Julius Caesar

Chapter2
A Warning from the Soothsayer

By: Shakespear
 Answer the Following questions:
1. Were Flavius and Murellus able to achieve their goal (based on
their hidden plan)?

2. In Caesars’ entourage, there were many of his allies. Who

were they?

3. What did Caesar ask Antonny to do during the ceremonial run?

What does it show about his character?
1. What did the Soothsayer warn Caesar of? What was Caesar’s
reaction?

2. What was the relationship between Brutus and Cassius?

3. How do you think Cassius could affect Brutus and Caesar’s

relationship?

4. What are Cassius tools in manipulating others?

 1. While Reading Questions:
A. Put true or false and correct the false information:
1. Brutus and Cassius didn’t join Caesar’s procession. (F)
2. Portia, Cassius’s wife, walked arm-in-arm with Calpurnia. (F)
3. Mark Antony was pleased that so many people had come to greet their
return. (T)
4. Caesar doesn’t believe in the superstition that if a runner on feast day
reaches out to touch a barren woman, it will cure her barrenness. ( F )
5. Julius Caesar respected the Soothsayer’s foretelling. ( F )
6. Cassius is a close friend to Caesar, who Caesar trusts well. ( F )
7. Caesar was deaf in his right ear. (F)
8. Brutus is against the idea of having Caesar as a king. (T)
• Match the characters to their roles:

1/ Calpurnia ……………
Caesar A great Roman senator and general, who
won a military victory against the sons of Pompey.
2/ Mark Antony ……………A truth teller who can see the future.
Soothsayer
3/ Soothsayer Flavius & Murellus
……………Have been elected to represent the people,
yet they have little sympathy for the common man.
 
4/ Brutus Mark ……………
Antony Caesar’s best friend, who is devoted to him
and always accompanied by him.
5/ Cassius Calpurnia
…………… Caesar’s wife, who is infertile, and they
don’t have children.
6/ Julius Caesar ……………
Brutus One of Caesar’s close friends, who is well
respected (an honorable man).
7/ Flavius & Murellus ……………
Cassius He is brother -in- law to Brutus and a long-
term acquaintance of Caesar, though not a close friend
to Caesar. Also, he is an ambitious opportunist.
 Activity 1:
You are a team of journalists sent out to cover the event of Caesar’s glory
on Pompey. Write a report about both commoners' and the senators'
reaction to this event.
Commoners: They Loved Caesar for what he had done to Rome and
for being a good listener to them. He also used to bring captives and
give them lands and gifts. (Caesarite)
Senators: They were afraid of having Caesar as a solo leader of
Rome, expecting to have a dictator leader to be in the future, ending
with losing their authorities and power in the government.
 Activity 2:
Caesar believes that Mark Antony can cure Calpurnia's fertility
issues by touching her based on the superstition; however, he
ignored the Soothsayer's warning. Explain.

-Introduce Caesar, highlighting his character traits with evidence ( Powerful-

Arrogant-having sense of superiority-supercilious)

-He wasn’t superstitious but he believed in such an omen because he was

desperate and wanted to have an heir.
- He cared a lot about his image in front of people as a powerful leader who
doesn’t take advice from such a lowly soothsayer.
 Activity 3:
Cassius used rhetorical techniques that made Brutus question
Caesar's qualities and ambitions. Explain, highlighting Cassius
hidden motives.

- Introduce Cassius character: (Manipulative- Persuasive- Cunning-

Deceiver), providing evidence.
- - Cassius was afraid of Caesar and jealous. (cunning)
- He tried to use his brother in law to achieve his goals, using rhetorical
techniques. (manipulative) :
A- He was able to spot Brutus’s inner conflict between his love to Rome vs
his love to his best friend Caesar.
B- He provided lots of examples to support his point of view that Caesar is
not the suitable leader for Rome (Page 24)
 Activity 4:
Brutus writes a diary entry explaining all his reasons why he does not want
Caesar to be a king.

- Show Brutus’s character though the lines highlighting:

1- His inner conflict between his love to Rome vs. his love to his best
friend Caesar.

2- Cassius’s vivid reasons that support the idea that Caesar is not the
suitable leader for Rome (Page 24) and he would be a dictator leader who
would ruin Rome.