JULIUS CAESAR

ACT 1, SCENE 2

CHARACTERS
● Julius Caesar
● Antony
● Calpurnia
● Brutus
● Cassius
● Casca

SUMMARY
Caesar, Antony, Brutus, Cassius, and others enter. Caesar tells his wife, Calpurnia, to
stand in Antony’s path when he runs his race. He tells Antony to touch Calpurnia as he
runs by, since this is believed to cure a woman’s infertility. Antony agrees. Caesar hears
someone calling shrilly in the crowd—it’s a soothsayer, telling him, “Beware the Ides of
March.” Caesar summons the soothsayer before him, but then dismisses him, saying that
the man is a “dreamer.”
Despite Cassius’s urging, Brutus declines to watch the race. Cassius observes that Brutus
has seemed aloof lately. Brutus assures Cassius that he shouldn’t take this personally; he
is distracted by his own thoughts, “with himself at war.” Cassius replies that he wishes
Brutus could see his own “hidden worthiness,” which so many prominent Romans
recognize. Brutus fears that Cassius is trying to lead him astray, but Cassius assures him
that he’s no flatterer, and Brutus should trust his perspective. They hear shouting, and
Brutus fears that the people have hailed Caesar as king. When Cassius says that it sounds
as if Brutus is against that possibility, Brutus admits that this is true, although he loves
Caesar. Brutus urges Cassius to tell him what’s on his mind—whatever it is. If it’s for the
good of Rome, he’ll accept it, since he loves honor more than he fears death.
Cassius says that honor is just what he wants to discuss with Brutus. Both he and Brutus,
he argues, were born just as free as Caesar. He recalls a story about racing Caesar across
the Tiber River and having to rescue an exhausted Caesar from drowning. Now, Caesar is
“become a god, and Cassius is a wretched creature” who must submit to Caesar’s will.
He describes other instances of weakness he’s observed in Caesar.
They hear another burst of applause. Cassius tells Brutus that “the fault […] is not in our
stars, / But in ourselves”; that, in other words, it’s their fault if they are beneath Caesar.
He argues that the people of Rome should be ashamed if they only have enough room for
one great man. Brutus replies that he understands what Cassius is getting at and that
they’ll discuss it later. He adds that he would rather be a mere villager than be ruled by a
king.

The Lupercalia race has ended. Brutus points out to Cassius that Caesar, Calpurnia, and
Cicero look angry and distraught. Meanwhile, Caesar tells Antony that he wishes he were
surrounded by “fat,” satisfied men, unlike Cassius, who has a “lean and hungry” look—
that is, he’s dangerous. Nevertheless, Caesar doesn’t fear him, “for always I am Caesar.”
Caesar and his train exit, but Brutus tugs on Casca’s cloak, detaining him. He asks Casca
why Caesar looked so sad. Casca explains that Caesar was offered a crown by Antony
three times; each time, Caesar refused it, but he appeared less reluctant to accept it each
time. After the third refusal, Caesar swooned from “the falling sickness.” Casca observes
that the rabble responded to Caesar as they would to “the players in the theater.”
Casca says that when Caesar perceived that the people were glad he’d refused the crown,
he asked Casca to cut his throat. When he recovered from his swoon, he said that his
words should be attributed to his illness. Cicero also made a speech in Greek, which
Casca was unable to understand, and Murellus and Flavius were executed for defacing
Caesar’s statues. Casca categorizes all of this as “foolery.”
Brutus and Cassius agree to meet tomorrow to talk further. Cassius urges him to “think of
the world” until then. After Brutus leaves, Cassius muses that Brutus is noble, but that
even the noblest can be seduced. Tonight, Cassius will leave a few letters for Brutus, as if
written by different citizens, praising Brutus’s reputation and hinting at Caesar’s
ambition. Cassius thinks this will surely help the cause against Caesar.

MCQs
1. Why does Cassius tell Brutus the story about saving Caesar’s life during the
swimming incident?
a. Too gain sympathy from Brutus
b. To highlight Caesar’s weakness
c. To demonstrate his own bravery
d. To emphasize their shared history
2. How does Brutus respond to Cassius’s attempts to persuade him?
a. He immediately agrees to join the conspiracy
b. He remains undecided and conflicted
c. He rejects Cassius’s arguments outright
d. He agrees to support Caesar unconditionally
 3. What is Antony preparing to do as Caesar and his entourage enter the public
square?
a. Return home
b. Pray
c. Speak publicly
d. A ceremonial
4. According to Casca, what does Cicero do after Caesar refuses the crown three
times?
a. Speaks in Greek
b. Announces a feast
c. Offers Caesar the crown
d. Falls
5. What does Caesar mean when he refers to his infirmity?
a. His political ambition
b. His physical weakness
c. His mental condition
d. His need for power
6. What is Cassius's ultimate goal in speaking with Brutus in Act 1, Scene 2?
a. To convince Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar.
b. To warn Brutus about the dangers of supporting Caesar.
c. To gather information about Caesar's plans and intentions.
d. To inquire about Brutus's loyalty to the Roman Republic.

Extract based questions

I.

Brutus: What means this shouting? I do fear the people Choose Caesar for their king.
Cassius: Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so.
Brutus: I would not Cassius; yet I love him well.

1. Where does this exchange take place? What is the topic of discussion and who is
shouting?
Brutus and Cassius are in a public place in Rome, where a crowd has gathered. They
have come together to discuss their concerns about Caesar’s growing power and
ambition. The shouting is coming from the crowd, who are celebrating the Feast of
Lupercal.
2. According to Brutus, what is the reason for the shouting?
Brutus suggests that the shouting is in honor of Caesar, who has just entered the city.
However, the real reason for the shouting is the festival of Lupercal, which is being
celebrated by the people of Rome.

3. What are Brutus’ fears about Caesar being crowned as king?

Brutus is afraid that Caesar might become a tyrant if he were to be crowned king. He
fears that Caesar’s ambition and lust for power could lead to the downfall of the Roman
Republic. Brutus believes in the principles of a republican government where power is
shared among the people and not concentrated in one person.

4. What are the conflicting emotions faced by Brutus when he says, “I would not
Cassius; yet I love him well.”

When Brutus says, “I would not Cassius; yet I love him well,” he is experiencing
conflicting emotions of loyalty and duty. He loves Caesar as a friend but also feels that it
is his duty to protect the Roman Republic and prevent Caesar from becoming a tyrant.

5. How does Cassius convince Brutus to join the conspiracy against Caesar?

Cassius convinces Brutus by appealing to his sense of duty to Rome and the republic. He
shows him forged letters, supposedly from citizens of Rome, which express concern
about Caesar’s growing power and ambition. Cassius also suggests that Brutus is a noble
and honorable man who should be the one to lead the conspiracy against Caesar. This
ultimately convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy and assassinate Caesar.

II
Be not deceived; If I have veil’d my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
Of late with passions of some difference.
Conceptions only proper to myself

1. To whom does Brutus say these words? When and where?

Brutus says these words to Cassius when all have left the public place and the procession
has moved on. Brutus and Cassius are alone and Cassius questions him about his
preoccupied and not very friendly nature.
2. Why does Brutus not go along with Caesar and the procession to the games? Whom
does he contrast himself with and how?
Brutus does not accompany Caesar and the procession to the games because he is not in
the right mood to watch the sport. He is feeling pensive and is slightly disturbed. He says
that he is a contrast to the athletic and active spirit of Antony who is participating in the
race.
3. Why does Brutus need to explain himself to the person he is speaking to? What
opportunity is this person seeking?
Brutus feels that he has to explain his strange behaviour to Cassius because Cassius is his
friend. Brutus is guilty that due to his personal reasons he had been preoccupied and might
have neglected to pay his respects to his friends. But it is not because he is angry with
Cassius, rather he is trying to hide his thoughts which are troubling him and upsetting his
moods. Cassius, however, is trying to influence Brutus against Caesar and is seeking an
opportunity to poison his mind so that Brutus would join the conspiracy to murder Caesar.
4. Which trait of Brutus’ personality is brought out here? What frame of mind is he in?
How does this aid the person he is speaking to?
Brutus appears to be aloof and thoughtful. He does not seem to be very fond of sports and
is of pensive and sober nature. But Brutus is not a cunning conspirator and is having a
conflict in his mind. On one hand is his love for Rome, honour and liberty while on the
other hand is his personal liking and friendship with Caesar. Brutus is a simpleton in the
matter of political intrigue and does not understand the manipulation of Cassius. He is
laboring to settle the powerful conflict in his mind which is upsetting him. Cassius is a
manipulative person who cleverly takes advantage of the troubled state of mind of Brutus.
He appeals to his just and moral nature and poisons his mind against Caesar.
5. Explain and bring out the meaning of the following words/phrases in reference to the
context used above:
a. Veiled: Brrutuus, in order to hide his thoughts wears a pan dead expression, hence it is a
veiled look
b. Trouble of my countenance: brutus says that he has been troubled by his conflicting
thoughts. He kept hs tables to himself
c. Vexed: upsetting and troublesome
d. Of late: recent past
e. Passions of some difference: Brutus is troubled with conflicting emotions, his love for
Rome, honesty and freedom on one hand and his liking for Caesar on the other hand. He
was under a great amount of mental tension.
 QUESTION BANK:
1. What happens at the games? Why does Caesar return in anger?
At the games, Mark Antony offers the crown of Rome to Caesar three times. But Caesar
refuses it knowing that it would not please the public if he accepted. He shrewdly judges the
mood of the crowd and plays the role of a sacrificing hero even though it means refusing
someone he had always wanted. As a result, he is angry because he had to please the rabble
at the cost of his own desires and happiness.

2. Explain the metaphor used in the line

‘Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed.
The metaphor of metal being bent under pressure or heat has been used by Cassius in
reference to Brutus. He means to say that in spite of Brutus being a strong minded
honourable man, yet he could be diverted from his natural direction if cleverly manipulated.
Cassius says that no one is so determined that he could not be swayed in another direction.
No doubt Brutus had a strong sense of honour and integrity, but, if cleverly manipulated,
Cassius could succeed in using these very qualities to achieve his vindictive goal of
murdering Caesar.

3. What does Cassius say of Casca? What does Brutus say of him? What impression does
Casca create in the scene?
Brutus says that Casca seems to have become quite stupid whereas during school days he
was quite intelligent. Cassius, however, tells him that he had been mistaken because Casca
was still a man of keen intelligence who could efficiently execute any dangerous and noble
plan. He points out to Brutus that Casca puts on a pretense of appearing slow and stupid but
in reality he is the opposite. Cassius is a better and more shrewd judge of human character
than Brutus and easily sees through Casca. Casca is revealed as a cynical realist who views
everything and everyone ironically. He has no illusions and so is very cautious and careful.

4. Who is a Soothsayer? Where and when does this Soothsayer speak? What does he say?
A Soothsayer literally means a person who is a ‘truth teller’. They were semi religious
mystical men with powers to make prophecies. The Soothsayer warns Caesar to beware the
Ides of March, that is the 15th of March. He speaks these words when he sees Caesar in the
public place at the head of the procession celebrating the festival of Lupercal.
5. Explain ‘Caesar is turned to hear’. What aspect of Caesar’s character is revealed
through this line?
This line means that Caesar is all attention to hear what the speaker wants to say to him. It
shows the arrogance of Caesar as he feels that he, a king, is listening to a commoner. But it
also reveals how Caesar wants to have a public self and tries to impress the people by
listening to them in a public place.