julius caesar test Flashcards
Flavius
Personality/Role: Flavius is a tribune who is critical of Caesar’s rise to power. He is concerned about Caesar becoming too powerful.
Affiliations: Alongside Marullus, he represents the republican view.
What happens: He actively removes decorations from Caesar’s statues during the feast of Lupercal and is punished for it.
Impact: His actions set the tone for the political conflict in the play.
-tribune
-against Caesar
-planned to walk to the capitol and remove the shrines of Caesar
Marullus
Personality/Role: Like Flavius, Marullus is a tribune who opposes Caesar’s ascension and the way the common people idolize him.
Affiliations: Shares republican views with Flavius.
What happens: He joins Flavius in scolding the commoners and removing decorations from Caesar’s statues and is punished for it.
Impact: He contributes to the initial portrayal of the public and political discord surrounding Caesar.
-a tribune
-against Caesar
-tells the people of Rome that they are fickle
-makes them feel guilty for celebrating Caesar
Julius Caesar
Personality: Ambitious, somewhat arrogant, and possibly superstitious. Displays moments of hubris and concern about his public image.
Affiliations: Leader of Rome, with loyalists like Marc Antony.
What happens: He is warned by a soothsayer, ignores omens, and is ultimately assassinated by a group of senators.
Impact: His assassination is the central event of the play, affecting all subsequent actions and the fate of the other characters.
-very prideful and has a high rank in Roman society
-the plot of the play is the actions against Caesar; his assassination
-highly valued by the people of Rome
-he gets killed in the play because he was going to be crowned king by the faction against him
-strong believer of fate which caused him to ignore all warnings and omens
-a powerful general
-as many treasured him, those with power and without, they fought for him even after his death, defeating those in the assassination
Marc Antony
Personality: Loyal, cunning, persuasive. A skilled orator and politician.
Affiliations: Loyal to Caesar, later forms the Second Triumvirate.
What happens: Delivers a pivotal funeral oration for Caesar which turns the public against the conspirators.
Impact: His actions and speech incite civil strife and he becomes a key figure in the ensuing power struggle.
-Caesar’s best friend
-tries to crown him king 3 times
-after Caesar’s death, he claims he will not say anything against the faction during Caesar’s funeral but goes against that
-persuades the audience to withdraw their support of Brutus and condemn him as a traitor
-convinces the public to kill Brutus and conspirators due to their actions
-part of the second triumverate (group trying to kill traitors)
Cassius
Personality: Manipulative, persuasive, envious of Caesar.
Affiliations: Leader of the conspirators against Caesar.
What happens: He recruits Brutus and others into the conspiracy and dies by suicide after a military defeat.
Impact: Drives the conspiracy against Caesar and influences Brutus’s decisions significantly.
-a general
-manipulative
-dislikes how Caesar is perceived as godlike in the eyes of the Romans
-plays on the worries that Brutus has and convinces him to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar
-started the entire conspiracy
-killed Caesar
- an opportunist
-becomes a coward, orders Pindarus to kill him when he believes he lost the battle
Marcus Brutus
Personality: Honorable, naive, stoic, morally conflicted.
Affiliations: Joins the conspiracy believing it is for Rome’s good.
What happens: Plays a key role in the assassination, struggles with his conscience afterward, and also dies by suicide after his defeat at Philippi.
Impact: His tragic path underscores themes of honor, morality, and the consequences of political action.
-kills himself and is still considered honourable so his bones are buried in Caesar’s tent
Decius Brutus
Personality: Cunning, deceptive.
Affiliations: One of the conspirators.
What happens: He persuades Caesar to attend the Senate on the day of the assassination by reinterprets Calphurnia’s dream.
Impact: His manipulation ensures Caesar’s death, pivotal to the assassination plot.
-member of the conspiracy
-convinces Caesar that Calphurnia misinterpreted her nightmares and that there is no dangers for him at the senate
Casca
Personality: Blunt, straightforward.
Affiliations: First to stab Caesar, part of the conspiracy.
What happens: Participates in the assassination.
Impact: His actions help initiate the actual assassination.
Cinna
Personality: Lesser detailed character.
Affiliations: Another conspirator.
What happens: Involved in the plot against Caesar.
Impact: Contributes to the collective action of the conspiracy.
Cinna (the poet)
Personality: Innocent, mistaken identity.
Affiliations: Not part of the conspiracy; just shares a name with one of the conspirators.
What happens: He is mistaken for Cinna the conspirator and killed by an angry mob.
Impact: His death highlights the chaotic and irrational behavior of the mob post-assassination.
Lucius
Personality: Loyal, serves Brutus.
Affiliations: Servant to Brutus.
What happens: Mainly involved as Brutus’s attendant.
Impact: Provides personal insight into Brutus’s household and state of mind.
Portia
Personality: Strong-willed, concerned for Brutus.
Affiliations: Brutus’s wife.
What happens: She is distressed by Brutus’s secretive behavior and kills herself out of grief and worry.
Impact: Her death emphasizes the personal sacrifices and strain caused by political turmoil.
Calphurnia
Personality: Superstitious, fearful for Caesar’s safety.
Affiliations: Caesar’s wife.
What happens: Her dreams predict Caesar’s death, and she tries to prevent him from going to the Senate.
Impact: Represents personal and supernatural warnings ignored by Caesar.
Lepidus
Personality: Seen as somewhat weak and easily manipulated
Affiliations: Part of the Second Triumvirate with Antony and Octavius.
What happens: He is used by Antony and Octavius to help secure power but is eventually dismissed by them.
Impact: Represents the use and discard of political figures in the quest for power.
Octavius
Personality: Authoritative, emerging leader.
Affiliations: Caesar’s adopted son and heir; part of the Second Triumvirate.
What happens: He comes to power after Caesar’s death, eventually ruling Rome.
Impact: Symbolizes the continuation and institutionalization of Caesar’s legacy.
Cicero
Personality: Wise, seasoned politician.
Affiliations: Roman senator, not directly involved in the conspiracy.
What happens: Speaks at the Senate before Caesar’s assassination; later executed in the proscriptions.
Impact: His death signifies the elimination of the old guard.
The soothsayer
Personality: Ominous, mysterious.
Affiliations: None specified.
What happens: Warns Caesar to “beware the Ides of March.”
Impact: Represents supernatural insight and unheeded warnings in the narrative.
Artemidorus
Personality: Observant, concerned.
Affiliations: None directly to Caesar or the conspirators.
What happens: Writes a letter warning Caesar of the conspiracy.
Impact: His failed attempt to warn Caesar adds to the dramatic tension and sense of fate.
rhetoric and power - brutus and cassius
The power of rhetoric in “Julius Caesar” is vividly displayed through the speeches of Brutus and Cassius, who use persuasive language to justify the assassination of Caesar and rally support among the senators and the populace. Brutus’ speech to the Roman people in Act 3, Scene 2, appeals to their sense of reason and republican values, claiming the assassination was necessary to prevent Caesar’s tyranny.
rhetoric and power theme statement
Shakespeare sees rhetoric as one of the most powerful forces in the world; able to topple kings and crown them
or
Shakespeare demonstrates how rhetoric can become a tool for wielding and controlling power, which reveals how manipulative it can become
rhetoric and power - marc antony
Conversely, Mark Antony’s speech at Caesar’s funeral uses rhetorical skills to sway public opinion against the conspirators, ultimately sparking a riot and war. Antony cleverly repeats “Brutus is an honorable man” while contrasting Brutus’ claims with his emotionally charged questions about Caesar’s actions, which stirs the crowd’s emotions and turns them against the conspirators.
Misreadings and misinterpretations - Caesar’s ambition
Characters throughout the play misinterpret each other’s motives and actions, leading to tragic outcomes. For instance, Brutus believes he is saving Rome from Caesar’s supposed ambition when, in fact, Caesar’s refusal of the crown could be interpreted as a lack of desire for absolute power.
Misreadings and misinterpretations - Calpurnia’s Dream
Caesar misreads the omens and warnings about his impending death, including Calpurnia’s dream and the Soothsayer’s warning. His dismissal of these prophetic signs ultimately leads to his assassination.
Misreadings and misinterpretation - theme statement
Shakespeare demonstrates how misinterpretations are the root of all tragedies and have severe consequences, like the loss of innocent lives, conflicts between friends and our inability to discern our friends from our foes
Fate vs. freewill - omens and prophecies
The play is filled with omens (like the Soothsayer’s warning and Calpurnia’s nightmares) that suggest a predetermined fate.
However, characters exercise freewill in their responses to these signs, as when Caesar ultimately decides to go to the Senate despite the warnings.
fate vs. freewill - character’s choices
The conspirators’ decision to kill Caesar, despite various signs suggesting they should not, highlights the tension between destiny and choice. Their actions seem to be both a fulfillment of fate and a series of deliberate, free-willed decisions that lead to chaos and destruction.
inflexibility vs compromise - cassius vs. brutus
The dynamic between Cassius and Brutus often highlights a clash between pragmatism and idealism, where Brutus’ rigid moral code leads him to make decisions that are not politically astute (such as sparing Antony’s life and allowing him to speak at Caesar’s funeral)
inflexibility vs compromise - caesar’s refusal to yield
Caesar’s own inflexibility, illustrated by his dismissal of the warnings about his safety and his underestimation of the senators’ dissatisfaction, catalyzes the crisis that leads to his death.
fickleness
-being fickle is to change one’s mind frequent;y based on their loyalties and interests
-the people of rome display this character trait
Flavius and marulus point out the fickleness as these same people used to do the same thing for pompey and are now celebrating and waiting for Caesar, who killed him
After Brutus gives a speech at Caesar’s funeral, the pleibeians are all on the conspirators and believe Caesar was too ambitious
-they parade brutus and speak ill of Caesar
-however, after Antony speaks, they are all convinced that caesar was good and that Brutus, cassius and the other conspirators are all in the wrong
-they even start to kill those involved with the murder of Caesar
foreshadowing
warning or indication of a future event
-the soothsayer foreshadows caesar’s death as he warns him that hes going to be in danger on the ides of March
-calphurnia has visions where she envisions caesar’s statue spouting of blood which foreshadows the circumstances of his death
-the omens that casca tells cicero, foreshadows the havoc that will occur as a result of Caesar’s death
-cicero’s response foreshadows that someone is going to manipulate casca into misinterpretating his omens
cinna the poet foreshadows his own on the ides of march on his way to caesar’s funeral as he dreams he is feasting with caesar, who is dead
-foreshadows the death of the conspirator bc they have the same name
-the omen that Cassius sees of the “mighty eagles” falling and looking like prey to birds foreshadows that they will die
- the conversation b/w Cassius and Brutus can foreshadow that they will never speak again
pathetic fallacy
the attribution of human feelings and response to inanimate things
-in act 1, scene 3, shakespeare uses the thunderstorm to reflect Brutus’s internal conflict of working against caesar
-could reflect the plot against caesar
-could also mean gods are not happy with caesar becoming king
pathos
the appeal to emotion which can persuade the audience by purposely evoking certain emotions
-marc antony uses pathos during his speech at caesar’s funeral
-his heart is in the coffin with caesar
-he already greived for caesar, however in front of the public he starts to cry
-he makes the plebeians even angrier and desperate to hear caesar’s will to make the will have as much of effect
-makes facts up about caesar’s death to make the plebeians more angry and he attempts to rile them up against Brutus and the other conspirators
