Act III - Scene I Rome. Before the Capitol, the Senate Sitting Above Practice Quiz — The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
by William Shakespeare — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Act III - Scene I Rome. Before the Capitol, the Senate Sitting Above
Who tries to warn Caesar with a letter as he approaches the Capitol?
Artemidorus tries to give Caesar a letter revealing the conspiracy, but Caesar dismisses it, saying matters concerning himself 'shall be last served.'
What does the Soothsayer say when Caesar declares 'The ides of March are come'?
The Soothsayer replies 'Ay, Caesar, but not gone,' warning that the danger is not yet past despite the date's arrival.
What petition do the conspirators use as a pretext to surround Caesar?
Metellus Cimber kneels to petition Caesar for the repeal of his brother Publius Cimber's banishment. Brutus and Cassius join in kneeling, allowing the conspirators to close in.
Who strikes Caesar first, and what does he say?
Casca strikes first, crying 'Speak, hands, for me!' The other conspirators then join in, with Brutus delivering the final blow.
What are Caesar's last words?
'Et tu, Brute? — Then fall, Caesar!' He expresses shock at Brutus's betrayal and then accepts his death.
What do the conspirators do immediately after killing Caesar?
Brutus urges them to bathe their hands in Caesar's blood up to the elbows, besmear their swords, and walk to the marketplace crying 'Peace, freedom, and liberty!'
What does Antony request from the conspirators after the assassination?
Antony requests permission to produce Caesar's body in the marketplace and speak at his funeral. Brutus grants this over Cassius's objections.
What news does the servant bring Antony at the end of the scene?
A servant of Octavius Caesar reports that Octavius is within seven leagues of Rome. Antony tells him to wait, as Rome is too dangerous for Octavius yet.
How does Caesar's 'northern star' speech reveal his character?
Caesar declares he is 'constant as the northern star' — unique and immovable among men. The speech reveals his immense pride and belief in his own exceptionalism, a hubris that blinds him to the danger surrounding him.
How does Brutus show political naivety in this scene?
Brutus overrules Cassius's warning not to let Antony speak at the funeral, confident that his own rational speech will satisfy the crowd. He also imposes weak conditions on Antony that prove completely inadequate.
What does Cassius's reaction to Antony reveal about his character?
Cassius warns Brutus: 'You know not what you do' and says 'I like it not' — showing he is a sharper political realist than Brutus. He correctly fears Antony's rhetorical power but defers to Brutus's authority.
How does Antony behave differently when alone versus with the conspirators?
With the conspirators, Antony is diplomatic and conciliatory, shaking their bloody hands and pledging friendship. Alone, he calls them 'butchers,' mourns Caesar passionately, and prophesies civil war and revenge.
What role does Trebonius play in the conspiracy?
Trebonius's role is to draw Mark Antony away from the Senate so he cannot interfere with or prevent the assassination. He exits with Antony just before the attack on Caesar.
Why does Popilius Lena's comment alarm the conspirators?
Popilius tells Cassius 'I wish your enterprise today may thrive,' suggesting he knows about the plot. Cassius panics and says he will kill himself if discovered, but Brutus calms him by noting Popilius smiles and Caesar seems unchanged.
How does the scene explore the conflict between fate and free will?
Multiple warnings (the Soothsayer, Artemidorus's letter) suggest fate is trying to save Caesar, but human choices — Caesar's pride, Publius blocking Artemidorus — allow the assassination to proceed. Brutus later philosophizes that death is inevitable; only its timing matters.
What does the scene suggest about the gap between political ideals and reality?
The conspirators proclaim 'Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!' but their hands drip with blood. Their idealistic language cannot conceal the violence of their act, and Antony's soliloquy reveals that their 'liberation' will produce civil war, not freedom.
How does the theme of betrayal operate on multiple levels in this scene?
Brutus betrays his friend Caesar for political principle. Antony appears to betray Caesar's memory by befriending the assassins, but is actually betraying the conspirators' trust to plot revenge. Loyalty and deception intertwine throughout.
What is the significance of the conspirators' ritual blood-bathing?
Brutus frames the blood-bathing as a purification ritual, transforming murder into sacrifice. But the imagery cuts both ways: what the conspirators see as cleansing, the audience (and Antony) see as evidence of savagery and guilt.
What is dramatic irony in Caesar's northern star speech?
Caesar declares himself immovable and 'unassailable,' but the audience knows he is about to be assassinated. His boast of constancy is immediately disproven, making his words tragically ironic.
How does Antony's hart/heart pun work?
Antony calls Caesar a 'brave hart' (deer) hunted by princes, then says he was 'the heart of thee' (the world). The pun connects the image of a hunted animal to the emotional center of Rome, linking Caesar's physical death to the world's spiritual wound.
What is metatheatrical about Cassius's lines after the assassination?
Cassius says 'How many ages hence / Shall this our lofty scene be acted over / In states unborn and accents yet unknown!' He is literally describing what the audience is doing — watching the scene reenacted — breaking the boundary between history and theater.
How does Shakespeare use apostrophe in Antony's soliloquy?
Antony addresses Caesar's corpse directly: 'O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth.' This apostrophe — speaking to someone who cannot respond — intensifies the emotional impact and reveals Antony's true grief once the conspirators have left.
What does 'puissant' mean in Metellus's address to Caesar?
'Puissant' means powerful or mighty. Metellus addresses Caesar as 'Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar' — using the French-derived word as a formal term of supreme authority.
What does 'bootless' mean when Caesar says 'Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?'
'Bootless' means futile or useless. Caesar is saying that even Brutus kneels in vain — nothing will change his decision about Publius Cimber's banishment.
What does 'Lethe' refer to in Antony's speech about Caesar?
Lethe is the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology. Antony says the conspirators are 'crimson'd in thy Lethe' — bathed in Caesar's lifeblood, with 'Lethe' poetically meaning the blood/death that brings oblivion.
Who says 'Speak, hands, for me!' and what does it mean?
Casca says this as he strikes the first blow against Caesar. It means words are insufficient — action must speak instead. It signals the shift from rhetoric and persuasion to violence.
What does Antony mean by 'Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war'?
'Havoc' was a medieval military command authorizing soldiers to plunder without restraint. Antony prophesies that Caesar's assassination will unleash uncontrolled civil war and destruction across Italy, with Caesar's vengeful spirit driving the chaos.
What does Brutus mean by 'ambition's debt is paid'?
Brutus tells the frightened senators that Caesar has paid the price ('debt') for his ambition — implying the assassination was just punishment. It frames the murder as a lawful penalty rather than an act of treachery.