Julius Caesar Act 1 Scene 1 workbook answers

Extract I.

Flavius:  Hence! home, you idle creatures, get you

home! Is this a holiday? What, know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not to walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign
Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?
Carpenter: Why sir, a carpenter.
Marullus: Where is thy leather apron and thy rule?
What dost thou with thy best apparel on?
You, sir, what trade are you?

Answers:

1. Flavius and Marullus are two high-ranking officials in the government of ancient Rome. They are on
the streets of Rome. They are there to rebuke the citizens of Rome for celebrating Julius Caesar‘s recent
victory over Pompey in a triumphal parade. Flavius and Marullus believe that the citizens are being fickle
and disloyal to Pompey, who was once their beloved leader. They also fear that Caesar is becoming too
powerful and popular, and they want to prevent him from becoming a dictator. They order the citizens
to disperse and remove all the decorations and symbols of Caesar’s triumph, hoping to quell his growing
popularity and prevent him from gaining too much power.

2. The “idle creatures” referred to are the commoners or citizens of Rome who are celebrating and
taking the day off from work. They are called “idle” by Flavius because he sees their celebration as
frivolous and unproductive, and he believes that they should be working instead. The speaker asks if it is
a holiday to mock the citizens and to emphasize that they are wasting their time instead of doing
something productive.

3. Give the meaning of the following :

a) Being mechanical : Workmen who use manual tools for their profession. Like a carpenter uses a
leather apron and a rule.
b) A labouring day : A working day.
c) Sign of your profession : A tool pertaining to your line of work.

4. Marullus addresses a commoner in the last line of the extract, asking him why he is not working and
why he is participating in the celebration. The commoner replies that he is taking the day off to
celebrate the feast of Lupercal. Marullus reacts with disdain and disbelief, questioning the commoner’s
loyalty to Rome and accusing him of being fickle and easily swayed by the whims of the government.
Marullus believes that the citizens of Rome should be working and that their celebration is a waste of
time.

5. Flavius and Marullus are men in authority who exercise their power in different ways. Flavius uses his
authority to scold and rebuke the citizens of Rome for celebrating and taking the day off work. He says,
“Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home”
On the other hand, Marullus exercises his authority by questioning and challenging the commoners who
are participating in the celebration. He says, “Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home? What
tributaries follow him to Rome, to grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?”

Between the two, Marullus appears to exercise greater authority due to his ability to question and
challenge the citizens’ actions and beliefs. He is not afraid to express his opinions and to criticize others,
even in the face of opposition.

Extract II.

Cobbler:  A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a

safe conscience, which is indeed, sir, a mender of  bad soles.
Flavius:  What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty
knave, what trade?
Cobbler: Nay, I beseech you sir, be not out with me,
yet if thou be out, sir, I can mend you.

Answers

1. The term “trade” refers to a person’s profession or occupation. The second citizen mentioned in the
scene is a cobbler, who works with leather and shoes. When Marullus asks him what his trade is, the
cobbler replies, “Sir, a mender of bad soles.”

The pun involved with the word “soles” is a play on words. “Soles” refers to the bottom part of shoes
that the cobbler repairs. However, it also sounds like “souls,” which means a person’s spirit or essence.
The cobbler is making a joke about his profession by suggesting that he is not just repairing shoes, but
also the souls of the people who wear them. The pun adds a bit of humor to the scene and shows the
cleverness of the cobbler.

2. In Act 1, Scene 1 of Julius Caesar, the citizen says that he “may use” his trade with a safe conscience
because he is doing an honest day’s work and earning a living through his profession as a cobbler. He is
proud of his trade and sees it as a legitimate way to support himself and his family.

3. The expression “naughty knave” is a derogatory term used to refer to the cobbler by Flavius. It
suggests that the Romans looked down on artisans and craftsmen as being of lower social status. Two
more examples of such expressions from the scene are “mechanical slaves” and “you blocks, you
stones.”

4. In the line “be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you,” the cobbler is using a pun to
make a joke. “Out” can mean either “angry” or “worn out.” The cobbler is saying that if Flavius is angry
with him, he can calm him down. But if his shoes are worn out, he can also mend them.

5. Two character traits of the common people in the scene are humor and loyalty. The cobbler is witty
and makes jokes, such as the pun about “soles.” The common people are also loyal to Julius Caesar, as
evidenced by their excitement at his upcoming triumph and their eagerness to celebrate his victories.
For example, the second citizen says, “Why, there was a crown offered him; and being offered him, he
put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a-shouting.”
Extract III

Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome?
To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome!
Knew you not Pompey?

Answers:

1. The lines are spoken by the second citizen. These words are addressed to the first citizen. The extract
refers to the rejoicing of the people on the occasion of Caesar’s victory over Pompey.

2. “He” in the first line of the extract refers to Caesar. The speaker wants to convey to his listeners that
they are foolish to rejoice over Caesar’s victory as it has not brought any personal gain to them.

3. The conquest referred to in the first line of the extract is Caesar’s victory over Pompey. The conqueror
has not brought any territory to Rome by his conquest as Pompey was a Roman general, and his defeat
has created political instability and chaos in Rome.

4. The lines mean that Caesar has conquered many territories, and now the conquered people are
following him to Rome as prisoners of war. They will be displayed in Caesar’s victory parade, and their
captivity will glorify Caesar’s chariot wheels.

5. The custom referred to in question (iv) is the tradition of the triumphal procession, where a victorious
general parades through the streets of Rome, displaying his spoils of war, followed by his captive
prisoners.

Extract IV

Marullus:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks
To hear the replication of your sounds
Made in her concave shores?
And do you now put-on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey’s blood?

Answers:

1. Pompey’s chariot was seen when Pompey came home triumph from various battles.
Marullus asks the commoners if they remember the time when they saw Caesar’s chariot appear and
made a universal shout. The specific time is not mentioned in this extract. It can be assumed that
Marullus is referring to a time when Caesar returned to Rome in triumph after his victory over Pompey.
On seeing the chariot, the commoners made a universal shout that was so loud that it made the Tiber
river tremble underneath her banks.

2. “Universal shout” refers to a loud cheer or outcry that is made by everyone together. The people are
being asked if they remember the time when they made such a shout upon seeing the conqueror’s
chariot. The consequence of the shout was that the sound of it was so loud that it caused the Tiber river
to tremble.

3. Pompey’s blood refers to the bloodshed in the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey, in which
Caesar emerged victorious. The conqueror who is now coming in triumph over Pompey’s blood is Julius
Caesar himself.

4. The people are putting on their best attire, declaring a holiday, and strewing flowers in the way of
Julius Caesar’s triumphal entry.

5. The speaker, Marullus, wants to remind the people that just a short while ago, they were celebrating
Pompey’s victory, and now they have turned to celebrate Julius Caesar’s victory. He wants to emphasize
the fickleness and inconsistency of the people and their tendency to blindly follow whoever is in power.
He also wants to prevent the people from glorifying Caesar too much and making him appear greater
than he actually is.

Extract V.

Marullus:  May we do so?

You know it is the feast of Lupercal.
Flavius:  It is no matter. Let no images
Be hung with Caesar’s trophies. I’ll about
And drive away the vulgar from the streets.
So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
These growing feathers, plucked from Caesar’s wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch,
Who else would soar above the view of men
And keep us all in servile fearfulness.

Answers:

1.  Marullus is asking Flavius if they can stop the common people from celebrating Caesar’s triumph
because it is the feast of Lupercal.

2. The feast of Lupercal was a festival celebrated on February 15 in ancient Rome. It was a fertility
festival, dedicated to the Roman god of fertility and agriculture, Lupercus. The festival involved animal
sacrifices and rituals to purify the city and ensure fertility.

3. Trophies are the spoils of war, such as weapons, armor, and banners, that were displayed as symbols
of victory. Flavius says that no images should be hung on Caesar’s trophies because he wants to prevent
the people from glorifying Caesar too much and making him appear greater than he actually is.
4. The vulgar refers to the common people or the masses. Flavius wants to drive them away because he
sees them as fickle and easily swayed by popular opinion. He wants to prevent them from becoming too
enamored with Caesar and forgetting their loyalty to Rome.

5. The scene reflects the changing fortunes of men in power because it shows how quickly public
opinion can shift. The common people were originally celebrating Caesar’s triumph, but they are quickly
swayed to stop celebrating by Flavius and Marullus. It also indicates the behaviour of the common
people in Rome, who are shown to be easily influenced by those in power and prone to changing their
minds

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Extract I
Caesar: Forget not in your speed, Antonius,
To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say
The barren, touched in this holy chase,
Shake off their sterile curse.
Antony: I shall remember When Caesar says ‘Do this,’ it is performed.
Caesar: Set on, and leave no ceremony out. [Flourish.]
Soothsayer: Caesar!

i) The scene takes place in a public square in Rome. The characters have gone there to celebrate the
Feast of Lupercal, which is a festival dedicated to fertility.

ii) The “Holy chase” is a part of the Feast of Lupercal. Mark Antony and Caesar are assigned to take the
holy chase. The festival is supposed to make sterile women fertile and thus will be able to have children.

iii) Caesar instructed Antony to touch Calpurnia during the holy chase, believing that it would cure her
infertility. This reveals Caesar’s superstitious nature and belief in omens.

iv) (a) “Shake off their sterile curse” means to eliminate the curse of sterility or infertility.

      (b) “Do this, it is perform’d” means that the task must be carried out immediately.

v) Caesar and Antony have a close relationship.

trusts Antony enough to give him the task of touching Calpurnia during the holy chase, and Antony is
also shown to be very loyal to Caesar.

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Extract II.

Soothsayer: Beware the ides of March.

Caesar: What man is that?
Brutus: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
Caesar: Set him before me; let me see his face.
Cassius: Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

i) “Beware the ides of March” is a warning that the soothsayer gives to Caesar, referring to the date of
March 15th. Its significance in the play is that it foreshadows the assassination of Caesar that takes place
on the ides of March.

ii) Caesar’s initial reaction to the soothsayer’s warning is dismissive, as he calls the soothsayer a
“dreamer” and continues on with his day. This reaction shows Caesar’s arrogance and disregard for the
warnings of others.

iii) The soothsayer’s motive in warning Caesar to beware the ides of March may be to prevent a tragedy
and to avoid the suffering that will come from the assassination. The theme revealed through the
soothsayer’s warning and Caesar’s denial of it is the idea of fate and free will, and how individuals must
deal with the consequences of their actions.

iv) Caesar wants the soothsayer to look at him because he believes that the soothsayer can see into the
future and he wants to test his powers. Caesar thinks of the soothsayer as a harmless eccentric who is
not worth taking seriously.

v) Another example of warning about the danger which is in stock for Caesar is the warning that
Artemidorus gives him in Act 2, Scene 3. Artemidorus writes a letter warning Caesar of the conspirators’
plan to assassinate him, but Caesar ignores the warning and is subsequently killed.

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
Extract III.

Cassius: Brutus, I do observe you now of late;

I have not from your eyes that gentleness
And show of love as I was wont to have.
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand 
Over your friend that loves you.
Brutus:  Cassius,
Be not deceived. If I have veiled my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
Of late with passions of some difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself,
Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours;

i) Brutus and Cassius are in a public place in Rome, while Caesar and his entourage are celebrating the
Feast of Lupercal. Cassius observes that Brutus is troubled and distracted.

ii) Brutus does not go along with Caesar to the games because he is preoccupied with his own thoughts
about the state of Rome. He contrasts himself with Caesar, noting that Caesar has become too powerful
and that he himself is not interested in power.

iii) Cassius accuses Brutus of being distant and aloof, and of not revealing his true feelings. Brutus replies
that he is simply introspective and that he does not wear his heart on his sleeve.
iv) (a) “Vexed I am” means that I am angry or irritated.

(b) “Of late with passions of difference” means that Brutus has been experiencing conflicting emotions
and thoughts.

v) Cassius’s motive in professing friendship to Brutus is to gain his support in his plot to assassinate
Caesar. Cassius is a manipulative and ambitious person who is willing to do whatever it takes to gain
power and influence. He sees Brutus as a potential ally because of his reputation for being honorable
and principled.

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Extract IV.

Brutus:  What means this shouting? I do fear the people Choose Caesar for their king.
Cassius: Ay, do you fear it? Then must I think you would not have it so.
Brutus: I would not Cassius; yet I love him well.

i) Brutus and Cassius are in a public place in Rome, where a crowd has gathered. They have come
together to discuss their concerns about Caesar’s growing power and ambition. The shouting is coming
from the crowd, who are celebrating the Feast of Lupercal.

ii) Brutus suggests that the shouting is in honor of Caesar, who has just entered the city. However, the
real reason for the shouting is the festival of Lupercal, which is being celebrated by the people of Rome.

iii) Brutus is afraid that Caesar might become a tyrant if he were to be crowned king. He fears that
Caesar’s ambition and lust for power could lead to the downfall of the Roman Republic. Brutus believes
in the principles of a republican government where power is shared among the people and not
concentrated in one person.

iv) When Brutus says, “I would not Cassius; yet I love him well,” he is experiencing conflicting emotions
of loyalty and duty. He loves Caesar as a friend but also feels that it is his duty to protect the Roman
Republic and prevent Caesar from becoming a tyrant.

v) Cassius convinces Brutus by appealing to his sense of duty to Rome and the republic. He shows him
forged letters, supposedly from citizens of Rome, which express concern about Caesar’s growing power
and ambition. Cassius also suggests that Brutus is a noble and honorable man who should be the one to
lead the conspiracy against Caesar. This ultimately convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy and
assassinate Caesar.

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Extract V.
Cassius : I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
Did I the tired Caesar. And this man

Is now become a god, and Cassius is

A wretched creature and must bend his body
If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.

i.) Aeneas was a legendary hero of Troy, who fled the burning city and traveled to Italy where he
founded a new city that later became Rome. The incident referred to in the extract is the story of how
Aeneas carried his father Anchises on his back while fleeing the burning city of Troy.

ii.) Cassius compared himself to Aeneas because, like Aeneas, he is also a man of action who is willing to
do what it takes to achieve his goals. He sees himself as someone who is willing to shoulder the burden
of leadership, just as Aeneas carried his father on his back.

iii.) “This man” refers to Julius Caesar. Cassius harbors a grudge against Caesar because he believes that
Caesar has become too powerful and is a threat to the Roman Republic. Cassius also resents Caesar’s
success and popularity, which he sees as undeserved.

iv.) Cassius states that he is equal to Caesar in three aspects: he is as brave, he is as strong, and he is as
cunning.

v.) Cassius refers to an incident where he and Caesar were swimming across a river in a dangerous
current. Cassius saved Caesar from drowning, even though Caesar was a stronger swimmer. Cassius
draws the conclusion that Caesar is not as great as he is made out to be and that his success is due to
luck and opportunity rather than his own abilities.

Brutus

A supporter of the republic who believes strongly in a government guided by the votes of senators.
While Brutus loves Caesar as a friend, he opposes the ascension of any single man to the position of
dictator, and he fears that Caesar aspires to such power. Brutus’s inflexible sense of honor makes it easy
for Caesar’s enemies to manipulate him into believing that Caesar must die in order to preserve the
republic. While the other conspirators act out of envy and rivalry, only Brutus truly believes that Caesar’s
death will benefit Rome. Unlike Caesar, Brutus is able to separate completely his public life from his
private life; by giving priority to matters of state, he epitomizes Roman virtue. Torn between his loyalty
to Caesar and his allegiance to the state, Brutus becomes the tragic hero of the play.

Julius Caesar

A great Roman general and senator, recently returned to Rome in triumph after a successful military
campaign. While his good friend Brutus worries that Caesar may aspire to dictatorship over the Roman
republic, Caesar seems to show no such inclination, declining the crown several times. Yet while Caesar
may not be unduly power-hungry, he does possess his share of flaws. He is unable to separate his public
life from his private life, and, seduced by the populace’s increasing idealization and idolization of his
image, he ignores ill omens and threats against his life, believing himself as eternal as the North Star.

Antony
A friend of Caesar. Antony claims allegiance to Brutus and the conspirators after Caesar’s death in order
to save his own life. Later, however, when speaking a funeral oration over Caesar’s body, he
spectacularly persuades the audience to withdraw its support of Brutus and instead condemn him as a
traitor. With tears on his cheeks and Caesar’s will in his hand, Antony engages masterful rhetoric to stir
the crowd to revolt against the conspirators. Antony’s desire to exclude Lepidus from the power that
Antony and Octavius intend to share hints at his own ambitious nature.

Cassius

A talented general and longtime acquaintance of Caesar. Cassius dislikes the fact that Caesar has
become godlike in the eyes of the Romans. He slyly leads Brutus to believe that Caesar has become too
powerful and must die, finally converting Brutus to his cause by sending him forged letters claiming that
the Roman people support the death of Caesar. Impulsive and unscrupulous, Cassius harbors no illusions
about the way the political world works. A shrewd opportunist, he proves successful but lacks integrity.

Portia

Brutus’s wife; the daughter of a noble Roman who took sides against Caesar. Portia, accustomed to
being Brutus’s confidante, is upset to find him so reluctant to speak his mind when she finds him
troubled. Brutus later hears that Portia has killed herself out of grief that Antony and Octavius have
become so powerful.

Calpurnia

Caesar’s wife. Calpurnia invests great authority in omens and portents. She warns Caesar against going
to the Senate on the Ides of March, since she has had terrible nightmares and heard reports of many
bad omens. Nevertheless, Caesar’s ambition ultimately causes him to disregard her advice.

Flavius

A tribune (an official elected by the people to protect their rights). Flavius condemns the plebeians for
their fickleness in cheering Caesar, when once they cheered for Caesar’s enemy Pompey. Flavius is
punished along with Murellus for removing the decorations from Caesar’s statues during Caesar’s
triumphal parade.

Murellus

Like Flavius, a tribune who condemns the plebeians for their fickleness in cheering Caesar, when once
they cheered for Caesar’s enemy Pompey. Murellus and Flavius are punished for removing the
decorations from Caesar’s statues during Caesar’s triumphal parade.