. Owl
4. Storm
A. King
B. Foreshadows death
C. Foreshadows trouble
D. Assassin
Match each of these symbols with their
meanings in our drama:
3. Symbols and Signs
This play is full of signs and symbols.
The lion is a symbol of the King, Caesar,
A storm foretells troubling times
The owl is a symbol of the assassin who wants to take
Caesar out of power
Fire predicts war
Listen for these signs and symbols and notice whether
Caesar heeds them
4. __________and _________ask the local
workers why they aren’t working.
____________is not amused. He and _______
make the workers go home.
They scold the workers for being________,
celebrating Caesar when just a few weeks ago,
everybody celebrated________, who Caesar
just killed.
All the people seem to want is a party but
Murellus and Flavius take down the
_____________and fake _______.
Pompey
Flavius
Flavius
fickle
Murellus
Murellus
decorations
crowns
Fill in the
blanks :
5. Caesar is enjoying the celebration and he asks
__________ to touch _________ before his
celebration run. This will cure her inability to
have children.
Cassius and ___________talk alone about
their fears about Caesar.
Cassius says that ___________is a poor
swimmer an prone to fevers. In other words, he
is weak.
Cassius says they should be the “masters of
their own ________” and take power.
Antony Calpurnia
Brutus
Ceasar
fates
6. Caesar shows up saying ________ is
dangerous because he _______________, is
skinny, and doesn’t ______ a lot.
_________ tells Brutus and Cassius that
Caesar put on a show of refusing the _______
three times and offered to let the crowd cut his
throat.
A _____________warns Caesar of March 15,
the____________________ and Caesar
ignores him.
Casca and Cicero were talking of the night’s
strange events: A ___________ was seen at
the Capitol, an ______was out during the day,
Cassius
reads too much
smile
crown
Casca
Soothsayer
Ides of March
lion
owl storm
slave
men on fire
7. Bonus Question
Why didn’t Caesar listen to the Soothsayer?
Do you think his inability to listen to good
advice will haunt him in the future?
Caesar's fall was affected by
Caesar’
s
ambitio
n
Cassius’
s
jealousy
Brutus’s
rationalit
y
8. Caesar pays little attention to the
signs and symbols around him.
This is partially because he is too
vain to believe anyone would
possibly challenge him. This will
lead to his downfall and his attitude
highlights this flaw in his character
that was one of the main reasons
for his tragic end (Hubris)
9. Essay Questions Sample
The forces of nature play an important role in Julius Caesar. Using
examples from the play to support your ideas, how do the natural
events correspond with the events that take place in the play?
Superstition and the supernatural also play an important part in the
play. How are these used and how do different individuals react to
these events. (You can easily combine this question and the question
above for your research paper).
Compare and contrast the differences between Cassius and Brutus.
They each have their reasons for killing Caesar, but they are totally
different in their scope. Show how they are similar and different by
using examples from the play.
Compare and contrast Antony and Brutus. Both men are loyal and
honorable men, but they have many differences as well. Is Antony
totally noble? Look at how he acts after Caesar is killed. Why do they
do what they do? Is it for themselves or for a greater cause?
Was Caesar really ambitious? Using references from the play, support
why you think he is or is not ambitious.
10. The Forces of Nature
The forces of nature play an important role in Julius Caesar.
Using examples from the play to support your ideas: how do the
natural events correspond with the events that take place in the
play?Fire and weather, natural elements, intertwine with the plot
to give an ominous overtone. One example is before
Caesar is killed, a thunderstorm strikes. It is foreboding and
even more so when tied with Calpurnia’s unnatural dreams
and the Soothsayer’s warnings. Focus on natural elements
and how they effect the different characters.
11. Superstition and the
Supernatural
Superstition and the supernatural also play an important part in the play.
How are these used and how do different individuals react to these
events. (You can easily combine this question and the question above for
your research paper).
“There is much attention paid to omens and nightmares, and how they
foreshadow the death of Julius Caesar. All events that lead up to the death
of Julius Caesar are predicted by omens from multiple characters such as
his wife Calpurnia, the soothsayer, and Artemidorus. These omens are
ignored by many of the main characters. However, this does not make
omens an unimportant part of life for these characters. Even after the
death of Caesar, omens and nightmares occur, revealing the guilt-ridden
nature of the conspirators. Hence, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar shows
that there is always a relationship between omens and nature in everyday
life and this affects those who believe in them. One might argue it even
affects those who do not believe. Some people rely on them to show how
to live their life, and what to do with it. Regardless, whatever happens in
nature or society is portrayed by omens and vice-versa, which is how they
are related.”
12. Brutus VS
Cassius
Compare and contrast the differences between Cassius and
Brutus. They each have their reasons for killing Caesar, but they
are totally different in their scope. Show how they are similar and
different by using examples from the play.
Brutus is extremely loyal to Rome. He is honored and
admired, but overly confident. Whatever he does, he
does for the good of Rome and at the sacrifice of…
Who does he sacrifice?
Cassius jealous, corrupt , and cunning. Unlike
Brutus, he keeps his thoughts mostly to himself.
While Brutus wants to assassinate Caesar for the
greater good of Rome, Cassius’ is simply jealous of
Caesar’s political position.
13. Antony VS Brutus
Compare and contrast Antony and Brutus. Both men are loyal
and honorable men, but they have many differences as well. Is
Antony totally noble? Look at how he acts after Caesar is killed.
Why do they do what they do? Is it for themselves or for a
greater cause?
Focus on the speech the two men give after Caesar is murdered.
Explain the differences in how they address and persuade the
audience.
14. Caesar’s Ambition
Was Caesar really ambitious? Using references from the play,
support why you think he is or is not ambitious.
We saw in the historical documentary of Caesar, the Caesar did,
if fact, seek more power and land, but does Shakespeare depict
him that way?
