15.              On his arrival at the Senate, Caesar has 30 lines (Act III Scene 1, lines 35-48; 58-73) to speak before Casca strikes his first blow.  Find examples in those lines of:

a.       his pomposity

b.      his vanity

c.       his arrogance

d.      his affectation

e.       his pride

9.                  In his address to the mob in the forum (Act III Scene 2, lines 12-44), Brutus speaks in prose, not blank verse.  His words have been described as “a lecture”.

a.       Show from the speech that Brutus knows he enjoys the respect of Roman citizens.

b.      Show that he believes the crowd is capable of making rational and just decisions.

c.       Show that his speech is based on an appeal to reason and logic.

d.      Show that he is proud of his patriotism and his republicanism.

e.       Show that he wishes to act magnanimously.  Comment on the wisdom of his approach and assumptions.  Do you think it is reasonable to describe him as politically naïve?

6.                  In Act II Scene I, in which Cassius wins over Brutus to the conspiracy, show evidence of

a.       his tact

b.      his ability to strike the right note when making his approach.

c.       His willingness to take a second place when it suits him.

4.                  Antony shows a masterly control over the fickle nature of the common people.

a.       Before Antony ascends to the Public Chair to make his oration, which remark typifies the commoners’ dull-wittedness?

b.      Whereas Brutus’s speech appealed to the intellect, Antony’s is emotional.  He ends his opening remarks by choking back tears.  How do the people react?

c.       Marullus says of the commoners, “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things” (Act I Scene I, line 36).  Antony says, “You are not wood, you are not stones, but men” (Act III Scene I, line 140).  Explain why Antony’s oratorical approach shows a greater understanding of crowd psychology.

d.      Why does Antony mention the will to the crowd , but decline at first to read it?

g.   The commoners forget the will till Antony reminds them of it (line 236).  What does this tell us of their powers of concentration?