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Act 1
Act 1, Scene 1
Two representatives of the Roman government, Marullus and Flavius, confront a crowd of commoners and
demand to know why they are celebrating. A witty cobbler and a carpenter explain that they are celebrating the
recent military victory of Julius Caesar over a rival in the Roman government, Pompey. Flavius chastises the
commoners for their fickle loyalty, and he and Marullus decide to tear down decorations that were put up to
celebrate Caesar’s victory.

Flavius (Thomas)
Get out of here! Go home, you lazy peasants, go home. Is this a holiday I’m not aware of? What, don’t you
know that as laborers you’re not allowed to walk around town on a work day without the tools of your trade?
You there, tell me, what’s your trade?

Carpenter (Bhavish)
Why, sir, I’m a carpenter.

Marullus (LUIS)
So where’s your leather apron and your ruler?  Why are you wearing your best clothes? You, sir, what’s your
trade?

Cobbler (AJ)
Truly, sir, compared to these fine workmen, I just cobble things together.

Marullus
But what’s your trade? Answer me directly.

Cobbler
Sir, it’s a trade that I hope to practice with a good conscience. Indeed, sir, my trade is to mend bad soles.

Marullus
What’s your trade, you peasant? You impertinent peasant, what trade is it?

Cobbler
Please, sir, don’t have it out with me. Although if you have worn out, sir, I can fix that for you.

Marullus
What do you mean? You want to fix my attitude, do you, you insolent fellow?

Cobbler
Why no sir, I meant that I could cobble you—mend your shoes if they are out.

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Flavius
Ah, so you’re a cobbler, a shoe repairman, aren’t you?

Cobbler
Truly, sir, all I make my living with is the awl. I don’t involve myself with tradesmen matters, you know, union
affairs. Nor do I meddle in women’s matters, if you get my meaning. But, you could say that in my trade, I deal
with all. Indeed, sir, I’m like a surgeon for old shoes. When they’re in danger, I bring them to a full recovery.
Some of the best men who have ever worn calfskin shoes have walked on my work.

Flavius
But why aren’t you in your shop today? Why are you leading these men around in the streets?

Cobbler
Well, sir, I’m just trying to wear out their shoes to give myself some more business! But actually, sir, we’re
taking a holiday to view Caesar lead his army in its triumphal parade into the city, and celebrate his victory over
Pompey’s son.

Marullus
Why are you celebrating? What plunder is he bringing back from this war? Who are these prisoners in chains
trailing behind his chariots? Not barbarians, but fellow Romans! Oh you blockheads, you’re as senseless as
rocks. Oh you cruel, heartless men of Rome, don’t you remember Pompey? Many times you would climb up
walls to stand in towers and at windows, or even to the chimney-tops, with your babies in your arms; and you
would sit there all day, patiently waiting to see Pompey come through the streets of Rome.

And when you saw his chariot, do you remember how you gave such a huge, universal roar that it made the
Tiber river tremble in its riverbed from the echo off its banks? Are you now donning your best clothes, declaring
this a holiday, and spreading flowers in the path of the man coming to celebrate the bloody defeat of Pompey’s
son, the last of that great noble Roman house? Go, get to your houses and fall on your knees and pray to the
gods to halt the plague they must be descending on you for your ingratitude.

Flavius
Go, my fellow Romans, and to repent for this fault, gather your fellow working men on the banks of the Tiber,
and weep into the river so that it will swell from its lowest level up to to its highest banks.

[All the commoners exit]

Let’s see if these shameful characters have been affected by our scolding. Look, they’re going away
speechless with guilt. You proceed that way towards the Capitol building, I’ll go the other way. Take down any
honorary decorations they’ve placed on Caesar’s statues.

Marullus
Are we allowed to do that? You know today’s also the feast of Lupercal, celebrating the founding of Rome.

Flavius
It doesn’t matter. Let none of Caesar’s statues be hung with garlands. I’ll go around the city and get these
uncouth fools off of the streets. You do the same wherever you see them gathered. In this way we will clip
Caesar’s wings, restraining him; otherwise he’ll soar like a hawk and keep us in fearful slavery.

Scene 2
Cassius and Brutus discuss their concerns about Caesar's power. They learn that the people have offered
Caesar the opportunity to become king, but so far he has declined.

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Scene 3
An intense storm hits. Cassius reveals that he has been formulating a plot to overthrow Caesar before he can
become king, and that he intends to use forged letters to win Brutus to his side.

Act 2
Scene 1
Brutus is swayed by a letter that arrives, and he meets with the conspirators at his home. They plan to kill
Caesar openly.

Scene 2
https://myshakespeare.com/julius-caesar/act-2-scene-1-full-scene-modern-english

Calpurnia begs Caesar to stay home from the Senate, which he reluctantly agrees to do. Decius convinces
Caesar to change his mind, suggesting that the senators plan to offer him a crown that day.

Caesar (Jan)
Neither heaven nor earth have been quiet tonight. Calpurnia cried out three times in her sleep "Oh no, they're
murdering Caesar!"—Who's there?

[Enter a Servant]
Servant (Kei)
My lord?

Caesar
Go tell the priests to perform an animal sacrifice immediately, read the signs in its internal organs, and report to
me whether or not this bodes success for my endeavors.

Servant
I will, my lord.

Calpurnia (Tala)
What are you doing, Caesar? Are you thinking about going outside? You will not go out of your house today!

Caesar
Caesar will go. Things only threaten me when they look at my back. When they see the face of Caesar, they
vanish.

Calpurnia
Caesar, I've never believed in omens, but now they scare me. There's someone here talking about horrible
things seen by the night's watch, aside from the things we've already seen and heard.

A lioness has given birth in the streets, and graves have opened and spewed forth dead bodies. There must
have been a fierce battle in heaven, because blood has been raining down on the Capitol from above. There
were sounds of battle in the air, horses were agitated, dying men groaned, and ghosts were shrieking and
squealing in the streets. Oh Caesar, these things are not normal, and I'm afraid of them.

Caesar

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How can you avoid something whose result is intended by the mighty gods? Caesar shall go forth, for these
omens apply to the world in general as much as they apply to Caesar.

Calpurnia
When beggars die, no one sees comets. But when princes die the skies declare it with such signs.

Caesar
Cowards experience death many times in their life, but the brave only experience death once. Of all the notions
I have heard of in the world, it seems to me most strange to fear death, given that it's inevitable, and will come
when it will come.

[Re-enter Servant]
What's the report from the fortune-tellers?

Servant
They advise you not to go out today. When they looked inside the bird they had sacrificed, they couldn't find a
heart inside the body.

Caesar
No, the gods did this to make me ashamed of cowardice. Caesar would be the beast without a heart if he
stayed at home today out of fear. No, Caesar will not do that. Danger knows very well that Caesar is more
dangerous than danger itself. Danger and I are like two lions born in the same litter, and I am the older and
more fearsome one. And so Caesar will go forth.

Calpurnia
Alas, my lord, your wisdom has been undermined by your overconfidence. Don't go out today. Tell people it's
my fear that's keeping you inside, not your own. We can send Mark Antony to the senate to say you are not
well today. Please, I’m down on my knee, asking you to have my way in this matter.

Caesar
OK, Mark Antony will say that I am not well, and to humor you I will stay at home.

[Enter Decius Brutus]

Here's Decius Brutus, he can tell them that.

Decius Brutus (Ranee)

Greetings, Caesar! Good morning, worthy Caesar. I've come to bring you to the senate.

Caesar
And you've come at just the right time to bring my greetings to the senators, and to tell them that I will not
come today. "Cannot" isn't true, and "dare not" is even less true. Just I will not come today—tell them so,
Decius.

Calpurnia
Say he is sick.

Caesar
Will Caesar send a lie? Did I exhaust my self in years of battle as to be afraid of telling some old men the truth?
Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

Decius Brutus
Most mighty Caesar, please give me some reason so I won't be laughed at when I tell them this.

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Caesar
The cause is simply my will. My will is that I will not come. That should be enough to satisfy the senate. But for
your own curiosity, I'll let you know because I love you. Calpurnia here, my wife, is keeping me at home.
Tonight she dreamed she saw my statue running blood like a fountain with a hundred spouts, and many joyful
Romans came up to it smiling, and washed their hands in it. She takes this dream to be warnings and omens
and signs of evil soon to come, and she begged me on her knees to stay at home today.

Decius Brutus
This dream has been completely misinterpreted. It was a vision of good fortune. Smiling Romans bathing in
blood coming from your statue's many spouts signifies that you are sustaining and reviving Rome. Great men
will seek blessing from your blood, like pilgrims who dip cloths in the blood of martyrs. That's what Calpurnia's
dream means.

Caesar
And you've explained it well.

Decius Brutus
I will have, once you've heard what else I have to say. Know this: the senate has decided to crown mighty
Caesar today.

If you send them word you aren't coming, they may change their minds. Besides, someone's likely to mock
you, saying "Let's break up the senate until another time when Caesar's wife isn't having bad dreams." If you
hide, won't they whisper "Why, Caesar is afraid"? Pardon me, Caesar, it's my dear, dear desire for your
advancement that makes me tell you this, and observing protocol in addressing you is secondary to this love.

Caesar
How foolish your fears seem now, Calpurnia! I'm ashamed that I was yielding to those fears. Give me my robe,
for I will go.

[Enter Publius, Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Casca, Trebonius, and Cinna]

And look, Publius has come to fetch me.

Publius (Kei)
Good morning, Caesar.

Caesar
Welcome, Publius. What, Brutus, you're up this early too? Good morning, Casca. Caius Ligarius, you look
quite unwell. I've never been your enemy as much as that fever was that made you so thin. What time is it?

Brutus
Caesar, it's eight o'clock.

Caesar
Thank you for your trouble and your courtesy.

[Enter Antony]
Look, even Antony, who stays up all night partying, is up early. Good morning, Antony.

Antony (Kei)
Same to you, noble Caesar

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Caesar
[To Calpurnia] Tell the servants to prepare to leave for the Capitol. It's my fault the Senators have been kept
waiting. Now, Cinna, Metellus, Trebonius—I'd like to talk with you for an hour sometime today. Remember to
see me today, and stay close by so I don't forget to talk to you.

Trebonius (Tala)
Caesar, I will. [Aside] I'll be so close that your best friends will wish I had been further away.

Caesar
Good friends, let us go in, and have some wine. And then, like friends, we'll leave for the senate.

Brutus
[Aside] That word "like" has two meanings. You think we're going like friends—as your friends; but we're
actually going like friends—acting as if we were your friends.

[Exit]

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Scene 3
Artemidorus positions himself so that he can pass a letter to Caesar warning him of the conspiracy.

Scene 4
Portia has a conversation with the Soothsayer and learns that he intends to wait along Caesar's route to warn
him of the ill omens.

Answer the following questions:

ACT 1 Scene 1 

1. What is the profession of the commoner that Murellus interrogates in the street during Caesar's
parade?
A. Baker
B. Fisherman
C. Apprentice
D. Cobbler

2. What is cause of Caesar's parade?

A. Defeat of Pompey
B. Caesar's coronation
C. Birth of Caesar's son
D. An election

3. Why does Murellus chide commoners?

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 A. For celebrating death
B. They should be working
C. For unattended children
D. Their fickle allegiance

4. What do Flavius and Murellus do when they reach the temple at the Capitol?
A. Sacrifice animals 
B. Plot Caesar's murder
C. Alter Caesar's statues
D. Forge letters

5. Murellus thinks that if Caesar's support can be regulated, than _________ can be regulated too.
A. Fate
B. Power
C. Money
D. Offspring

Questions _ Act 2 Scene 2 

1. The night before Caesar's assassination, how many times does Calpurnia call out in her sleep?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

2. When the augurs examine animal entrails to determine if Caesar should leave the house, which organ
do they NOT find?
A. A spleen
B. A heart
C. A stomach
D. A liver

3. How does Decius interpret Calpurnia's ominous dream about Caesar's body?
A. A bountiful harvest
B. Slain enemies
C. A blood curse
D. Romans will gain lifeblood

4. That night, which of the following omens are seen?

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 A. Dead men walking
B. Lions strolling in the marketplace
C. Lightning
D. All of the above

5. Why does Caesar decide to go to the Senate despite his wife’s warnings?
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