ICSE Class 9 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Important Question Answers
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Related:
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Summary, Explanation
- Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Character Sketch
- ICSE Class 9 English Lesson Notes
ICSE Class 9 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 3 Textbook Questions
ASSIGNMENTS
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. How does Casca interpret the nature’s fury of a storm showering fire?
(a) An attempt to punish Caesar
(b) God’s rage with insolent world below
(c) A sign of something strange likely to happen
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b) God’s rage with insolent world below
2. What is meant by ‘prodigies’ in this scene?
(a) Unnatural events
(b) Storms
(c) Fire
(d) Accidents
Ans. (a) Unnatural events
3. Who, according to Cassius, is a source of as much fear as the strange outbreaks of nature?
(a) Antony
(b) Brutus
(c) Casca
(d) Caesar
Ans. (d) Caesar
4. What would Cassius do if Caesar would be crowned as the king?
(a) Leave Rome forever
(b) Start a rebellion against him
(c) Would never go to the Senate
(d) Stab himself with a dagger
Ans. (d) Stab himself with a dagger
5. According to Cassius, Caesar would not have become a ruthless dictator if_________.
(a) Romans were not on the streets to welcome him.
(b) his powers had been curbed earlier.
(c) Romans were not so submissive.
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (c) Romans were not so submissive.
6. How does Cassius interpret the storm in this scene?
(a) He equates it with Caesar.
(b) He equates with his inner turmoil
(c) He contrasts it with his peaceful inner self
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) He equates it with Caesar
7. How would Cassius deliver Cassius from bondage?
(a) By running away from Rome
(b) By inciting himself to rebel
(c) By provoking Brutus to rebel
(d) By committing suicide
Ans. (d) By committing suicide
8. In what condition is Casca in a state of servitude, according to Cassius?
(a) Cheerful
(c) Remorseful
(b) Fearful
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (b) Fearful
9. For whom does Casca say that “he sits high in all the people’s heart”?
(a) Antony
(b) Brutus
(c) Caesar
(d) Cassius
Ans. (b) Brutus
10. How would Brutus’ joining the conspirators change their crime?
(a) It will give them moral support
(b) It will make their group strong
(c) It will convert their crime into a noble act
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) It will convert their crime into a noble act
11. What was the effect of the storm on Cassius in this scene?
(a) It filled him with boldness to become master of his fate
(b) It subdued his confidence and made him restless
(c) It made him overconfident to carry out his conspiracy
(d) None of the above.
Ans. (a) It filled him with boldness to become master of his fate
CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Casca
Are not you mov’d, when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? 0 Cicero,
I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv’d the knotty oaks; and I have seen
The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,
To be exalted with the threatening clouds:
But never till tonight, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
(i) Where is Casca at this time? In what state has he come there? To whom is he speaking?
Ans. Casca is on a street in Rome, likely near the Capitol. He has come from a meeting where Caesar refused the crown, and the sight of a terrible storm has left him breathless, fearful, and agitated. He is speaking to Cicero.
(ii) Give the meaning of the following:
(a) all the sway of earth/ Shakes like a thing unfirm?
Ans. all the sway of earth / Shakes like a thing unfirm: This means that the entire balance and stability of the world are shaking as if they were unstable or not firmly fixed.
(b) The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam, To be exalted with the threatening clouds.
Ans. The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam, To be exalted with the threatening clouds: This means the restless ocean swells up and becomes violent, as if it wants to rise up and meet the threatening clouds above it.
(iii) What are the “scolding winds”? What did they do?
Ans. The ‘scolding winds’ are the strong, raging winds of a storm, described as if they were angry and yelling. They ‘riv’d the knotty oaks’, which means they tore apart the strong, gnarled oak trees.
(iv) What did Casca see which he had never seen in his life earlier? What does he conclude immediately after the extract about the calamities?
Ans. Casca saw a ‘tempest dropping fire’, which he had never seen before. This refers to the lightning that he believes is a fiery rain. Immediately after this extract, he concludes that either there is a civil war in heaven among the gods or that the world has offended the gods, causing them to send destruction.
(v) What is the next day supposed to be? Why will it be a fatal day? Who had warned about that day?
Ans. The next day is supposed to be the Ides of March (March 15th). It will be a fatal day because Caesar is scheduled to go to the Capitol, where the conspirators plan to assassinate him. A soothsayer had earlier warned Caesar to ‘Beware the Ides of March’.
2. Cicero,
Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?
Casca
A common slave – you know him well by sight –
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches join’d; and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remain’d unscorch’d.
(i) Narrate in your own words the “wonderful” sight seen by Casca as given in the extract.
Ans. Casca describes a ‘wonderful’ sight where a common slave held up his left hand, which was on fire and burning like twenty torches combined. Despite the intense flame, the slave’s hand remained unscorched and he did not seem to feel any pain from the fire.
(ii) Besides the sight referred to in (i) above, describe three unnatural sights that Casca narrates after this extract.
Ans. Besides the flaming hand, Casca describes three other unnatural sights he witnessed. First, he met a lion near the Capitol that just stared at him and walked by without attacking. Second, he saw a group of about a hundred terrified women who swore they had seen men on fire walking up and down the streets. Third, he saw an owl, a bird of the night, sitting in the marketplace and hooting and shrieking in broad daylight.
(iii) What does Casca believe about the unnatural events? How is his belief used by Cassius to make him join the conspirators?
Ans. Casca believes these unnatural events are portentous things, meaning they are supernatural omens or warnings from the gods, sent to a specific location or ‘climate’ to foreshadow some great and destructive event. Cassius uses this belief to his advantage. He tells Casca that these strange signs are a warning about a ‘monstrous state’, a term he applies to Caesar’s growing power. By linking the supernatural events to Caesar’s tyranny, Cassius transforms Casca’s fear into a political motivation to fight against Caesar and join the conspiracy.
(iv) In what way is Casca’s belief a contrast to the one expressed by Cicero about these events?
Ans. Casca’s belief is a direct contrast to Cicero’s. Casca sees the events as supernatural omens pointing to a specific political crisis. He interprets them as divine messages of anger and destruction. Cicero, on the other hand, is a rationalist who believes the events are just natural phenomena that people wrongly interpret to suit their own fears and ideas. He thinks people tend to ‘construe things after their fashion’ rather than understanding the true cause of the events themselves.
(v) What impact do these strange things have on Caesar, as well as on the audience?
Ans. These strange events have a significant impact on both Caesar and the audience. For Caesar, the events are meant to be a warning. Although he initially seems to ignore the soothsayer’s warning to ‘Beware the Ides of March’, these public omens create a sense of impending doom that affects him and those around him. For the audience, these prodigies establish a foreboding and supernatural atmosphere. They serve as a powerful dramatic device, building suspense and a sense of great importance around Caesar’s fate. They suggest that the conspiracy is not just a human act of betrayal but a monumental event that is somehow tied to the order of the universe itself.
3. Cassius
I know where I will wear this dagger, then;
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius:
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;
Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;
(i) What were a group of people planning on the following day, which makes Cassius say that he would “wear this dagger, then”? How does Cassius try to prevent that plan from being put into operation?
Ans. The group of people were planning to establish Caesar as a king the following day. When Cassius says he knows where he will wear his dagger, he is implying that he will kill himself rather than live under Caesar’s tyranny. By committing suicide, he believes he can prevent this plan from enslaving him personally. He also plans to actively prevent it by leading a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar.
(ii) Why did Cassius say earlier that the Romans now do not have manly courage?
Ans. Cassius says that the Romans no longer have manly courage because they have become submissive and weak, allowing a man like Caesar to become a tyrant. He feels that while they have the same physical build as their ancestors, their spirits are cowardly, like ‘our mothers’ spirits’, which allows them to be ruled and controlled.
(iii) Give the meaning of the following:
(a) Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius
Ans. Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius: This means that Cassius will free himself from a life of political slavery or oppression by killing himself.
(b) Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat.
Ans. Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat: This means that through the power to take one’s own life, the gods provide a way for people to defeat tyrants, because no tyrant can truly control a person who is willing to die for freedom.
(iv) What does Cassius say about the “strength of the spirit” in the extract?
Ans. Cassius says that the ‘strength of the spirit’ is indomitable and cannot be held captive by any physical restraint. He lists ‘stony tower’, ‘walls of beaten brass’, ‘airless dungeon’, and ‘strong links of iron’ to emphasize that no prison or chain can hold a person’s will to be free. A person’s spirit is always free to dismiss itself from life.
(v) How does Cassius show in the extract that he is a zealous lover of freedom
and democracy?
Ans. Cassius shows his zealous love for freedom and democracy by his absolute rejection of tyranny. He is willing to take his own life rather than live as a slave under a king. He sees the act of suicide as the ultimate display of freedom, a way to escape any form of physical or political ‘bondage’. His words demonstrate his belief that freedom is a fundamental human right, and he would rather die than see it lost.
4. Cassius
And why should Caesar be a tyrant, then?
Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep;
He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws; what trash is Rome,
What rubbish, and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
So vile a thing as Caesar!
(i) Who is referred to as a “poor man”? On what condition he would not have been a wolf or a lion?
Ans. Caesar is the ‘poor man’ referred to. He would not have been a wolf or a lion if the Romans were not so submissive, acting like sheep and defenseless deer ‘hinds’.
(ii) Explain how the sentence “Those that… weak straws” refers to Caesar. In what way is Caesar “vile” in the eyes of Cassius?
Ans. The sentence ‘Those that with haste will make a mighty fire / Begin it with weak straws’ means that to create a huge fire quickly, one must start with small, insignificant things. This refers to Caesar in that his tyrannical rise to power was made possible only by the weakness and lack of resistance from the Roman people. Caesar is ‘vile’ to Cassius because he is a person of low character, but he is being elevated to a position of immense power by the people’s worthlessness.
(iii) Does Cassius blame Caesar or Rome? Give three reasons given by him for the greatness of Caesar at this time.
Ans. Cassius blames Rome more than he blames Caesar. According to him, Caesar’s greatness is a result of the Romans’ own faults. The three reasons he gives are that the Romans are like sheep and hinds, making them an easy target for a predator like Caesar. They are trash, rubbish, and offal, which serve as the base matter to elevate someone as vile as Caesar. Their submissiveness and lack of resistance allowed Caesar to become a dictator.
(iv) What does Casca extend to Cassius as a sign of fellowship? What does he say he is willing to do?
Ans. Casca extends his hand to Cassius as a sign of fellowship and a bargain. He says he is willing to go as far as anyone else in the conspiracy, declaring, ‘I will set this foot of mine as far / As who goes farthest’.
(v) What appointment must Cassius and Casca keep later that night? Where will these friends meet? What will be the purpose of their meeting?
Ans. Cassius and Casca must keep an appointment later that night to meet with the other conspirators. Their friends will meet at Pompey’s porch at the theatre. The purpose of their meeting is to finalize their plan for the conspiracy against Caesar and ensure all members are ready for the enterprise.
5. Cinna
I am glad on’t. What a fearful night is this!
There’s two or three of us have seen strange sights.
Cassius
Am I not stay’d for? Tell me.
Cinna
Yes, you are. O Cassius, if you could
But win the noble Brutus to our party-
Cassius
Be you content: Good Cinna, take this paper…
(i) Where are Cinna and Cassius at this juncture? Who else was with them? Why?
Ans. At this point, Cinna and Cassius are on a street in Rome. Casca is also with them. He was with Cassius to discuss the storm’s omens and to be convinced to join the conspiracy against Caesar.
(ii) Why does Cinna say, “I am glad on’t”? Why was he here?
Ans. Cinna says, ‘I am glad on’t’ because he’s happy to have found Cassius. He was there specifically to find Cassius and tell him that the other conspirators were waiting for him.
(iii) Earlier in this scene, which other person describes the “fearful night”? Mention two “strange sights” this person had seen.
Ans. Earlier in the scene, Casca describes the ‘fearful night’ and the strange sights. Two of the strange sights he had seen were a common slave whose hand flamed and burned without being harmed, and a lion that just stared at him and walked by near the Capitol.
(iv) Explain “stay’d for”. Point out clearly why Cassius asks the question: “Am I not stay’d for”?
Ans. ‘Stay’d for’ means ‘being waited for’. Cassius asks this question to confirm his suspicion that the other conspirators are already gathered and waiting for his arrival. He wants to know if he is still the key person they are waiting for to begin their final planning.
(v) Why was Cinna eager for Brutus to join their party? What does Cassius have in mind when he says, “Be you content”? What does he now instruct Cinna to do in connection with Brutus?
Ans. Cinna was eager for Brutus to join their party because Brutus was highly respected and held a high position in the people’s hearts. His involvement would legitimize their conspiracy and make their crime seem like a noble act. When Cassius says, ‘Be you content’, he means ‘Don’t worry’, assuring Cinna that he has already thought of a plan to win Brutus over. He then instructs Cinna to take a paper and place it in different locations where Brutus will surely find them, such as in the praetor’s chair, at his window, and on old Brutus’s statue. The goal is to flatter Brutus and persuade him to join their cause.
TEST AND EVALUATION
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Cassius
Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man
Most like this dreadful night,
That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
As doth the lion in the Capitol,
A man no mightier than thyself or me
In personal action; yet prodigious grown,
And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.
(i) Who is the man “Most like this dreadful night”? Why does Cassius speak of the man by comparing him to the lion? (3)
Ans. The man ‘Most like this dreadful night’ is Caesar. Cassius compares him to the lion because just as the lion in the Capitol is a strange, fearful sight, so too has Caesar become a monstrous and dangerous figure. Caesar’s power and actions are as unpredictable and terrifying as the storm and the roaring lion.
(ii) How does Cassius describe the night? What does he say he has done on such a night? (3)
Ans. Cassius describes the night as perilous and dreadful. He says he has walked about the streets with his chest exposed to the thunder and lightning. He did this to show his defiance and courage, proving that he is not afraid of the heavens’ warnings or of the power they represent.
(iii) How does Cassius interpret the unnatural occurrences in nature? (3)
Ans. Cassius interprets the unnatural occurrences in nature as warnings from the gods that are meant to alert people to a monstrous state. He believes the heavens have made these strange things happen to be instruments of fear and warning against the growing power and tyranny of Caesar.
(iv) Give the meaning of:
In person action; yet prodigious grown,
And fearful, as these strange eruptions are. (3)
Ans. ‘In personal action; yet prodigious grown, and fearful, as these strange eruptions are’ means that the man is not personally stronger or more capable than Cassius or Casca. However, he has grown unnaturally and terrifyingly powerful, just like the strange and monstrous events of the storm.
(v) Give two incidents given by Cassius earlier in the play to show that the man referred to in the extract was “no mightier than thyself or me”. (4)
Ans. Earlier in the play, in Act 1, Scene 2, Cassius gives two incidents to show that Caesar is not as mighty as he seems. First, he recalls when he and Caesar were swimming in the Tiber River. Caesar grew weak and cried out for help, saying, ‘Help me, Cassius, or I sink!’ Cassius had to save him. Second, he mentions a time when Caesar suffered from a fever in Spain. Caesar’s lips trembled and he did shake with the sickness, proving that his body was not invincible. These moments showed Cassius that Caesar has a fragile and weak physical nature, just like any other man.
2. Cassius
Be you content: Good Cinna, take this paper,
And look you lay it in the praetor’s chair,
Where Brutus may but find it; and throw this
In at his window; set this up with wax
Upon old Brutus’ statue: all this done,
Repair to Pompey’s porch, where you shall find us.
(i) To whom does Cassius address these words? Why does he say, “Be you content”? (3)
Ans. Cassius addresses these words to Cinna. He says, ‘Be you content’ meaning ‘don’t you worry’ to reassure Cinna that he has a plan to win over Brutus, whom Cinna had just expressed a desire to have in their party.
(ii) What paper is referred to? At whose window is it to be thrown in? What impact would the paper have on the recipient? (3)
Ans. The paper refers to a letter written by Cassius that is full of flattery, praising Brutus and suggesting that Rome needs him to rise up against Caesar. It is to be thrown into Brutus’s window. The paper is intended to convince Brutus that the people of Rome are looking to him to take action against Caesar, thereby appealing to his sense of honor and duty.
(iii) Who is ‘old Brutus’? Why is he famous in Rome? How did Decius Brutus take pride in his heritage? (3)
Ans. Old Brutus refers to Lucius Junius Brutus, a famous ancestor of Marcus Brutus. He is famous in Rome for expelling the last Roman king, Tarquin, and founding the Roman Republic. Decius Brutus (another conspirator) took pride in his heritage by acting as a close confidant of Caesar and manipulating him into going to the Senate on the Ides of March, thereby fulfilling a role similar to his famous ancestor who overthrew a tyrant.
(iv) Why should Cinna go to Pompey’s porch? Name four people who are likely to be there.(3)
Ans. Cinna should go to Pompey’s porch because the other conspirators have gathered there to wait for Cassius. Four people who are likely to be there are Decius Brutus, Trebonius, Metellus Cimber, and Casca, who is currently with Cassius but will join them.
(v) Why will Brutus be of importance on the next morning according to Casca and Cassius? (4)
Ans. According to Casca and Cassius, Brutus will be of importance the next morning because of his high reputation and virtue. They believe that if he joins the conspiracy, his involvement will make their planned assassination of Caesar look like a noble act rather than a criminal offense. Casca even compares Brutus’s influence to ‘richest alchemy’, suggesting that his presence will transform their crime into something virtuous and worthy.
ICSE Class 9 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 2 Extra Questions and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. How does Casca initially interpret the storm and the strange occurrences?
A. He believes they are punishments for Caesar’s ambition.
B. He sees them as natural events that have no deeper meaning.
C. He thinks they are signs of civil strife in heaven or a punishment from the gods.
D. He believes they are a test of courage for honest Romans.
Ans. C. He thinks they are signs of civil strife in heaven or a punishment from the gods.
Q2. What does Cassius equate the “dreadful night” with?
A. The inner turmoil of the Roman people.
B. His own plan to overthrow Caesar.
C. The tyrannical power and monstrous nature of Caesar.
D. The impending doom of the entire Roman state.
Ans. C. The tyrannical power and monstrous nature of Caesar.
Q3. Which of the following is NOT one of the strange sights Casca describes?
A. An owl hooting in the marketplace at noon.
B. A lion walking by him near the Capitol without attacking.
C. A slave with a hand that burns like a torch but is not scorched.
D. A wolf that gives birth to a human child.
Ans. D. A wolf that gives birth to a human child.
Q4. Why does Cassius claim that he would rather kill himself than live under Caesar’s rule?
A. He is afraid of being arrested by Caesar’s guards.
B. He believes it is the ultimate way to escape bondage and defeat a tyrant.
C. He thinks it will inspire others to rise up against Caesar.
D. He wants to show the gods that he is not a coward.
Ans. B. He believes it is the ultimate way to escape bondage and defeat a tyrant.
Q5. Who does Cassius say is “no mightier than thyself or me” but has become “prodigious grown”?
A. Antony
B. Pompey
C. Brutus
D. Caesar
Ans. D. Caesar
Q6. According to Cassius, why has Caesar been able to become so powerful?
A. He has the support of the Roman Senate.
B. He has a secret army loyal only to him.
C. The Roman people have become weak and submissive, like sheep.
D. He has made an alliance with foreign kings.
Ans. C. The Roman people have become weak and submissive, like sheep.
Q7. What does Cassius give Cinna to deliver to Brutus?
A. A message for Brutus to join them immediately.
B. A paper to place in various locations to flatter Brutus.
C. A dagger for Brutus to use against Caesar.
D. Money to bribe Brutus into joining the conspiracy.
Ans. B. A paper to place in various locations to flatter Brutus.
Q8. Where are the conspirators meeting?
A. In Caesar’s house.
B. At the Capitol.
C. In Pompey’s porch.
D. Outside the Roman Forum.
Ans. C. In Pompey’s porch.
Q9. Why do the conspirators want to recruit Brutus?
A. He is a skilled fighter and military leader.
B. He is related to Caesar and can get them close to him.
C. His noble reputation will turn their offense into a virtuous act.
D. He is the richest man in Rome and can fund their rebellion.
Ans. C. His noble reputation will turn their offense into a virtuous act.
Q10. What does Casca do to show his commitment to joining Cassius’s conspiracy?
A. He pledges a public oath in the marketplace.
B. He draws his sword and declares his loyalty.
C. He gives Cassius his hand as a sign of their bargain.
D. He promises to recruit more senators to their side.
Ans. C. He gives Cassius his hand as a sign of their bargain.
Extract Based Questions
Answer the following extract-based questions.
A.
CASSIUS-Am I not stay’d for? tell me
CINNA – Yes, you are,
O Cassius, if you could
But win the noble Brutus to our party
Q1. What does Cassius give Cinna after the extract? What task does Cassius assign to Cinna?
Ans. After the extract, Cassius gives Cinna a paper with letters written on it. He assigns Cinna the task of placing these letters in various places where Brutus will find them. Specifically, Cinna must put one in the praetor’s chair, throw one in Brutus’s window, and use wax to set one on an old statue of Brutus.
Q2. Where is Cinna to go after completing the task? How is Casius confident about Brutus joining the conspiracy?
Ans. After completing the task, Cinna is to go to Pompey’s porch, where the other conspirators are waiting. Cassius is confident about Brutus joining because he believes they already have ‘three parts of him’ convinced, and the letters will secure his full commitment.
Q3. Why is Casca also keen on Brutus joining the conspiracy?
Ans. Casca is keen on Brutus joining the conspiracy because Brutus sits high in all the people’s hearts. Casca believes that Brutus’s good reputation will change their offense (the assassination) into a virtue and to worthiness, making their actions seem noble and justified to the public.
Q4. What does Cassius hope for at the end of the scene? Who has Cassius been able to influence so far? What is their common aim?
Ans. At the end of the scene, Cassius hopes to win Brutus over completely before daybreak. So far, Cassius has been able to influence Casca and Cinna, and others are already waiting for him. Their common aim is to assassinate Caesar to prevent him from becoming a king and a tyrant over Rome.
Q5. What time of night is it? Who are they to awaken?
Ans. It is after midnight. They are to awaken Brutus at his house. Cassius and Casca know that Brutus holds a special place in the hearts of the Roman people. His public image and reputation are so strong that if he were to join their cause, the conspirators’ crime of assassinating Caesar would be seen as a righteous and noble act, not a betrayal. The conspirators, therefore, need Brutus to give their planned action an air of legitimacy. They believe that with Brutus on their side, they can justify their actions to the public and avoid appearing as a mere group of jealous traitors.
B.
CICERO
Good even, Caeser; brought you Caesar home?
Why are you breathless ? And why stare you so?
CASCA
Are not you mov’d when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv’d the knotty oaks; and I have seen
The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,
To be exalted with the threatening clouds;
Q1 Who enters the stage apart from Casca at the start of the scene? What question does he ask Casca?
Ans. At the start of the scene, Cicero enters the stage with Casca. He asks Casca if he brought Caesar home and questions why he is so breathless and staring wildly. Cicero’s question is direct and shows his concern for Casca’s strange state.
Q2. What kind of tempest does Casca say that he had seen before? How were they different from the current tempest?
Ans. Casca says he had seen tempests before where strong winds tore up oak trees and the ocean raged. These storms were different because the current one is ‘dropping fire’, which he had never witnessed before. This new storm feels supernatural and terrifying to him.
Q3. What is the first wonderful sight that Casca describes? What was its effect on him?
Ans. The first wonderful sight Casca describes is a slave holding up his hand, which was on fire and burning ‘like twenty torches joined’. The amazing part was that the slave’s hand did not feel the fire and remained completely unscorched. This sight deeply unnerves Casca.
Q4. What are the two questions asked by Casca to Cassius when they meet? What response does Cassius give?
Ans. When Casca and Cassius meet, Casca asks, ‘what night is this!’ and ‘Who ever knew the heavens menace so?’ Cassius responds by saying it’s a ‘very pleasing night to honest men’, meaning he sees the storm as a good sign for those who oppose Caesar’s tyranny.
Q5. What information does Casca give Cassius about the senators’ plan? What precautions were they taking? Why? What would Cassius do if Caesar became the king?
Ans. Casca tells Cassius that the senators plan to establish Caesar as king the next day. They were being cautious by making him king everywhere except in Italy. This was to appease the Roman people, who had a strong tradition against kings. Upon hearing this, Cassius says he knows where he will wear his dagger, meaning he will kill himself rather than live under Caesar’s rule. This shows his deep commitment to freedom and his hatred of tyranny.