Caesar Adjective Quiz
Brutus: A. Brutus is patriotic. To be patriotic a person must feel love and duty toward their country. Brutus after reading the letter Lucius had found he says "Oh, Rome, I make thee promise If the redress will follow, thou receivest Thy full petition at the hands of Brutus" (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 56-58). Also during his explanatory speech after killing Caesar he says to the people “Not that I love Caesar less but that I loved Rome more" (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 21-22). Brutus is patriotic because he loves his country more than a friend and promises to receive his country justice in his own hands. B. Brutus is honorable. An honorable person is a person with a reputation for having, strong moral and ethical principles. Brutus himself claims, "I love the name of honor more than I fear death"( Act 1, Scene 1, Line 88-89) and Casca then says, "Oh he sits high in all the people's hearts" ( Act 1, Scene 3, Lines157). Brutus is honorable because he sits high in the people’s hearts and he says he loves honor more than death.
Caesar: A. Caesar is sick/ill. I would say he is ill because to be ill a person must have a disease or sickness. After Caesar was offered the crown, he declined it and “he fell down in the market place, and foamed at the mouth, and was speechless”; “Tis very like he hath the falling-sickness” (Casca and Brutus, Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 252-54). These actions and dialogues show that Caesar is ill. B. Caesar is haughty/conceited. I would say he is conceited because a conceited person is a person who is having or showing an excessively high opinion of their own qualities or abilities. Metellus begs for the repealing of his banished brother, and Caesar responds, “"If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him I spurn thee like a cur out of my way" (Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 46-47). Caesar also elevates himself to the status of Gods by his comparison to Mount Olympus and how he wouldn’t budge (Literature in Context pg.863). Caesar is conceited because he said he would kick Metellus out like a dog, and his own comparison to Olympus.
Cassius: A. Cassius is diplomatic/tactful. I would say he is tactful because to be tactful a person must show skill in dealing with people. "I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus ...There was a Brutus once that would have brooked th’eternal devil to keep his state in Rome as easily as a king" and Casca being drawn into the conspiracy, ( Act 1, Scene 3, Lines115-119) show how tactful he is. He is tactful because he convinced and persuaded people and an honorable man like Brutus to commit a murder. B. Cassius is unscrupulous/dishonest. To be dishonest means to deceive or trick people. Cassius throws letters into Brutus's window. (Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 142-145), and says "Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I seeThy honorable metal may be wrought from that it is disposed" (Act 1, Scene2, Lines 306-20). Cassius is dishonest because he deceives Brutus to become part of the conspirators and to kill Caesar.
Portia: A. Portia is curious/caring. Caring is to be thoughtful and worried about a loved one. Portia says “Nor for yours neither. Y' have urgently, Brutus, Stole from my bed. And yester night, at supper, You suddenly arose and walked about, Musing and sighing, with your arms across, And when I asked you what the matter was, You stared upon me with ungentle looks”(Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 235-42) and “Is Brutus sick, and is it physical to walk unbraced and suck up the humors of the dank morning? (Act 2, Scene1, Lines 261-64). Portia is caring because she asks Brutus why he left early in the morning and if he is sick. B. Portia is desperate. To be desperate you must do anything to get what you want. Portia says “Think you I am no stronger than my sex, being so fathered and so husbanded? ... Giving myself a voluntary wound here in the thigh; can I bear that with patience, and not my husband’s secrets.” (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 296-300). Portia is desperate because she stabs herself showing that she can bear the truth behind Brutus’s actions.
Man vs. Man Brutus: Brutus after murdering his friend Caesar gives a speech to explain to the people of Rome the reason for his death. Antony follows him with a speech hinting that Caesar’s death was a mistake but since Brutus is honorable it is fine. Brutus wishes that the people see it from his perspective and the thought of saving the country before future corruption. (Hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe, Act 3, Scene 1).
Man vs. Man Caesar:
Caesar has a group of men (conspirators) plotting his death. They succeed in his death. One of the men was his best friend Brutus. (CASCA and the other conspirators stab CAESAR, BRUTUS stabs him last, Act 3, Scene 1)
Man vs. Man Portia:
Not physically being a man she goes against her own husband Brutus, who hides the plan of Caesar’s death. This causes his caring wife to become desperate to know, and proves it by stabbing herself. (... Giving myself a voluntary wound here in the thigh; can I bear that with patience, and not my husband’s secrets.” (Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 296-300).
Man vs. Man Cassius:
Cassius was being noticed by Caesar for questioning him. Caesar becomes concerned of Cassius and informs Antony about him as well. Cassius is left to prevent anything to happen to him so he forms a plan to kill Caesar, with the help of conspirators; group of convinced murderers, (That Cassius over there has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much. Men like him are dangerous.
Man vs. Self Brutus:
Brutus over thinks the idea of killing his friend Caesar and causes his wife to become worried from the stress of the decision. Brutus finally chooses to kill Caesar for the sake of his beloved country Rome. Compares Caesar to a snake that is yet to hatch, and when hatched will cause chaos, (Brutus’s soliloquy Act 2, Scene 1).
Man vs. Self Portia:
Portia becomes frustrated with herself for not having the trust Brutus needs to tell her anything. She proves herself by stabbing herself in the thigh without flinching. Says “Giving myself a voluntary wound here in the thigh; can I bear that with patience, and not my husband’s secrets.” (Act 2, Scene 1)
Man vs. Self Cassius:
Cassius believes Caesar shouldn’t take the throne of being King of Rome. So he forms a group of trusted men that are willing to kill Caesar. But for the plan to work, he needs to convince an honorable man, Brutus. After persuading Brutus that Rome will be corrupt with Caesar at the throne he accepts. Caesar is later killed at an assembly. (Act 1, Scene 3).
Man vs. Self Caesar:
Caesar has a falling- sickness (epilepsy) and has a seizure in front of all the people of Rome. With this sickness, his carelessness to know what is going on behind his back, who are the back stabbers are (literally) or who he should trust, Caesar is killing himself. (Throughout the Play)
Theme: Friends vs. Enemies I believe that the overall them from Act 1 to Act 3 is friends vs. enemies. Caesar is unaware of who his real friends or enemies are, and this causes his death. One of his closest friends, Brutus, end up stabbing him in the back (literally). Antony is the only known loyal friend to Caesar even after his death, he finds proof of the conspirators ‘careless decision.