The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare: Act 4 Flashcard Example #89997

Explain the ways that one interaction from act 4 between a major character and a minor character developed the plot of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.

Brutus and one of his servants, Lucius, Claudio, or Varrus: Brutus interacts with these servants to determine if Julius Caesar’s ghost is imagined or real.

Brutus and Messala, the messenger: Brutus interacts with this messenger to discover that Mark Antony and Octavius’ army is advancing and strong.

Brutus, Cassius, and the poet: The interaction between these men and the poet recollects the destruction of friendship and other ideals of the Republic.

Mark Antony and Lepidus: Their interaction shows Mark Antony’s own pride and condescension as he questions Lepidus’ value in the Second Triumvirate.

Which person is not a member of the Second Triumvirate?

Caesar

Which statement is not a characteristic of the philosophy of stoicism?

—-The gods determine a person’s fate, which must be accepted.
—-Emotion is valued above reason.
—-Logic and reason should overrule emotion.
—-Choices should be made based on ethics and morals.

Emotion is valued above reason.

Read the excerpt below from act 4.3 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and answer the question that follows.

BRUTUS:
To VARRUS, after seeing CAESAR’s Ghost
Fellow, thou, awake!

VARRUS:
My lord?

CLAUDIO:
My lord?

BRUTUS:
Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?

VARRUS and CLAUDIO:
Did we, my lord?

BRUTUS:
Ay. Saw you anything?

VARRUS:
No, my lord, I saw nothing.

CLAUDIO:
Nor I, my lord.

BRUTUS:
Go and commend me to my brother Cassius.

How does the interaction between Brutus and his servants Varrus and Claudio develop the plot of act 4 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?

—-Brutus asks the servants if they saw anything, and they agree that the ghost of Caesar has just been present.
—-Brutus asks the servants if they saw anything to check if the ghost of Caesar was real.
—-The servants alert Brutus to seeing a ghost.
—-The servants tell Brutus that because he is seeing things, they no longer want to serve him.

Brutus asks the servants if they saw anything to check if the ghost of Caesar was real.

How much time has passed between the end of act 3 and the opening of act 4? In that time span between acts 3 and 4, what events occurred in ancient Rome?

Almost two years pass between acts 3 and 4. In the two years after Caesar’s death, Mark Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius formed the Second Triumvirate. They also recruited an army that would take on Brutus and Cassius’ army.

Explain the significance of the ghost of Caesar to the plot of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.

The ghost of Caesar is an interesting plot point. Just as it foreshadows Brutus’ death by saying “thou shalt see me at Philippi,” it also makes Brutus and the audience question its existence. Is it truly a ghost or is Brutus’ imagination or conscience getting the better of him at a stressful time? As the play moves into act 5, the audience is prepared that something sinister may await Brutus due to the ghost’s omen.

At the end of act 4 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, which component of plot structure has not been entirely revealed?

falling action
climax
exposition
resolution

resolution

How do setting, time, and sequence impact the audience’s understanding of the plot?

Setting identifies the location of a literary work. Time identifies the period or era in which a work takes place. Sequence tells the order of events. All of these details combined help the audience understand where the story occurs and in what order to predict other possible events in the story.

“Denouement” is another word for the __________ of a plot.

falling action
exposition
resolution
climax

resolution

Consider the conflicts below and answer the question that follows.

1. Octavius vs. Mark Antony from act 4.1

2. Brutus vs. Cassius from act 4.3

Choose one of the conflicts above. How does this conflict develop the plot of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?

Octavius vs. Mark Antony: Octavius and Mark Antony’s conflict shows Mark Antony’s increasing arrogance: he decides Lepidus is unworthy of his position. It also sets up disagreement between Octavius and Mark Antony, which continues through the play and history, leading to the final fall of the Roman Republic.

Brutus vs. Cassius: This conflict highlights the stark contrast between Brutus and Cassius, particularly their ethics. Brutus criticizes Cassius for taking bribes, questioning if Caesar’s death was in vain if such behavior is acceptable. Their conflict also underlines the destruction of friendship, a core ideal of the Roman Republic, which occurs after Caesar’s death.

Read the excerpt below from act 4.1 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and answer the question that follows.

LEPIDUS:
Upon condition Publius shall not live,
Who is your sister’s son, Mark Antony.

ANTONY:
He shall not live. Look, with a spot I damn him.
But Lepidus, go you to Caesar’s house;
Fetch the will hither . . . .

What does the interaction between Lepidus and Mark Antony reveal about Mark Antony?

—-Mark Antony is kind to Lepidus and sees him as his equal.
—-Mark Antony is willing to kill his own nephew to gain more political power.
—-Mark Antony wants to protect his family, especially his nephew, whom he believes to be in trouble.
—Mark Antony is kind to the people of Rome and is concerned more with the good of Rome than with himself.

Mark Antony is willing to kill his own nephew to gain more political power.

Which character is not considered minor in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?

Lucius
Messala
Claudio
Brutus

Brutus

In act 4.1, what was Antony’s reason for sending Lepidus to Caesar’s house?

—-Antony sent Lepidus to get Caesar’s will so that he could figure out what Caesar left for him.
—-Antony sent Lepidus to get the hit list he and Caesar created and start to take action on it.
—-Antony sent Lepidus to get Caesar’s will so that he could figure out ways to pay less money than Caesar promised.
—-Antony sent Lepidus to get the hit list he and Caesar created so that Antony can replace it with the one they have just made.

Antony sent Lepidus to get Caesar’s will so that he could figure out ways to pay less money than Caesar promised.

In act 4.3, why do Brutus and Cassius go into Brutus’ tent to argue instead of staying out in the open?

—-Brutus is planning to murder Cassius.
—-Cassius is planning to murder Brutus.
—-They do not want to appear divided in front of their armies.
—-They want to plan their next move, and they don’t want their armies to know how dangerous it will be.

They do not want to appear divided in front of their armies.

How do the interactions between major and minor characters in act 4 develop the plot of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar?

—-The audience learns about the assassination plot against Caesar and the role each major character will play in the assassination.
—-The audience learns about the soothsayer’s prophecy and Calpurnia’s dream, both of which are meant to protect Caesar from the assassination plot.
—-The audience learns about the effects of Mark Antony’s and Brutus’ funeral speeches and the effects they had on the people.
—-The audience learns about the trouble within the Second Triumvirate, the breakdown of Brutus and Cassius’ friendship, and Octavius’ troops being strong and ready to fight Brutus’ army.

The audience learns about the trouble within the Second Triumvirate, the breakdown of Brutus and Cassius’ friendship, and Octavius’ troops being strong and ready to fight Brutus’ army.

How do setting, time, and sequence help an audience understand the plot?

—-by telling them which characters have internal conflict
—-by telling them the definitions of difficult words in the text
—-by identifying where, when, and in what order events occur
—-by identifying which characters are involved in which events

by identifying where, when, and in what order events occur

Which of following choices correctly labels the missing numbers in the above diagram?

1: Act 3.2: Exposition; 2: Act 4-5: Resolution
1: Act 3.2-4: Falling Action; 2: Act 5: Resolution
1: Act 5: Falling Action; 2: Act 5: Resolution
1: Act 4: Falling Action; 2. Act 3: Climax

1: Act 3.2-4: Falling Action; 2: Act 5: Resolution

Read the excerpt below from act 4.3 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and answer the question that follows.

BRUTUS:
Remember March; the ides of March remember.
Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?
What villain touched his body that did stab,
And not for justice? What, shall one of us,
That struck the foremost man of all this world
But for supporting robbers, shall we now
Contaminate our fingers with base bribes . . . ?

Based on this excerpt, why is Brutus angry with Cassius?

—-Brutus is disappointed that Cassius has not taken more bribes; that’s why they murdered Caesar—for money.
—-They murdered Caesar for “justice’ sake,” but now Cassius acts unjustly by taking bribes.
—-Brutus wants Cassius to take bribes so that he can become the next ruler of Rome.
—-Brutus wants Cassius to bribe others to rob Mark Antony and Octavius so they can have Caesar’s money.

They murdered Caesar for “justice’ sake,” but now Cassius acts unjustly by taking bribes.

Which statement is an example of internal conflict?

—-Brutus questions if he is seeing things when he meets Caesar’s ghost.
—-Octavius and Mark Antony disagree over Lepidus’ involvement in the triumvirate.
—-Brutus and Cassius fight over Cassius taking bribes.
—-Brutus’ and Octavius’ armies prepare for battle.

Brutus questions if he is seeing things when he meets Caesar’s ghost.

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