The Tragic End of Julius Caesar

Summary:

The Tragic End of Julius Caesar Note is about the play “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare. Act I sets the stage for Caesar’s return to Rome and the suspicions of Cassius and Brutus about Caesar’s power and ambitions. In Act II, the conspirators manipulate Brutus to join their cause and plan Caesar’s death. Act III sees Caesar’s assassination and Mark Antony’s speech at his funeral, which incites the crowd against the conspirators. In Act IV, Brutus and Cassius prepare for battle against Antony’s forces, and in Act V, they are defeated and commit suicide. The questions posed include a character sketch of Caesar, Calpurnia’s dream, an analysis of Brutus’ character, why Caesar went to the Senate despite his wife’s warning and the significance of a comet.

Excerpt:

The Tragic End of Julius Caesar

Act I
The tribunes of Rome, Marullus and Flavius, break up a gathering of citizens who want to celebrate Julius Caesar’s triumphant return from war. The victory is marked by public games in which Caesar’s protégé, Mark Antony, takes part. On his way to the arena, Caesar is stopped by a stranger who warns him that he should ‘Beware the Ides [15th] of March.’ Fellow senators Caius Cassius and Marcus Brutus are suspicious of Caesar’s reactions to the power he holds in the Republic. They fear he will accept offers to become Emperor. He has been gaining much power recently, and people treat him like a god. Cassius, a successful general himself, is jealous of
Caesar. Brutus has a more balanced view of the political position. The conspirator Casca enters and tells Brutus of a ceremony held by the plebeians. They offered Caesar a crown three times, and he refused it every time. But the conspirators are still wary of his aspirations.