JULIUS CAESAR: ACT 4, SCENES 1-3
Questions to Consider:
ACT 4, SCENE 1:
1) What are Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus doing at the opening of the scene?
2) Why do they want Caesar’s will? What is ironic about this?
3) When Lepidus leaves the scene, what do Octavius and Antony talk about (in relation to Lepidus?)
ACT 4, SCENE 2:
1) How does Brutus feel about the fact that Cassius has sent an officer to greet Brutus instead of coming himself?
2) When Cassius comes on scene, what does he immediately start doing? Why does Brutus want him to stop?
What does he suggest they do?
ACT 4, SCENE 3:
1) What does Brutus think Cassius has been doing? How does Cassius respond to the accusation (lines 1-32)?
2) Cassius becomes enraged at Brutus in lines 35-64; how does Brutus respond to his threats (lines 65-81)?
3) In lines 93-107, Cassius becomes distraught in thinking that Brutus thinks poorly of him. What does he
threaten to do? How does Brutus react to it (lines 107-113)?
4) Just as Brutus and Cassius begin to reconcile, who comes on scene? What advice does this person give to
the men? What is their reaction to it? Why would Shakespeare include this brief interchange at this
particular moment?
5) On page 1163-1164, Brutus tells Cassius that someone has died? Who is this person? How did this person
die? [note: disregard lines 181-195 on page 1165; Shakespeare intended to take this part out! It’s about the
person who died on page 1163 ]
6) What do Cassius and Brutus learn from Messala on page 1164?
7) On page 1165-1166, Brutus thinks it is a good idea to march to Philippi and confront Antony’s army.
Cassius, however, does not think it’s a good idea. Why does Brutus want to go? Why does Cassius not
want to? Whose plan do they end up going with?
8) After all the men depart, Brutus settles down for the night. Once his men fall asleep around him, he begins
reading a book. Who comes on scene at the bottom of page 1167 and interrupts his reading? What is his
initial reaction? How does his state of mind seem to change on page 1168?
9) What news does Brutus bid Claudius tell Cassius at the end of the scene?
