English Assessment Term 4 Year 9 Flashcards
Memorise
What did individuals traditionally rely on to determine their fate?
Individuals traditionally relied on the certainties of Medieval Providentialism.
What new idea challenged Medieval Providentialism?
Humanist ideals encouraged individuals to exercise their own free will.
What theme does Shakespeare explore in Julius Caesar?
The ideological struggle from Medieval to Renaissance values.
What is Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar advocating for?
A mediation between extreme agency and reliance on traditional authority.
What historical context influenced Julius Caesar?
Late Elizabethan era tensions and anxieties over the imminent death of a monarch.
How does Shakespeare use Cassius to reflect Renaissance values?
Cassius, a Machiavellian archetype, embodies ambition and individualism.
How does Cassius describe Caesar in relation to his own power?
Cassius describes Caesar “like a colossus,” towering over “petty men.”
What literary technique is used to show Cassius’s discontent with Caesar?
A simile comparing Caesar to a “colossus” who diminishes other men.
What is Cassius’ rhetorical question to Brutus, and what does it reveal?
Why should his name be sounded more than yours?” This reveals Cassius’s manipulation of Brutus.
What does Cassius mean by “men at some time are masters of their own fate”?
He rejects Divine fate, instead advocating for personal agency, a key Renaissance value.
How does Brutus’s inner struggle reflect Renaissance values?
His admission of being “at war with himself” reflects the uncertainty of free will.
What does Brutus mean by the phrase “with himself at war”?
It shows his internal conflict between loyalty to Caesar and his personal ideals.
What biblical allusion does Brutus use to describe Caesar, and why?
He calls Caesar a “serpent’s egg,” suggesting he could become a tyrant if given too much power.
How does Brutus’ “I have not slept” soliloquy reveal his inner turmoil?
It shows his guilt and self-reproach for plotting against Caesar.
What warning does Shakespeare give through Brutus’s guilt and indecision?
A warning against the Renaissance individualism that interferes with Divine Providence.
How does Caesar describe his constancy and authority?
He says, “I am as constant as the Northern Star.”
What does Caesar’s “Northern Star” speech reveal about his character?
His hubris and inflexibility, suggesting dangers in unchecked authority.
What does Caesar’s betrayal by Brutus symbolise in terms of values?
A departure from loyalty and honor, replaced by individualism and ambition.
What famous phrase does Caesar say to Brutus, and what does it signify?
“Et tu, Brute?” It signifies Caesar’s shock and resignation to his fate.
How does “then fall, Caesar” conclude the tension between fate and free will?
It symbolises the tragic end of the monarchical stability and acceptance of human frailty.
What shift does Shakespeare depict after Caesar’s fall?
The emergence of a society trying to balance liberty with social hierarchy.
How does Brutus describe the transition in values?
He uses the metaphor “there is a tide in the affairs of man.”
What is the meaning of Brutus’s “tide in the affairs of man” metaphor?
It reflects the need for personal responsibility tempered by monarchical stability.
What does Shakespeare suggest about Renaissance Humanism?
He critiques its selfish ideals, advocating for moderation and responsibility.
