ACT 1 SC 3

 Cassius: He appears as a daredevil, a great schemer and an opportunist. He is least scared of

the thunder and storm and the unnatural weird occurrences taking place at night. Being a
great observer, he has the ability to look through the deeds of men. He is quick to act, and is
ready to take advantage of every opportunity that comes in his way. He associates the storm
with a man who has grown frightful and one who thunders and roars and roams like the lion
near the Capitol.

 Casca: He is portrayed as a frightened and superstitious man. He is panic stricken and

terrified. He walks with his sword drawn and relates all his fears to Cicero. His impulsiveness
is taken advantage of and he is easily drawn into the conspiracy.

 Cicero: He is a cultured fellow and remains unaffected by the storm and the unnatural
occurrences associated with it. He clearly tells Casca that 'they are portentous things unto
the climate they point on'. He is more occupied with the doubt whether Caesar would go to
the Senate the following day or not as they were determined to kill Caesar.

 1. How has Cassius compared these unnatural happenings to 'a man' in Rome?

 Ans. Cassius compares these unnatural happenings to ' a man' (Caesar) who, like the
dreadful night, also thunders and lightens, that is, he frightens the people with his anger. He
opens graves by making graves to be dug for men killed by his order and enables the ghosts
of the dead to walk the earth. He roars like the lion in the Capitol by not allowing anybody to
have his say due to his over-bearing nature. He inspires as much fear in the people as the
horrors of the night do, though he is a man' in no way superior to them.

 2. Why has Cassius chosen that night for the meeting? What does the appearance of nature
reflect?

 Ans. Cassius has chosen that night for the meeting because it is a stormy night and there is
no movement or anybody walking on the streets. It is also the eve of the Ides of March. The
next morning, there is a Senate Meeting where Caesar will be crowned. They are going to
discuss the plans for the assassination and rehearse their parts. The appearance of the
heavens with thunder and lightning reflects the work they have in hand, that is most bloody,
fiery and terrible.

 3. What was Pompey's porch?

 Ans. Pompey's porch was the portico of a hundred columns, attached to the theatre of
Pompey, of great size and magnificence and capable of containing 40,000 people. It was the
first stone theatre built by Pompey near the Campus Martius in 55 B.C. In one of the
porches, there was a statue of Pompey erected by the people. It was here that the Senate
met and where Caesar was murdered, according to Plutarch, and not in the Capitol
according to Shakespeare. The conspirators met here, in the gloom of the lofty columns, at
the height of that terrible storm which came before Caesar's death.

 4. Write a note on the significance of the storm.

 Ans. The storm is very significant. The stage directions tell us that it continues through this
scene, through the next scene with Brutus, and to the scene after that, with Caesar, thus
linking the three together. In Shakespeare's plays, storm had a significance which today is
largely lost. The Elizabethans thought of individual man, his society or "the state" and the
natural world as intimately and indivisibly connected. Therefore disorder and violence in the
world of nature suggested disorder in society and the individual. For the Elizabethans, the
king was a symbol of the state. Therefore when the king is murdered, that means the social
order is violently disturbed. It is followed by violence and murder. In the same way, the
individual was often compared to nature, and to society. Disorder in one was represented by
disorder in the other. Some find this is the most effective and dramatic scene where
Shakespeare has made full use of the popular belief in astrology in relation to human
destiny. Since the actual violence of the storm cannot be reproduced on the Elizabethan
stage, Shakespeare, according to his custom, conveys the idea through the effect it has on a
character. Casca is running on the stage with a drawn sword. He says that "all the sway of
earth shakes like a thing infirm". He then goes on to give a vivid description of the tempest
that we cannot see but we can imagine along with him. Remember that Casa here speaks in
blank verse rather than in prose as in the previous scene. There are two reasons for this.
First, the terrifying and supernatural occurrences referred to here need the rhythms and
music of poetry. Second, it is significant that Casca is the one who is so shaken by the omens
of the night for he was shown to us till now as tough and not easily moved. So this gives
added force to the incidents. with the conviction of his approaching murder. It shows that
Cassius was wrong in his estimate of Caesar's greatness. In Shakespeare's plays, the ideas of
music and storm recur in such a way that music is associated with goodness and harmony
and a storm with evil and strife.

 5. What does this scene reveal about Cassius?

 Ans. During the storm, he is old and fearless and free from superstition. In this scene, his
insight into men and his skillful handling of them is shown. When he finds Casca unnerved,
he uses the storm for which Caesar is blamed, that he is the source of all that is going wrong
in Rome. He uses the storm as an instrument to serve his purpose. When China wants to talk
about the storm, he is impatient with him. He cuts him off and sends him quickly on the
business of the conspiracy. As soon as he wins over Casca, he does not waste any time over
him, but he hurries off to convert Brutus over to his side. His speech against tyranny reveals
that he is not totally a despicable character. He is willing to be a martyr to the cause of
republicanism. His resolution is prompt and Roman-like when he hears that Caesar is to
wear the crown.

 6. What does this scene reveal about Casca?

 Ans. He is so terrified because of his superstition that he is thrown out of his usual pose of
bluntness and sardonic comments. Cassius handles him through this terror and superstition
and easily wins him over. He commits himself by naming Caesar. He admires Brutus and
when he finds that Brutus will be the leader, the matter is clinched.

 7. What does this scene reveal about Cinna?

 Ans. He is also terrified by the storm like Casca. Cassius had no patience with his fears and
immediately sends him on errands. The other conspirators had just sent him on the errand
of finding Cassius. This shows that he was not having a leading position in the group.
  8. What does this scene reveal about Cicero?

 Ans. He is calm, self-possessed and very dignified. He is not all concerned about the storm
which he regards as a nuisance to walk in. He is only worried whether Caesar will attend the
Senate meeting the next day or not. He is a Stoic philosopher and a man of intellect.

 9. Why is this scene important?

 Ans. This scene reveals the nature of the characters of Cassius, Casca, Cinna, and Cicero. It
shows the advance in action because the conspiracy progresses and Casa joins it. This is a
most effective and dramatic scene, wherein Shakespeare has made full use of the popular
belief in astrology in relation to human destiny. The mind of the audience is predisposed for
the later tragic scenes after hearing of the supernatural occurrences. Amid thunder and
lightning at night, the time when evil abounds, the plot develops. The fates appear to be in
league against Caesar. This scene is also one of the many examples of how Shakespeare
compresses historical or chronological time in order to give a sense of continuity which is
very important on the stage. Historically, the Feast of Lupercal and the eve of the Ides of
March, respectively scenes 2 and 3 of this act, were separated by about a month. But
Shakespeare's dramatic imagination makes them run together so that the worse days that
Cassius predicts are with us immediately, in the 'thunder and lightning of the
opening of Scene 3.

Act 2 sc 1

 Plot Development: Brutus lies awake at night, pondering the future of Rome. He tries to
justify killing Caesar, saying that although Caesar seems honorable now, he may become
corrupted by power. Brutus reads a letter that accuses him of not taking action to prevent
corruption in Rome. Cassius and the conspirators visit, and Brutus agrees to kill Caesar.
When Decius Brutus asks if they should kill anyone else besides Caesar, Cassius suggests
Mark Antony, but Brutus thinks that’s a bad idea for both moral and practical reasons. The
others follow his lead. Decius Brutus volunteers to make sure Caesar makes it to the Capitol
the next day, and then conspirators all leave. Brutus’ wife Portia comes in and demands to
know what Brutus has been keeping from her. Brutus praises her but says he can’t tell her
just yet, so she departs. The sick Caius Ligarius enters, and when Brutus tells him of the plot
against Caesar, he immediately agrees to join and resolves to be well again.

Significance of the Scene: Act 2 Scene 1 of Julius Caesar is a pivotal moment in the play, as it sets the
stage for the assassination of Caesar and the subsequent civil war that follows. In this scene, Brutus,
one of the conspirators, is convinced by Cassius to join their plot to kill Caesar. Brutus is hesitant at
first, as he is torn between his loyalty to Caesar and his love for Rome. However, Cassius plays on
Brutus's patriotism and convinces him that Caesar's ambition poses a threat to the Roman Republic.
This scene also foreshadows the tragic consequences of the conspiracy, as Brutus expresses his fear
that their actions will lead to chaos and bloodshed. Overall, Act 2 Scene 1 is a crucial moment in the
play, as it sets the conflict between Brutus and Caesar in motion and foreshadows the tragic
consequences that will follow.

Characters:

 Brutus – good friend of Caesar and a conspirator

 Lucius – Brutus Servant

  Cassius – Head of the Conspirators

 Decius - Conspirator

 Casca - Conspirator

 Cinna - Conspirator

 Metellus Cimber – Conspirator and ask Caesar to pardon his brother

 Trebonius - Conspirator

 Portia – Wife of Brutus

Ligarius – Sick Roman and a Conspirator

 Where does Scene I of Act Il take place?

Ans. Scene 1 of Act II takes place in Brutus's orchard in Rome. It is the middle of the night. It is
before 3 a.m. on the fifteenth of March, the Ides of March.

 How is this scene connected with the previous scene?

Ans. This scene is a continuation of the stormy night of the previous scene. The darkness of the
night continues and is symbolic of the darkness in Brutus's mind, Also, the conspirators come to
Brutus's house in the dark and is symbolic of sinister evil.

 What does the name Lucius symbolize?

Ans. Lucius means light and Brutus asks the boy for light. Brutus, in a darkness, actual and mental,
asks the boy for illumination. He represents the illumination, or understanding that Brutus needs.
Yet he never reaches the 'light' provided by Lucius in his study as he is interrupted by the
conspirators.

 What does Lucius's sound sleep reveal about him?

Ans. Lucius is innocent and therefore able to sleep soundly. He has serenity and peace of mind.

 What is the cause of his sleeplessness?

Ans. Brutus's complicity in the plot to murder Caesar has deprived him of the privilege of sleep. He
is harassed by anxiety.

 Explain: .. and, for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him/ But for the general.

Ans. By these words, Brutus means that speaking for himself he knows no cause why he should
bear any personal grudge against Caesar. He has no other motive than the good of the Roman
community.

(Note: The above sentence gives the motive of Brutus for joining the conspiracy. On the other
hand, he had great reasons to be grateful to Caesar, who had spared his life after Pharsalia and
appointed him Governor of Cisalpine Gaul in 47 B.C. and city Praetor in 44 B.C.)

 What is Brutus's chief worry at this time?

Ans. Brutus's chief worry at this time is that if Caesar is crowned, the absolute power of a king may
change his nature and make him oppressive and tyrannical. Thus, democracy in Rome would come
to an end.

 Explain: 'It is the bright day that brings forth the adder, And that craves wary walking.
Crown him? that; And then, I grant, we put a sting in him, Then at his will he may do
danger with.’

Ans. When the sun is bright, the poisonous snake, the adder, comes out from its hole to warm
itself and to search for its prey and it is then that we have to walk carefully. Similarly, if Caesar is
crowned, the coronation which is the sunshine of royalty, will develop the poisonous sting in him.
He will be provided with the power to harm the people of Rome whenever he wants to do so.

 Explain: The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins/ Remorse from power..

Ans. Brutus means that greatness (power) takes a wrong course (abuse) only when it is exercised
without feeling pity for others.

 What truth about Caesar does Brutus admit now?

Ans. Brutus now admits that he does not remember a single incident when Caesar acted against
his reason or when he allowed his reason to be carried away by his feelings aid prejudices.

 What metaphor does Brutus now use to describe an ambitious man? Explain.

Ans. Brutus now uses the metaphor of the ladder to describe an ambitious man. Brutus says that it
is a matter of frequent experience that a man, wanting to rise high, begins his ascent from the
lowest rung of the ladder which is before him. He steps up those lower rungs with great humility.
But as soon as he has reached the topmost rung, he no longer looks back upon the lower steps but
higher still

 What may Caesar do?

Ans. Caesar is ambitious and aspires to regal power. If this power is given to him, he may use it
tyrannically to enslave Rome.

 What comparison does Brutus use to justify the need of killing 'him in the shell?

Ans. Brutus compares Caesar to a serpent's egg. The egg of the snake, when hatched, will produce
a young snake. It will become naturally dangerous, like all serpents. So, just as a serpent's egg
should be destroyed before it is hatched, similarly Caesar should be killed before he becomes the
king.

 What is the weak point in Brutus's argument?

Ans. Brutus condemns Caesar upon a mere suspicion. He has no satisfactory proof that Caesar
would misuse his power. His own intimate knowledge of Caesar's character should have satisfied
him that such would not be the case, since he says to speak truth of Caesar, he has not known
when his feelings have controlled his reason. Brutus commits a certain crime, that a possible good
may follow.

 What does the letter say?

Ans. The letter is addressed to Brutus saying that he is asleep. He should arise and realize his own
worth. It says 'Shall Rome, etc." It tells him to speak out, act and remedy the wrongs from which
Rome suffers.

 What does Brutus say on reading the words "Shall Rome, etc."?

Ans. On reading the words, 'Shall Rome, etc.' Brutus says that he must fill in the gaps and put it
together in this way, 'Shall Rome be under one man's tyranny?’

 What does he mean by 'What, Rome?’

Ans. By the above words, Brutus expresses surprise that Rome should be so submissive, when
Brutus had always associated it with Republicanism.

 Whom is Brutus referring to in 'my ancestors? What had he done?

Ans. Brutus is referring to his ancestor Lucius Junius Brutus. He had roused the Romans to expel
the Tarquin King in 510 B.C., thus abolishing kingship. He established republicanism in Rome and
became the first Consul in Rome.

 Why is Brutus referring to his ancestor here?

Ans. Brutus is referring to his ancestor here because he feels that the time has come for history to
be repeated. Republicanism has to be saved and Caesar, who is going to be crowned king, must be
killed.

 Who is the Tarquin?

Ans. The Tarquin was Tarquinius Superbus, the Proud, the last of the legendary king of Rome. He
was a tyrant, driven out by Brutus's ancestor when the Roman Republic was formed.

 How does Brutus react to the message conveyed in the letters?

Ans. When Brutus reads the letters urging him to action, he is roused. He promises Rome that if
the wrongs in Rome can be set right as a result of his speaking and striking, then he will give Rome
all that it expects of him.

 What does Brutus's promise show of his character?

Ans. Brutus's promise shows his intense patriotism and personal love of Rome. (Note: Actually the
conspirators were powerless to provide any substitute for Caesar's rule which was the only
possible system at that time. The murder of Caesar was one of the most aimless and ineffectual
deeds recorded in history. Moreover, it was an irony of fat, that the murder of Caesar, instead of
redressing the grievances of the Roman people, only strengthened monarchy in the end.)

 In what state of mind is Brutus? To what does he compare the interval of waiting?

Ans. Brutus is greatly disturbed and confused. There is a conflict going on in his mind about the
assassination of Caesar. He compares the interval between the first suggestion of a terrible deed
and the actual execution of it to a nightmare or a horrible dream.

 Explain: The genius, and the mortal instruments/ Are then in council....

Ans. The word 'genius' refers to the mind which controls a man. The phrase mortal instruments'
refers to the bodily faculties and powers. The phrase 'in council' means 'in a conflict'. The above
lines mean that the mental qualities and the bodily powers are then in a conflict.
  How does Brutus compare his state of mind to a civil war?

Ans. Brutus compares the conflict going on in his mind to a little kingdom suffering from the
effects of a revolution. Just as a state would suffer when there is anarchy and rebellion, so his
troubled mind is compared to a state of anarchy when one part of his mind is fighting against the
rest of him.

Note: The intellect of Brutus has decided to murder Caesar. But his feelings have risen in revolt
against this decision. He is a man with a conscience and not a cold-blooded killer.)

 Why does Lucius not recognize them?

Ans. Lucius does not recognize them because their hats are pulled down over their ears and half
their faces are hidden in their cloaks, so he cannot see any of their features. (This is an
anachronism. Shakespeare is referring to the broad-brimmed hats of his own time.)

 What does he say about conspiracy?

Ans. He says that conspiracy is ashamed to show its terrible face even at night when wicked things
move most freely.

 What advice does he give for hiding its real colour? Explain.

Ans. He advises conspiracy not to seek a place to hide itself in. The conspirators should hide their
crime and evil thoughts by smiling innocently and having pleasant manners.

 What is 'Erebus'? What will it not hide? Why?

Ans. 'Erebus' is Hell, the place of utter darkness under the earth, through which the spirits of dead
men passed into Hades (Hell). If the conspirators go about wearing an air of conspiracy, then even
the darkness of hell will not help them from being caught and their conspiracy will be doomed to
fail. This is because the conspiracy to kill Caesar is very dangerous and dark, darker than Erebus.

 What is the figure of speech used by Brutus to describe conspiracy? Explain.

Ans. Brutus uses Personification to describe conspiracy. The plot is compared to a person with a
hideous face (monstrous visage), very dark, darker than Erebus. Its face shows its dangerous plans
(dangerous brow).

 What character trait of Brutus is revealed in this part of his soliloquy?

Ans. This part of his soliloquy reveals Brutus's hatred of the furtiveness of the conspiracy. At the
same time, he admits that without it the hopes of success would be nil.

 Why does Brutus object (Oath) to it?

Ans. Brutus has such confidence in the goodness of the cause, and the courage and honesty of those
engaged in it, that he will not allow such an artificial prop as an oath to strengthen their motives. He
feels that the trouble and discontent they see in men's faces, the pain and anguish in their hearts
and souls and the tyranny the people are suffering under Caesar’s rule are motives strong enough to
keep them together and bind them to secrecy. He feels an oath will be a blemish upon their moral
character and stain the ‘even virtue of their enterprise'. This is Brutus's first error in this scene.

 Whose suggestion was actually right? How do we know later?

Ans. Cassius's suggestion was actually right. Later, we come to know that one of those present there
betrays their plans to Artemidorous, a teacher of rhetoric, that same night. He has the details of the
plot and tries to give Caesar a note containing them. Only because of Caesar's refusal to listen to
him, the whole plot is not exposed then and there.

 Explain: But if these, / As I am sure they do, bear fire enough/ kindle cowards, and to steel
with valour/ The melting spirits of women, then, countrymen/ What need we any spur but
our own cause,/ To prick us to redress?

Ans. Brutus says that if the motives which he has given them have in themselves the heat which is
required to make cowards strong and inspire even weak women with courage, then nothing is
needed to goad them on to complete their task. They do not need the stimulus of an oath to prick
them into action, to remedy the wrongs done to the Romans by Caesar, as the very justice of their
own noble purpose to kill Caesar and save Rome is stimulating enough.

 Explain: 'What other bond / Than secret Romans that have spoke the word And will not
palter?’

Ans. Brutus asks his fellow countrymen if they require anything else to bind them than the fact that
they are citizens of Rome, who, once their word is uttered will neither draw back nor betray their
comrades.

 Explain: ' .. and what other oath, Than honesty to honesty engaged,/ That this shall be, oh
we will fall for it?' What does this reveal of Brutus's character?

Ans. Brutus is asking them what other oath is necessary to ensure their sticking fast to their case
than the fact that they are upright Romans and that their pledge of honour bound one honourable
Roman to another. They have agreed that they will succeed in their purpose or they will lay down
their lives in the attempt. Honesty was the main virtue of a Roman citizen. SO, as Brutus is a true
Roman and honesty is very important to him. This also reveals that Brutus is not a good judge of
character for he thinks all men are honest and noble-minded like him.

 According to Brutus, who should have recourse to swearing?

Ans. According to Brutus, priests, cowards, deceitful men, old wretched fellows with no life or spirit
in them should have recourse to swearing. Those who patiently yield to the wrongs done to them
and those men whom people suspect need the support of an oath for a bad cause.

 According to Brutus, what would they do to their cause if they swore to it?

Ans. According to Brutus, they would darken the purity of their enterprise and would do injustice to
the irrepressible courage of their hearts by thinking that either their resolve or the execution

 Explain: '.. .. when every drop of blood / That every Roman bears, and nobly bears, I Is guilty
of a several bastardy?.

Ans. Brutus means to say that when each distinct drop of blood that every Roman nobly bears is
guilty of a separate act of treachery, this is unworthy of a true Roman.

 What reasons does Metellus give for 'having him?

Ans. Metellus says that Cicero's age would influence the people's opinion and they would think that
his mature judgement had guided them and they would be able to hide their youthful rashness
under the cloak of his seriousness.
  Who turns down his proposal? What reasons does he give for doing so?

Ans. Brutus turns down his proposal. He says that Cicero will never follow any plan started by others.
Brutus feels that Cicero is a coward by nature. Since he is very old, in his sixties, Brutus thinks he will
try to persuade them to give up their plans.

 Who is right, Cassius or Brutus? Why?

Ans. Cassius is right and Brutus is wrong, Brutus is too self-opinionated and philosophical. This is
Brutus's second error in this scene. Note that his decision is unquestioningly accepted.

 Who else, does Cassius now mention, should be ouch'd'? What is his reason?

Ans. Cassius now suggests that Mark Antony should be killed along with Caesar. Cassius gives the
reason that Antony was well loved by Caesar and if he were allowed to live, he would prove to be an
artful schemer against them. He would make good use of his influence and thus harm all of them.

 Explain: 'Like wrath in death and envy afterwards;’.

Ans. Brutus says that Antony and Caesar should not be killed together because it would seem as if
they killed Caesar because they are angry with him and hate him even after he is dead and take spite
on him by dismembering his body. So it would appear that their killing of Antony would mean that
the conspirators had a personal hatred for Caesar and took spite on him even after his death by
condemning his followers in a similar manner.

 Explain : 'Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers,’.

Ans. Brutus says that their action should be like that of priests making a sacrifice. He believes that he
is not killing Caesar but sacrificing him at the altar of his country's freedom. So, if Antony is to be
killed with Caesar, it will be an act of unnecessary killing. It would be regarded as a butchery and not
as a holy sacrifice. (Note: Herein we see the virtue of Brutus's character. He completely fails to see
that an act of violence against constituted authority is followed by the necessary consequences of
that act.)

 How does Brutus wish that Caesar should be killed?

Ans. Brutus admits with regret that Caesar has to be killed because the spirit of tyranny cannot be
killed without killing the body. Therefore, he says, they should kill him boldly but not savagely. They
should slay him as a sacrifice that will be accepted by the gods and not like a dead body that is being
cut up to feed the hounds. Brutus says that just as some clever men incite their servants to do
certain deeds for which they afterwards pretend to rebuke them angrily in order to appear innocent
before the public, similarly, their wills (hearts) would incite their hands (servants) to kill Caesar and
then disown the deed. So it will appear that their action was dictated by the needs of the time and
by patriotism and not by hatred or jealousy.

 What opinion does Brutus again express about Antony?

Ans. Brutus again tells Cassius not to think of Antony, because just as Caesar' arm will not be able to
do anything after Caesar's head is cut off, similarly, Antony, the limb of Caesar, will become
powerless after the death of Caesar. [This is an example of dramatic irony because Antony is the one
man who will crush the conspirators.]

 What does Trebonius say about Antony? Is his prophecy fulfilled later?
Ans. Trebonius says that there is no need to be afraid of Antony nor to kill him. He will soon get over
Caesar's death and will find it a subject for merriment. The prophecy of Trebonius is fulfilled later
but in an ironic way. Antony lived to laugh, not at Caesar's murder, but at the folly of the
conspirators for sparing him, for he became Caesar's avenger.

 What strikes as they speak? What does Brutus tell them to do? What does Cassius
announce? Why is this an anachronism?

 Ans. A clock strikes as they speak. Brutus tells them to count the strokes. Cassius announces
that the clock has struck three. This is an anachronism because the Romans did not have
striking clocks. They were invented many centuries later. The Romans only had dials and
devices for marking time such as sun-dials and water-clocks. Also, they did not have our
mode of reckoning time by dividing the day into twenty-four hours.

 Explain 'augurers’.

Ans. The augurers were priests who interpreted omens. (Note: The College of Augurs, wo were
sixteen in number in Caesar's time, was a kind of priesthood with special skills. Their office was held
to be one of the highest dignities of the state. They were specially killed in interpreting the language
of the gods from the flight of birds, from the inspection of the entrails of slaughtered beasts, and by
other mysterious methods. They gave no information regarding the course of future events. They did
not inform men what was to happen. They simply taught them what they were to do or not to do.
They decided which days, were or were not auspicious for conducting business.)

 How does he intend to persuade Caesar to come to the Senate Meeting?

Ans. Decius would tell Caesar that unicorns are deceived by trees, bears with glasses, elephants with
big concealed holes in the ground, and men are deceived by flatterers, but not Caesar who hates
flattery. When Caesar would hear this, he would be all the more flattered. Decius would thus lure
Caesar to the Capitol by playing upon his weakness for flattery. (Decius knew that Caesar was not
moved by people kneeling and bowing to him and with plain downright flattery. He knew the skillful
art of flattering him.)

 What is a unicorn? What was the method of catching unicorns?

Ans. A unicorn is a mythical beast resembling a horse with one single horn jutting out from the
centre of its forehead. A man showed himself before the unicorn and as the creature attacked him,
he quickly stepped behind a tree, and the unicorn in rage thrust his horn into the tree, thus getting
stuck fast to the tree. This was the method of catching unicorns. (The unicorn of the Greeks and
Romans was probably based on some exaggerated description of the one-horned rhinoceros.)

 How were bears, elephants and lions caught?

Ans. Mirrors were said to be flung before an approaching bear which immediately stopped him and
made him gaze at his reflection. Then the hunters had enough time to strike him down unawares.
Elephants were tempted into pitfalls lightly covered with sticks and turf, on which a bait was kept to
attract them. When one elephant was thus entrapped, others came up to help him and fell into the
same trap. Lions were caught in nets.

 How are men trapped, according to Decius?

Ans. According to Decius, men are lured into danger by flattery.

 Explain: 'For I can give his humour the true bent’.

Ans. Decius means to say that he can put Caesar in the right frame of mind by playing upon his
weakness for flattery and thus make him come to the Capitol.

 What time does Brutus fix for the task?

Ans. Brutus fixes eight o'clock in the morning to fetch Caesar.

 Why does Caius Ligarius hate Caesar? Who mentions his name?

Ans. Caius Ligarius hates Caesar because the latter scolded him angrily for taking Pompey’s Metellus
Cimber mentions his name.

 Explain: 'He loves me well, and I have given him reasots,..., and I'll fashion him.’

Ans. Brutus states that Ligarius loves him well and that he has good reasons for doing so. Also Brutus
has already talked to him of their reasons for hating and fearing Caesar. If he sends Ligarius to him,
he will win him over to their cause by shaping him into a fellow-conspirator.

 What advice does he give his friends?

Ans. He advises his friends to disperse now and to remember their promises. They should show
themselves to be true and loyal citizens of Rome as men of honesty and integrity.

 What parting advice does Brutus give them? What type of person does he appear to be? Is
he really so?

Ans. Brutus advises them to put on bright and cheerful countenances. He tells them not to let the
expressions of their faces to betray their hidden and terrible intentions. They should play their parts
like Roman actors in the theatre by being lively without showing any signs of strain. They should
maintain their usual dignified bearing and composure. Brutus now appears to be a hypocrite. He is
not really so. He wants to make sure that their great enterprise will not fail in the slightest detail.

 Explain: 'Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber’.

Ans. Brutus is telling his servant to enjoy his deep sweet sleep which drops on his eyes like dew. It is
sweet like honey and deep (heavy). It is refreshing as the dew.

 Give examples of Brutus's recent behaviour which has made Portia to think that something is
troubling him.

Ans. Brutus has completely neglected his health by getting up from the bed in the middle of the
night and exposing himself to the vapours of the bitterly cold morning. On the previous night, at
dinner, Brutus had suddenly got up from the dinner table and started walking about the room
sighing from time to time with his arms folded. He looked angrily at her when she interrupted his
thoughts by asking about them. When she continued asking about this he did not answer but
scratched his head and stamped impatiently on the floor. When she continued to press him he
motioned her away by angrily waving his hand. His moody behaviour will not let him eat, or converse
nor make him take his usual rest. Moreover, some hooded men had come to meet him in the middle
of the night. In the past, they had never kept any secrets from each other. Portia tells him she is sure
he is suffering from some mental troubles which she ought to know of as she is his dear wife.

 Why did Portia leave the room when Brutus motioned her away angrily?

Ans. Portia left the room when Brutus motioned her away angrily because she was afraid to make
him even more irritated, as he already seemed overexcited. She hoped it was a temperamental
upset, which sometimes takes hold of every man at one time or another.
(Note: In olden times, people believed that a man's character depended upon therefore different
kinds of moisture in a man's body, reckoned by the old physicians to be phlegm, blood, choler and
melancholy and how they were proportioned in him.)

 Explain: 'And, could it work so much upon your shape, / As it hath much prevailed
on your condition," I should not know you. Brutus

Ans. Portia tells Brutus that if this bad mood had changed his appearance as much as it has changed
his state of mind, she would find it difficult to recognize him as Brutus.

 When Portia asks Brutus to tell her the cause of his grief, what is his reply? What is her
reaction to the reply?

Ans. Brutus replies that he is not feeling well. Portia does not believe him. She tells him that if he
were ill, he would employ every measure to regain his health. She asks whether it is good for his
health to go out with his doublet unfastened and absorb the cold vapours of the damp morning. She
said if he were unwell. he would not slip away stealthily, from his warm bed to risk catching some
horrible infection through the unhealthy air of the night and allow the unwarmed air, which would
give him cold and cough, to increase his illness. (Note: The word 'unbrace I' is an example of
anachronism. The Romans did not wear doublets or braces. The Elizebethans wore these.)

 What explanation does she give for his strange behaviour?

Ans. Portia gives her own explanation for Brutus' strange behaviour. She tells him that the disease
lies in his mind. There is some sorrow in his mind which is making him ill.

 Portia appeals to Brutus to reveal to her his secret in the name of three things. Whatare
they?

Ans. Portia goes upon her knees and appeals to Brutus in the name of her beauty which was very
lightly admired by him before, by all his protestations of love and by the solemn marriage vow which
united them together, to reveal to her, who is part and parcel of himself, the reason for his sorrow.

 What does Portia claim now as a right of marriage?

Ans. Portia now claims as a right of marriage, that she should share his secrets. She is not his wife
only in some degree, or with certain limitations, for example, only to the extent of eating with him,
sharing his bed and talking to him sometimes. She says that if she is not his wife to be always in the
centre of his heart then she is certainly not his wife but his mistress.

 How does Brutus reply to the last statement made by Portia?

Ans. When Portia states that if she is not the centre of his heart she is not his wife but his mistress,
Brutus tells her that she is his true and honourable wife, as dear to him as the warm blood that visits
his sad heart.
(Note: The true scientific theory of the circulation of blood was established by William Harvey in
1619, though the fact of there being some circulation had been know long previously though not
properly understood.)

 Why does Portia consider herself to be above average women?

Ans. Portia says that the fact of being a woman whom a man of such high rank as Brutus thought
worthy to be his wife and of being the daughter of Cato, reputed for his courage, honesty and
endurance, make her a woman above average women.

 Explain 'Cato's daughter’

Ans. Portia was the daughter of Marcus Cato. He was the great grandson of Cato the Censor.
He was born in Utica in 95 B.C. He was a stern republican, with an unyielding character and a
follower of Stoic principles. He was one of the leaders of the aristocratic party against Caesar. In 46
B.C. he committed suicide rather than fall into the hands of Caesar.

 How does Portia give proof of her constancy to show that she is worthy of her husband's
trust? Does this help to achieve her aim?

Ans. Portia shows Brutus a deep self-inflicted gash in her thigh, which she had kept a secret
from him, as a proof of her constancy. Portia tells Brutus that when she can endure that pain
without complaining, she can surely stand the strain of keeping her husband's secrets.
Yes, this action on the part of Portia helps her to achieve her aim. Brutus is so overwhelmed by this
noble gesture that he prays to the gods to make him worthy to be the husband of such a wife. He
then promises to tell her all the secrets of his heart. (We know that he has kept his promise because
in scene four, a little later, Portia is very tense and nervous and gives Lucius a message to go to the
Capitol and see if all is well with Brutus.)

 Explain: 'All the charactery of my sad brows’

Ans. Brutus means to say that he will explain to Portia all that is written (charactery) on his forehead,
that is, the cause of the worry lines on his forehead which makes him sad.

 Describe the appearance of Ligarius. What is Brutus's reaction on seeing him?

Ans. Ligarius is a sick man and wears a scarf as a protection for his neck and head. (This is
an anachronism as it was the practice in Shakespeare's time for sick people to tie a scarf round their
heads.)
Brutus is astonished to see such an ill person out of his house at such an hour and he asks him how
he is. He tells him that he has fallen ill at a most inopportune time. He wishes he were not ill.

 What does Ligarius say on hearing that Brutus does have such an enterprise in hand?

Ans. On hearing that, Brutus does have such an enterprise in hand, Ligarius swears by all the gods to
whom the Romans pray that he casts off his illness (by discarding his scarf).
He tells Brutus that he is an illustrious Roman, a worthy son of a worthy father, who has, like an
exorcist, revived in him his dead spirit. He asks Brutus to tell him as to what is expected of him and
that he will do anything no matter howsoever impossible it may seem to be.

 What does Brutus mean by 'A plece of work that will make sick men whole’?

Ans. By saying the above words, Brutus means that people suffering from tyranny (sick men)
will be made well again through his piece of work (murder of Caesar).

 What is Ligarius's reply? Explain.

Ans. Ligarius asks Brutus whether there are not some who are quite hale and hearty (alive) just then,
whom they must make ill. He is suggesting the forthcoming murder of Caesar (illness) which will
bring health to others.
  What is Ligarius ready to do? Why?

Ans. Ligarius is ready to follow Brutus blindly even though he does not yet know what exactly he has
to do. He is filled with fresh energy and inspiration because Brutus is his leader. He has complete
faith in him and it is quite sufficient for him that Brutus is leading him on. (Note: In Plutarch, it was
Brutus who went to see Ligarius when he was sick in bed. Ligarius was a close friend and great
admirer of Brutus. Shakespeare here makes Ligarius the visitor.)

 Give an example of Double Time Scheme in this scene? Why does Shakespeare follow
this method?

Ans. Shakespeare alters the historical time to suit his dramatic needs. It is obvious that a month has
passed since the opening of the play. The first and second scenes are on the day of the feast of
Lupercalia, that is, the fifteenth of February. In the play, this is day one. Act 1, Scene 3, before
midnight is day two. (14th March, 44 B.C. ) In Act I, Scene 3, it is past midnight on the Ides of March
after Cinna leaves the scene. Act II, Scene 1 occurs in the early hours of the same day before
daybreak. This is day three in the play. This is an example of the Double Time Scheme.
On the one hand, Shakespeare wants to give us the impression of the rapidity of events which excite
and grip our imagination. On the other hand, he hints at the passage of actual or historical time.

 What does this scene reveal about Brutus's character?

Ans. Brutus is a scholar, a thinker and a reader. He is more at home in the atmosphere of literature
and philosophy but not in the field of practical politics. He is not a good judge of character and
misjudges Cassius, Cicero and Mark Antony. He does not have any experience in the affairs of men
and does not understand their motives or the method of handling them. His qualities of fervent
patriotism and moral integrity have a tremendous reputation and all the conspirators realised the
value of these qualities to support their cause. Brutus believes that the motives of other men and
especially of these conspirators were also sincere and lofty like his own but this was not the case at
all. He is courteous to his fellow-conspirators, to his slave-boy, and especially to his wife, Portia.
The play is mainly about men, and their struggle for power. Therefore, a large part of it is dealing
with debate, planning and battle. Brutus appears as a public figure most of the time. He is always
surrounded by men and he is busy with the affairs of the state. In order to give depth and humanity
to his character, Shakespeare introduces Portia. So we see Brutus in a very different light. He is a
man who has a home, and a wife whom he loves and who loves him. Portia and Lucius together
suggest what might have been normal and happy in Brutus's life. They represent a contrast to the
world of the conspiracy, to the struggles of conscience, and the violence of assassination and battle.

 What does this scene reveal about Cassius?

Ans. He has the ability to organise and possesses practical wisdom. His only mistake is putting such a
high value on Brutus's reputation that he allows him to override his best judgement and practical
suggestions. Though he has done the organising and is older and has better experience in all affairs,
especially military affairs, be allows Brutus to be the leader. Though he is using Brutus to give his
plan a respectable front, yet it is clear that be genuinely admires him.

 What does this scene reveal about Lucius?

Ans. He is charming little boy-servant of Brutus who makes a deep impression on our mind.
He is so gentle, so dutiful, so loving, so thoughtful and so careful for his master. Yet, he is so
unassuming that he is not aware of his own virtues like a flower which is not conscious of his
fragrànce.
  What is the importance of this scene?

Ans. This scene is important for various reasons. First, we have the final tying of the knot. Brutus is
won over and joins the conspiracy which shows that it has finally matured. Arrangements are made
by the conspirators for bringing -Caesar from his home to the Senate, as they are afraid he may not
come. Caesar's character is further revealed and this scene prepares us to understand his hesitation
in the next one.
This scene also reveals the nature of all the conspirators. We have a closer view of Brutus and we
see that he is too noble to be a successful conspirator especially in his aversion to shed Antony's
blood. It also portrays to us that before the play began, Brutus was leading a happy married life.
Portia's love and concern for her husband reveal this. This gives reality and individual life to the play.
This scene also prepares us for Brutus's private tragedy as Portia dies later and so does his
happiness. It also prepares us for his public tragedy.
He wants us to preserve the republican freedom of Rome but, as we see later, he fails as Rome falls
into the hands of the triumvirate.
This scene is the longest scene in the play. It is full of discussion and very little action, but the ending
shows a keen anticipation of future events.