At the beginning of Act V of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, how can the meeting among Brutus, Cassius, Antony, and Octavius best be described?
It can best be described as hostile.
At the beginning of Act V of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Cassius says of Antony,"This tongue had not offended so today, / If Cassius might have ruled." How does this statement hint at Brutus's tragic flaw?
This statement hints at Brutus' tragic flaw because if Cassius was in charge none of this would have happened. Cassius wouldn't have trusted everyone, especially Antony, like Brutus had.
Consider Cassius's character traits. Even though his flaws cause his downfall, why does he fall short of being a tragic hero in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?
He falls short of being a tragic hero because Cassius didn't have a tragic flaw, but he did have flaws. Cassius didn't have just one flaw that made everything happen and lead to his death. Plus, he is greedy and dishonest, he is not noble.
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act V, how does Brutus react to Cassius's death? What does his reaction suggest about Brutus's character?
Brutus says that Cassius' death and Titinius' death was Caesar getting revenge and that Caesar was still very powerful. He says that Caesar makes them turn their swords on their own stomachs.
He says that Cassius and Titinius are good roman's and that Rome will never produce their equals. Brutus says that he owes tears to them and he will find time to cry for them. He doesn't want to have a funeral at their camp because everyone might end up being too sad to fight. This reaction shows that he is stoic and he practices stoicism, but there are sometimes that he has to show his emotions, especially when his best friend kills himself.
Why is The Tragedy of Julius Caesar considered a tragedy? Briefly explain your answer.
It is considered a tragedy because a main character is involved in a struggle that ends in disaster.
Brutus is the tragic hero in this tragedy because he struggles between whether to kill Caesar or not and later whether he did the right thing or not. This leads up to his death.
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act V, what is the main reason that Brutus does not want to be captured and taken back to Rome?
Brutus doesn't want to be walked through that streets captured and chained up. He believes that his mind is too great for that.
Why does Cassius become disconsolate as he watches Titinius on the battlefield? In your answer, show your understanding of the meaning of disconsolate as it is used in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
Disconsolate means that someone is so unhappy that nothing brings comfort. Cassius is disconsolate because he sent Titinius down to the tents to see what was going on. We as the audience know that it is Brutus' men celebrating that they are winning.
They pulled Titinius down to give him a makeshift crown. However, Cassius thought it was Antony and Octavius' men and they were capturing Titinius to kill him. Cassius is disconsolate because he thinks that he sent his best friend down to his death.
In Act V, Scene v, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, upon Brutus's death, Antony says of Brutus, "This was the noblest Roman of them all.
. . . He, only in a general honest thought / And common good to all, made one of them. / His life was gentle, and the elements / So mixed in him that Nature might stand up / And say to all the world, 'This was a man!'" What does Antony's speech suggest about the differences between Brutus and Cassius? Fill in the chart.
Then, on the lines below, state whether you agree with Antony and why.
Brutus:
--Noble. Honest, Honorable: killed Caesar for the good of Rome.
--Soic, unemotional
Cassius:
--Greedy: most likely killed Caesar for personal reasons.
--hot headed, shows his emotions
I do agree with Antony. Brutus was the most noble, but not the smartest. Brutus did kill Caesar for the good of Rome and out of honesty. I believe that Cassius and every other conspirator did it out of jealousy and they just didn't want Caesar in power anymore.
Why can Brutus be considered the tragic hero of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?
Brutus is a tragic hero because he had a tragic flaw, thinking everyone is trustworthy and noble, and he ended up dying at the end of the play.
What is the theme, or central message, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?
The theme or central message of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is that you can never have an ideal world. All Brutus wants are noble honest people and a world where everyone is happy, but this can never be true. There is always going to be people who aren't happy.
In a short essay, discuss how Antony's attitude toward Brutus changes by the end of Act V. What is the reason for this change? According to Antony, why were Brutus's actions against Caesar different from those of the other conspirators? Support your response with examples from Act V of the play.
In this play, Antony's attitude towards Brutus changes a lot.
At the beginning of this Act he didn't like Brutus and was mad at everyone involved in Caesar's death. By the end of Act Antony was calling Brutus the most noble Roman of all. According to Antony, Brutus's actions against Caesar were different because Brutus didn't kill Caesar out of Jealousy. Antony truly believes that Brutus thought he was doing the right thing.
Brutus's reasons were also different because Brutus did it for what he thought was the good of Rome and he did it out of honesty. An example from Act V is when Brutus says that if Octavius was the noblest in his family, than there would be no more honorable way to die than on Brutus's sword. This shows that Brutus thought he did the right thing and that Caesar couldn't have died more honorably.
Thinking About the Big Question: To what extent does experience determine what we perceive? In a paragraph, answer the following question: What experiences change Brutus's perceptions and convince him that he was wrong to kill Caesar? Support your response with examples from the play.
Caesar's ghost comes to visit Brutus in his sleep and warns him that Brutus will see him again at Philippi. This foreshadows Brutus's death. Brutus has internal conflict of whether he did the right thing killing Caesar or if he should have not joined the conspiracy. At Philippi, Brutus sees Cassius and Titinius bodies. They had stabbed themselves.
Brutus thinks that it was Caesar's ghost, who is still powerful, walking around making men turn their sword son themselves because Brutus had killed him. He thinks Caesar is getting his revenge. These experiences convince Brutus that he was wrong to kill Caesar, because now good men our killing themselves. Brutus is so full of grief that he has Strato old his sword out so he can run onto it and die.
How many times was Caesar stabbed?
33
Why does Brutus tell Octavius, "Young man, thou coulds't not die more honorable"?
He says this because he thinks his own sword is the most noblest way to die.
Also, because Julius Caesar died honorably on his sword.
What is Cassius' prediction of the outcome of the battle?
He is not really confident that he is going to win. He thinks he is going to lose. Cassius is a rational thinker, but the bad omens do bother him.
How does Brutus feel about suicide in general?
Brutus thinks it is cowardly and unhonorable way out of pain and suffering because he is stoic.
What does Brutus pledge he will never do?
Brutus pledges that he will never be walked through the streets of Rome as a prisoner.
What effects does this brief scene have?
It creates suspense and the hope that Brutus and Cassius might win.
What is Pindarus supposed to do, and how does he misinterpret what he sees?
He is suppose to get higher on the hill and see what is going on down by the tents. He sees Titinius get pulled off his horse and thinks Titinius is going to be captured and killed. However, it is just Brutus' men celebrating and making Titinius and makeshift crown to bring back to Cassius.
What does Cassius then have Pindarus do?
He then has Pindarus stab him in the chest with the same sword that killed Caesar. This is for Pindarus' freedom.
How is the action in this scene an excellent example of Dramatic Irony?
As the audience we know that Titinius is being pulled off his horse by allies and not enemies. They are giving him a makeshift crown to bring to Cassius and to tell him to deliver the message that Brutus is winning. However, Pindarus misinterprets this as the enemies pulling Titinius off the horse to capture and kill him. This makes Cassius disconsolate and he has Pindarus stab him.
How does Caesar's ghost enter into the action in this scene?
Brutus says that Caeasar is getting his revenge by having his men turn their swords on themselves.
Brutus thinks that Caesar is still powerful and is mad at Brutus. Also, Cassius was stabbed by the same sward that killed Caesar.
How does Lucilius keep from being killed?
He pretends to be Brutus. This also gives Brutus time to run and escape.
Why does Antony instruct the soldiers to treat Lucilius well?
Because Antony thinks he is loyal and wants loyal men around him.
What does Strato do for Brutus?
He holds Brutus's sword for Brutus so he can run onto it and "kill himself."
Why does Brutus say, "Caesar, now be still; I killed not thee with hath so good a will."
He was more willing to kill himself than to kill Caesar.
What does Antony say about Brutus when he finds him dead? Why?
He says that Brutus was the noblest Roman out of them all and he did not kill Caesar out of jealousy, but because he thought it was for the good of Rome.
He killed Caesar out of Honesty, unlike the rest of the Conspirators. Antony says this because he actually believes Brutus though it was the right thing to do and that it was for the good of Rome.
parley
conference between enemies
disconsolate
so unhappy that nothing brings comfort
misconstrue
misinterpreted
