Caesar Notes

English 10

1.1 Notes

• Characters: Marullus and Flavius vs. Cobbler • Want the carpenter & cobbler to go home or

go work• Why aren’t they working? • Carpenter and Cobbler – celebrating the

return of Julius Caesar defeating Pompey• Did you not know Pompey?

1.1 Notes (Con’t)

• Pompey – defeated by Julius Caesar• Why are you celebrating that he defeated

Pompey?• Feast of Lupercal – celebrating the God of

fertility (Lupercus) – men in the race tapped people with sticks in order to increase fertility

• Theme – Group Think – bandwagon

1.2 Notes

• Caesar asks that Antony touch Calphurnia as he runs in the race to help with her fertility

• Soothsayer (fortune teller) is telling Caesar to “beware of March 15th” Caesar ignores him / does not believe him

• Cassius questions what is wrong with Brutus?• Brutus says that it is something within his own

mind which he is struggling with

1.2 Notes (Con’t)

• Cassius tells a story of knowing Caesar a long time – stories of not swimming, crying out like a sick girl, etc.. (Caesar’s weaknesses – can’t have children, can’t swim, has seizures, deaf in left ear)

• Brutus is friends with Caesar – says he’s my friend, yet I’m not sure he should be King

• Cassius definitely feels that Caesar should not be King and is trying to convince Brutus as such

1.2 Notes (Con’t)

• When Caesar sees Cassius he is worried about him – he says he is “thin and hungry”, and Caesar wants / trusts “fat” men around him

• Cassius, Casca and Brutus talk about the sounds they heard / why is Caesar so upset – what was it?– Caesar was offered the crown and turned it down

twice and the third time he fell down, foamed at the mouth and was speechless

1.2 Conclusion

• After Casca reports what was happening in the square with Caesar, he tells them about Marullus and Flavius.

• Cassius plans to throw letters into Brutus’ window

1.3 Notes

• Casca, Cicero, Cassius and Cinna• Strange things happening in street• Cicero and Casca talking about what they saw– Guy using hand as torch, lion

• Cassius begins trying to convince Casca that Caesar should not be King (without saying his name)

1.3 Notes

• March 15th is tomorrow (Ides of March)• Cassius tells Casca he is forming an enterprise

with an honorable but dangerous consequence

• Cassius is writing letters to Brutus (from fake citizens) which are to boost Brutus’s confidence – wants letters thrown into windows (Brutus’s and the Magistrate)

2.1 Notes

• Brutus finds letters from fake citizens (Cassius put them in his window)

• Brutus becomes more confident• Brutus says - Caesar should be destroyed

before he “hatches” / becomes King (Serpent’s egg)

• The conspirators arrive – Cinna, Casca, Decius Cassius, (Brutus), Metellus, Trebonius, Ligarius

2.1 Con’t• Decide to kill only Caesar – not Antony

(metaphor – Caesar, the head…cut it off, the limbs – Antony, can’t survive)

• Power shifts to Brutus • Portia enters the garden• She knows that something more is wrong with

Brutus, he won’t tell• Portia -“I can take this pain” – Voluntary

wound / stab to leg

2.2

• It is March 15th • Calphurnia (Caesar’s wife) had a bad dream• She wants Caesar to stay home sick and not

go to Capitol• Caesar agrees to stay home• Decius (conspirator) re-interprets Calphurnia’s

dream to say that the Romans are taking his blood to save their lives

2.2 Con’t

• Decius convinces Caesar to go to the Capitol• Conspirators arrive at Caesar’s home• Trebonius says he will be so near that “his

best friends shall wish he was further away”

2.3 & 2.4

• Artemidorus wants to give a letter to Caesar as he passes on the street to warn him of conspirators

• Portia (Brutus’s wife) becomes aware of the conspiracy

3.1 Notes• Irony:– Situational—the opposite of what is expected– Dramatic—when the audience knows something the

characters do not– Caesar just finished saying he is as “constant as the

Northern Star” and comparing himself to Olympus.– He is destroyed right after proclaiming his

magnificence and indestructibility—this is dramatic irony because we, as the audience, know that the conspirators are plotting against him

3.1 Notes cntd.

• Antony’s servant brings a letter to Brutus that praises Brutus for being honest and noble and requests to be able to safely come see Brutus to hear why Caesar was murdered

• Antony wants to speak at Caesar’s funeral. Cassius thinks this is a bad idea, while Brutus thinks it will be okay as long as he speaks under their terms.

3.1 Notes cntd.

• Antony is going to speak at Caesar’s funeral under the following conditions:– Cannot blame the conspirators– Admits he speaks by their permission– Speaks last (after Brutus)– In spite of pretending to support Brutus and

Cassius, Antony plans to use this opportunity to turn the Roman people against them

3.2 Notes

• Brutus—he is explaining why he killed Caesar to the Plebians (commoners)

• He says Caesar was too ambitious—power-hungry

• Brutus says that he loved Rome enough to kill Caesar; it was what was best for Rome

• Antony speaks next. He hints at the fact the conspirators are to blame; says Caesar was not ambitious

3.2 Cntd.

• Antony also reveals Caesar has left land/parks for public use; 75 drachmas (Roman money)

• At this point, Antony has swayed the Plebians to be on his side

• Octavius Caesar—Julius Caesar’s adopted son—has arrived to help Antony

3.3 Notes

• Cinna the poet is mistaken for Cinna the conspirator

• He is attacked and killed because of a mistaken identity

• This is another example of “Group Think”

4.1 Notes

• Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus meet to plan to kill those who oppose them

• Lepidus is sent to get Caesar’s will• Antony is unhappy with Lepidus• Antony and Octavius plan to form an army to

fight Brutus and Cassius

4.2 Notes

• Brutus and Cassius feel wronged by each other—things are not going as they planned

• They try to resolve their dispute privately in their tent, away from their armies

4.3 Notes

• Brutus and Cassius argue in their tent• They accuse each other of disloyalty to one

another• Brutus finds out about Portia’s death• Portia committed suicide by swallowing hot

coals because she saw Antony and Octavius raising a strong army and she feared Brutus would be defeated

4.3 Notes ctnd.

• Brutus does not listen to Cassius and his suggestions to wait for the opposing armies of Antony and Octavius to come to them.

• Cassius believes they should wait and Antony and Octavius will be worn out and tired by the time they reach them

• Instead, Brutus decides to march to Phillipi because he believes their army can grow stronger in numbers as they go along. This is the third time Brutus has not listened to Cassius.

4.3 Notes Cntd.

• Brutus sits in his tent and is visited by the ghost of Caesar who threatens to seek revenge on him at Phillipi

5.1, 5.2 Notes

• The armies confront each other in person—Brutus and Cassius and Antony and Octavius

• Brutus and Cassius leave separately and say goodbye in case they are killed

• Brutus sends Messala to tell his army to begin to fight

5.3 Notes

• Cassius mistakenly belives the battle has been lost and Titinius has been taken captive

• Cassius orders his slave, Pindarus, to kill him• Titinius returns and sees Cassius is dead and

puts the wreath of victory on his head; he then kills himself

• Brutus is still attempting to conquer Antony’s army

5.4, 5.5 Notes

• Brutus’ army is defeated• Lucilius pretends to be Brutus and is captured while

the real Brutus gets away• Antony does not kill Lucilius• Brutus begs his followers to assist him in his suicide• Brutus kills himself by running on his own sword as

Strato holds it• Antony claims Brutus was the noblest Roman of

them all; Octavius orders Brutus a proper funeral