ICSE Class 10 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 3 Important Question Answers
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Related:
- Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 3 Summary, Explanation
- Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 3 Character Sketch
- ICSE Class 10 English Lesson Notes
ICSE Class 10 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 3 Textbook Questions
ASSIGNMENTS
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What did Cinna the poet dream about?
(a) Fighting with Caesar
(b) Reading poetry with Caesar
(c) Feasting with Caesar
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) Feasting with Caesar
2. What seemed to be an honour to Cinna now is a
(a) dream
(b) frightening situation
(c) difficulty
(d) insult
Ans. (b) frightening situation
3. What purpose does this scene serve?
(a) It highlights the effect of Antony’s speech
(b) It signifies the love of the common man for Caesar
(c) It highlights Antony’s speech
(d) All of the above.
Ans. (d) All of the above.
4. According to a citizen, Cinna’s reply that he was a bachelor, tantamount to saying
(a) Only bachelors are trustworthy
(b) Those who marry are fools
(c) Those who are bachelors are fools
(d) None of the above
Ans. (b) Those who marry are fools
5. Cinna was lynched by the mob because he had
(a) brutality as Cinna, the conspirator
(b) grudge against the conspirators
(c) same name as Cinna the conspirator
(d) None of the above
Ans. (c) same name as Cinna the conspirator
CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Cinna
I dreamt tonight that I did feast with Caesar,
And things unluckily charge my fantasy.
I have no will to wander forth of doors,
Yet something leads me forth.
(i) Who was Cinna? Why did he wander forth? What did he dream that night?
Ans. Cinna was a poet, not to be confused with Cinna the conspirator who assassinated Caesar. Despite a feeling of dread, he wandered forth because ‘something leads me forth’, suggesting a force beyond his control was compelling him to leave his home. That night, he dreamt that he had feasted with Caesar.
(ii) What is meant by: “things unluckily charge my fantasy”? What do you find ironical in this statement of Cinna?
Ans. The phrase ‘things unluckily charge my fantasy’ means that unlucky or ill-omened things fill his imagination and thoughts. The irony lies in the fact that Cinna’s dream of feasting with Caesar, which might have once been a pleasant thought, is now interpreted as a sign of bad luck. This highlights how the atmosphere in Rome after Caesar’s death has turned a once-neutral or positive act into a cause for fear.
(iii) Why had Cinna no will to go about? What does the extract show about the superstitious attitude of the Elizabethan age?
Ans. Cinna had no will to go about because his dream of feasting with Caesar and his general sense of unease made him feel that something unlucky was about to happen. This reluctance to act on his own will and his belief in the foreboding nature of his dream shows a superstitious attitude common in the Elizabethan age. During this period, people often believed in omens, dreams, and supernatural signs as indicators of future events, both good and bad.
(iv) What type of questions did the mob ask him? What did he tell them?
Ans. The mob’s questions were direct and accusatory. They asked him: ‘What is your name? Whither are you going? Where do you dwell? Are you a married man or a bachelor?’ In his frantic attempt to answer, Cinna told them his name was Cinna, that he was going to Caesar’s funeral, and that he lived by the Capitol. He also stated that he was a bachelor.
(v) How far has Shakespeare portrayed a frenzied mob in this scene?
Ans. Shakespeare masterfully portrays a frenzied mob in this scene by showing their descent from curiosity into irrational violence. Their initial questions, though aggressive, are somewhat logical. However, as soon as they hear the name ‘Cinna’, they completely abandon reason. The mob acts as a single, bloodthirsty entity, ignoring Cinna’s pleas and valid arguments. Their willingness to kill a man for his name alone or even for ‘bad verses’, demonstrates the complete loss of logic and the overwhelming power of collective rage. . This depiction serves as a powerful warning against the dangers of mob rule.Ans.
2. Cinna
What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell?
Am I a married man or a bachelor? Then, to answer every
man directly and briefly, wisely and truly: wisely I say,
I am a bachelor.
Second Citizen
That’s as much as to say, they are fools that marry; you’ll
bear me a bang for that, I fear.
Proceed; directly.
Cinna
Directly, I am going to Caesar’s funeral.
(i) Who asks Cinna so many questions? What has just happened that makes them confused and irrational?
Ans. A mob of Plebeians, or common citizens, asks Cinna so many questions. They have just been incited by Mark Antony’s passionate funeral oration for Caesar, which turned them against the conspirators. This speech, along with the recent assassination of a beloved leader, has made them confused, emotional, and irrational.
(ii) When Cinna says he is a bachelor, the Second Citizen concludes: “they are fools that marry.” Why is this conclusion not logical?
Ans. The Second Citizen’s conclusion is not logical because he is misinterpreting Cinna’s simple statement. Cinna is merely answering the question, ‘Are you a married man or a bachelor?’ by stating a fact about his own life. The citizen, however, is so filled with suspicion and a desire for conflict that he twists this simple statement into a judgmental insult against married people. This highlights the mob’s tendency to find offense where none exists.
(iii) Why was it unfortunate for the man to have Cinna as his name? How did the citizens deal with him?
Ans. It was extremely unfortunate for the man to have the name Cinna because it was the same name as one of the conspirators who assassinated Caesar. The citizens, in their blind rage, did not care about his identity as a poet. They dealt with him by brutally attacking and killing him for his name alone, mistaking him for the traitor.
(iv) What does this scene tell us about the events to follow?
Ans. This scene tells us that the chaos set in motion by Caesar’s death and Antony’s speech will lead to further violence and bloodshed. It shows that the city is no longer safe and that people’s lives are at risk from a vengeful mob. The brutal lynching of an innocent man foreshadows the civil war and general anarchy that will follow, proving that the conspirators’ actions did not bring peace, but instead unleashed a destructive force.
(v) What is the significance of this short scene in the play? What purpose does it serve, dramatically?
Ans. This short scene is significant because it serves as a powerful microcosm of the play’s central themes of mob mentality and political chaos. Dramatically, its purpose is to show the immediate, tragic consequences of Antony’s rhetoric. It acts as a horrifying, visceral climax to the funeral scene, illustrating that the mob’s fury is not just talk; it is real and deadly. The scene also highlights the irony of Cinna the poet’s death, a man of words and art is destroyed by a mob acting on the destructive power of other people’s words. The scene provides a chilling confirmation that reason and justice have vanished from Rome.
ICSE Class 10 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 3 Extra Questions and Answers
Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. Why is Cinna the poet going out of doors at the beginning of the scene?
A. He is going to visit the conspirators.
B. He is going to pay his respects to Caesar’s body.
C. He feels a strange sense of foreboding but is compelled to go out.
D. He is meeting a friend for dinner.
Ans. C. He feels a strange sense of foreboding but is compelled to go out.
Q2. What does Cinna the poet dream about that makes him feel uneasy?
A. He dreams of a great storm.
B. He dreams of feasting with Caesar.
C. He dreams he is crowned king.
D. He dreams he is being chased by a lion.
Ans. B. He dreams of feasting with Caesar.
Q3. What is the first question the Plebeians ask Cinna?
A. Where does he dwell?
B. What is his name?
C. Is he a married man or a bachelor?
D. Where is he going?
Ans. B. What is his name?
Q4. How does the Second Plebeian react to Cinna’s answer that he is a bachelor?
A. He praises Cinna for being wise.
B. He gets angry, suggesting Cinna is calling married men fools.
C. He laughs and says he is also a bachelor.
D. He asks Cinna for relationship advice.
Ans. B. He gets angry, suggesting Cinna is calling married men fools.
Q5. Why does the mob attack Cinna?
A. They believe he is a friend of Caesar.
B. They dislike his poetry.
C. They mistake him for Cinna the conspirator.
D. He insults them by refusing to answer their questions.
Ans. C. They mistake him for Cinna the conspirator.
Q6. What is Cinna the poet’s final plea to the mob?
A. “I am Cinna the poet! I am not the conspirator!”
B. “I am going to Caesar’s funeral as a friend!”
C. “I live by the Capitol!”
D. “Tear me for my bad verses, not for my name!”
Ans. A. “I am Cinna the poet! I am not the conspirator!”
Q7. What reason does the Fourth Plebeian give for wanting to tear Cinna to pieces, besides his name?
A. He is a supporter of Brutus.
B. He has a shifty look in his eyes.
C. He has bad verses.
D. He is a coward.
Ans. C. He has bad verses.
Q8. What does the scene with Cinna the poet best demonstrate about the mob?
A. Their respect for poetry and art.
B. Their deep-seated loyalty to the conspirators.
C. Their ability to think logically and act justly.
D. Their irrationality and mob mentality.
Ans. D. Their irrationality and mob mentality.
Q9. What do the Plebeians plan to do after they kill Cinna?
A. Go to the Senate to find the other conspirators.
B. Bury Cinna’s body with Caesar.
C. Go to the conspirators’ houses to burn them down.
D. Celebrate their victory in the streets.
Ans. C. Go to the conspirators’ houses to burn them down.
Q10. The Plebeians’ actions in this scene are a direct result of whose speech?
A. Brutus’s
B. Cassius’s
C. Antony’s
D. Cicero’s
Ans. C. Antony’s
Extract Based Questions
Answer the following extract-based questions.
A.
Cinna the Poet: I dreamt tonight that I did feast with Caesar,
And things unlucky charge my fantasy.
I have no will to wander forth of doors,
Yet something leads me forth.
[Enter Plebeians.]
First Plebeian: What is your name?
Second Plebeian: Whither are you going?
Third Plebeian: Where do you dwell?
Fourth Plebeian: Are you a married man or a bachelor?
Q1. What is Cinna the poet’s mood at the beginning of the scene?
Ans. Cinna the poet is feeling uneasy and superstitious. He mentions a bad dream about feasting with Caesar and feels a sense of foreboding, describing it as ‘things unlucky’. He’s reluctant to leave his house, yet he feels an invisible force drawing him outside, which adds to his anxiety.
2. What is the significance of the Plebeians’ questions?
Ans. The Plebeians’ questions are initially a simple, direct interrogation. They represent the voice of the common people, who are curious and on edge after Caesar’s assassination. The rapid-fire nature of their questions also shows their collective, almost aggressive, energy. They are a single, unified group, not separate individuals.
Q3. What does Cinna’s line ‘Yet something leads me forth’ foreshadow?
Ans. This line foreshadows Cinna’s tragic fate. The ‘something’ that leads him forth is his destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He has a sense that something bad will happen if he leaves his house, and his premonition proves to be correct when he encounters the angry mob.
Q4. What does this exchange reveal about the state of Rome after Caesar’s death?
Ans. This exchange reveals the chaos and paranoia gripping Rome. The plebeians are not trustful of anyone and question strangers aggressively. Their immediate suspicion of an unknown man shows that order has broken down. The city is no longer a safe place, and its citizens are acting out of fear and anger, ready to turn on anyone.
Q5. How does this opening dialogue contribute to the overall tension and tragic tone of the scene?
Ans. This dialogue immediately establishes a tone of impending doom and high tension. Cinna’s dream and his reluctance to leave his house create a sense of foreboding, suggesting his fate is sealed regardless of his will. The sudden appearance of the plebeians and their aggressive questioning heightens this tension. Their direct demands and their collective nature signal a threat. This quick shift from Cinna’s private fear to his public confrontation with the mob creates a sense of tragedy, as the audience knows an innocent man is walking into a dangerous situation he cannot escape.
B.
First Plebeian: Tear him to pieces, he’s a conspirator!
Cinna the Poet: I am Cinna the poet! I am Cinna the poet!
Fourth Plebeian: Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses!
Cinna the Poet: I am not Cinna the conspirator.
Fourth Plebeian: It is no matter, his name’s Cinna! Pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.
1. What is the main reason the mob attacks Cinna?
Ans. The mob attacks Cinna due to a case of mistaken identity. They mistakenly believe he is Cinna the conspirator, one of the men who assassinated Caesar. His name alone is enough to enrage them, causing them to completely disregard his protests and pleas that he is an innocent poet.
2. What is the significance of the Fourth Plebeian’s line about ‘bad verses’?
Ans. This line is an example of dark humor. It shows the mob’s complete lack of reason. Instead of acknowledging Cinna’s pleas, the plebeian mockingly finds a new, absurd reason to harm him. This highlights their irrationality and a chilling disregard for human life.
Q3. How does the mob’s reaction show the theme of mob mentality?
Ans. The mob’s reaction perfectly illustrates mob mentality. They are not acting as individuals but as a collective, vengeful force. Their anger and blind fury are focused on a single name, ‘Cinna’, showing how a mob can abandon all logic and moral sense. The truth of Cinna’s innocence is irrelevant to them.
Q4. What is the line ‘It is no matter, his name’s Cinna!’ tell us about the mob?
Ans. This line is the most telling of the mob’s mindset. It shows that they are not interested in justice but in vengeance. The truth does not matter to them; only the name does. They are so consumed by rage that a shared name is all the evidence they need to justify killing an innocent man.
Q5. Explain how this scene is a chilling example of the destructive power of rhetoric and vengeance.
Ans. This scene serves as a chilling example of the destructive power of rhetoric and vengeance, directly stemming from Marc Antony’s earlier speech. Antony didn’t explicitly call for the murder of innocent people, but his carefully chosen words and emotional manipulation successfully incited the crowd’s anger to a boiling point. The mob, now a mindless vessel of vengeance, is looking for any outlet for its rage. The name ‘Cinna’ becomes a convenient excuse. This moment of mistaken identity reveals that the mob’s desire for revenge is so overwhelming that it has completely replaced any sense of justice or reason. The scene warns that once rhetoric unleashes a mob, it can no longer be controlled, and its targets will be chosen not by logic but by the sheer, unthinking momentum of its fury.