Chronology of Britannicus

Question 1

Act 1 Scene 1

Answer 1

1) Agrippine, Albine
2) Agrippine confides in Albine that, by kidnapping Junie, Néron is undermining her plans and is hence indicative of her future disgrace

Question 2

Act 1 Scene 2

Answer 2

1) Agrippine, Burrhus, Albine
2) Agrippines accuses Burrhus and Sénèque of being responsible for her sidelining
2) Burrhus justifies himself by pointing to the merit of Néron’s reign

Question 3

Act 1 Scene 3

Answer 3

1) Agrippine, Britannicus, Narcisse, Albine

2) Britannicus laments the kidnapping of Junie and Agrippine offers her assistance

Question 4

Act 1 Scene 4

Answer 4

1) Britannicus, Narcisse

2) Britannicus tells Narcisse he is determined to regain power, even if he doubts the honesty of Agrippine

Question 5

Act 2 Scene 1

Answer 5

1) Néron, Burrhus, Narcisse, Gardes

2) Néron orders Palace’s exile because he suspects him of leading Agrippine astray

Question 6

Act 2 Scene 2

Answer 6

1) Néron, Narcisse
2) Néron confides in Narcisse, who reveals himself to be a double agent, that he is in love with Junie
3) Néron learns that Junie and Britannicus are in love with one another

Question 7

Act 2 Scene 3

Answer 7

1) Néron, Junie
2) Neron confesses his love to Junie and asks her to marry him
3) Junie gives many reasons for refusing him and ends up confessing her love for Britannicus
4) Néron states that Junie has to break up with Britannicus or else Néron will kill him

Question 8

Act 2 Scene 4

Answer 8

1) Néron, Junie, Narcisse
2) Narcisse announces the arrival of Britannicus
3) Néron hides in order to observe the interaction of Britannicus and Junie

Question 9

Act II Scene 5

Answer 9

1) Junie, Narcisse

2) Junie asks Narcisse to warn Britannicus but she is too late as Britannicus is already there

Question 10

Act 2 Scene 6

Answer 10

1) Junie, Britannicus, Narcisse
2) First meeting of Junie and Britannicus
3) Forced to be cold by Néron, Junie cannot explain to Britannicus that they are being watched by Néron and is forced to chase him away with an icy tone

Question 11

Act 2 Scene 7

Answer 11

1) Neron, Junie, Narcisse

2) Junie flees in tears and refusing to listen to Néron

Question 12

Act 2 Scene 8

Answer 12

1) Néron, Narcisse
2) Néron is furious now that he has seen the love that Britannicus and Junie hold for one another
3) Néron asks Narcisse to torment Britannicus

Question 13

Act 3 Scene 1

Answer 13

1) Néron, Burrhus

2) Burrhus tries in vain to deter Néron from loving Junie

Question 14

Act 3 Scene 2

Answer 14

1) Burrhus
2) Burrhus fears Néron’s cruel nature and does not know how to appease his fury
3) Seeing Agrippine, he wants to confide his worries in her

Question 15

Act 3 Scene 3

Answer 15

1) Agrippine, Burrhus, Albine
2) Aggripine accuses Burrhus of being responsible for the exile of Pallas and Néron’s plan to divorce Octavie to marry Junie
3) Agrippine threatens Burrhus with slander and the restoration of Britannicus
4) Burrhus defends Néron

Question 16

Act 3 Scene 4

Answer 16

1) Agrippine, Albine
2) Agrippine vents her anger to Albine
3) Agrippine says she is prepared to do anything in order to have revenge on Néron

Question 17

Act 3 Scene 5

Answer 17

1) Britannicus, Agrippine, Narcisse, Albine

2) Agrippine confirms her support for Britannicus

Question 18

Act 3 Scene 6

Answer 18

1) Britannicus, Narcisse
2) Narcisse tries to dissuade Britannicus from seeing Junie
3) Junie appears in the distance and Narcisse runs to warn Néron

Question 19

Act 3 Scene 7

Answer 19

1) Britannicus, Junie
2) Second meeting between Junie and Britannicus
3) Junie reassures Britannicus of her love for him and warns him of the danger that threatens him

Question 20

Act 3 Scene 8

Answer 20

1) Néron, Britannicus, Junie
2) Néron catches Britannicus kneeling in front of Junie
3) Scene of confrontation between the two brothers, in which Néron has Britannicus arrested
4) Junie threatens to retire from the world to avoid being an object of contention between the two brothers

Question 21

Act 3 Scene 9

Answer 21

1) Néron, Burrhus
2) Néron accuses Agrippine of having organised the meeting between Junie and Britannicus
3) Néron orders Burrhus to arrest his mother

Question 22

Act 4 Scene 1

Answer 22

1) Agrippine, Burrhus

2) Burrhus tells Agrippine that Néron has agreed to meet with her

Question 23

Act 4 Scene 2

Answer 23

1) Agrippine, Néron
2) First encounter between Agrippine and Néron
3) In her tirade, Agrippine reminds Néron of the crimes that she committed in order to put him on the throne
4) Néron accuses her of acting only to satisfy her own ambition for power and accuses her of supporting Britannicus
5) Néron pretends to ascent to all her demands, notably a reconciliation with his brother

Question 24

Act 4 Scene 3

Answer 24

1) Néron, Burrhus
2) Néron reveals that he has lied to his mother and that he will kill Britannicus in the next few hours
3) Burrhus tries to reason with him and says he would rather die than see Néron become a tyrant
4) Faced with the tears of Burrhus, Néron gives in to his pleas

Question 25

Act 4 Scene 4

Answer 25

1) Néron, Narcisse
2) Néron tells Narcisse that he wants to reconcile himself with Britannicus
3) Néron persuades him to poison Britannicus

Question 26

Act 5 Scene 1

Answer 26

1) Britannicus, Junie
2) Third and final meeting of Junie and Britannicus
3) Britannicus rejoices at Néron’s decision to stage a reconciliation
4) Junie cries because she mistrusts Néron

Question 27

Act 5 Scene 2

Answer 27

1) Agrippine, Britannicus, Junie

2) Agrippine orders Britannicus to quickly go to Néron pour to conclude the reconciliation

Question 28

Act 5 Scene 3

Answer 28

1) Agrippine, Junie
2) Agrippine calms Junie’s worries
3) Agrippine re-established her power, suggesting she is responsible for the current situation by virtue of her intervention and renewed influence over Néron

Question 29

Act 5 Scene 4

Answer 29

1) Agrippine, Junie Burrhus
2) Burrhus reveals the death of Britannicus
3) Junie flees

Question 30

Act 5 Scene 5

Answer 30

1) Agrippine, Burrhus

2) Burrhus recounts how Britannicus’ death came about

Question 31

Act 5 Scene 6

Answer 31

1) Agrippine, Néron, Burrhus, Narcisse
2) Néron arrives with Narcisse
3) Agrippine accuess him of having killed Britannicus
4) Agrippine lists a series of fatal omen

Question 32

Act 5 Scene 7

Answer 32

1) Agrippine, Burrhus
2) Agrippine admits she was wrong to suspect that Burrhus had a harmful influence over Néron
3) Burrhus reveals his fear that Néron will become a tyrant

Question 33

Act 5 Scene 8

Answer 33

1) Agrippine, Burrhus, Albine
2) Albine announces that Néron has gone insane because Junie has retired to the temple of the vestals
3) Albine recounts the flight of Junie and the death of Narcisse, stoned by the crowd