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The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Act III + IV
Notes
Caesar’s Fatal • Ignores soothsayer (2Xs)
Mistakes • Overrules Calphurnia’s fears (goes to Capitol)
• Ignores Artemidorus’ note

False Friends • Brutus


• Cassius and conspirators
• Antony

Roles in • Cassius = assembles conspirators; convinces Brutus


Murder • Brutus = becomes leader; makes final decisions
• Decius = convinces Caesar to go to Capitol
• Trebonius = distracts Antony
• Metellus Cimber = distracts Caesar
• Casca = stabs Caesar first
Brutus’ • Not swearing an oath = Artemidorus and Popilius know
Mistakes: • Not killing Antony
• Letting Antony speak
• Letting Antony speak last
• Leaving while Antony speaks

Symbolic Irony • Falls at base of Pompey’s statue = violence begets violence


in Caesar’s
Death:

Brutus’ • Loved Rome more (had Rome’s best interest)


Reasons: • Ensured their freedom from imminent slavery
• Caesar was too ambitious

Antony’s Disproves Caesar’s Ambition:


Argument: • economically helped Rome ($ for P.O.W.s)
• sympathetic to the people
• refused crown
Roman People: Fickle:
(persuaded by…)
• Marullus and Flavius
• Brutus
• Antony

Ruthless:
• Attacking Cinna the poet

The Will: • Money


• Land

Triumvirates: Original:
• Pompey, Caesar, Crassus
New:
• Antony, Octavius, Lepidus
Persuasive Terms:
• attitude speaker takes toward a subject
▫ Tone
• statement identifying the issue and expressing an
opinion about it
▫ Assertion
• an argument made based on anticipation of the
opposing side
▫ Counterargument
• how a cause and effect relationship supports the
speaker’s point
▫ Causation
• Citing an expert on a subject to support a point
▫ Appeal to authority
• use of examples or language that appeals to the
audience’s emotional needs and values
▫ Appeal to emotion
• gives facts, statistics and examples that appeal to
the listener’s minds
▫ Appeal to logic
• challenger attacks the person him/herself rather
than the person’s position or argument
▫ Ad Hominem
External • Antony – Octavius vs. Lepidus = cut him out
Conflicts • Brutus vs. Cassius = honor and friendship
• Antony – Octavius vs. Brutus - Cassius = civil war

Shady • Antony and the will


Dealings • Disposing of Lepidus
• Taking bribes

Hidden • Power
Motivations • Greed
Arguments: Brutus vs. Cassius
• Brutus made Cassius look bad by disgracing Cassius’ man
• Cassius’ alleged bribe-taking
• Cassius’ refusal to send Brutus money to pay troops

Insults: • Lepidus – an ass


• Cassius – an itching palm
• Cassius – an elder and abler soldier
• Cassius – called a “madman”

Violent • Caesar
Outcomes • Cinna the poet
• Lepidus’ brother
• Antony’s nephew
• 70-100 senators
• Cicero
• Portia

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