Act I, scene iii Notes

1. Setting:

a)Roman Street

b)VERY BAD weather

2. Characters:

     a) Casca

     b) Cicero

     c) Cassius

     d) Cinna -tribune

 

3. Background Information

    a) Casca and Cicero enter from opposite sides of the stage – the weather is very bad.

    b) Remember, we talked about the gods becoming angry when the chain of authority was

         snapped? (page 882) Well, this is why Cassius thinks the weather is so bad.

        He thinks the gods are angry enough (about the commoners wanting to make

        Caesar king) to destroy mankind.

 

c) Casca also saw these strange events:

i. man’s hands on fire, but his flesh was not burning.

ii. A lion passed by him near the Capitol and ignored him.

iii. An

 

c) Cicero believes that men will interpret things as they will.

    (This means he thinks Casca is seeing what he wants to see by          

    misinterpreting natural occurrences.)

 

d) Cicero asks Casca if Caesar will be at the Capitol tomorrow.

e) Casca says yes.

f) Cicero tells Casca it is too dangerous to be out in the weather and leaves.

 

 

g) Cassius enters wandering  through the streets.

h) Casca asks him why is he putting himself in danger by walking through this bad

    weather.

i) Cassius is happy the gods are using their signs to warn Romans about a

    “monstrous state.”

j) Casca tells Cassius that the Senators plan to make Caesar king tomorrow.

k) Cassius is LIVID! He swears to the gods that if they can empower a weak man like Caesar to be powerful, then they can empower him to defeat a tyrant! He calls Rome trash, and he tells Casca about the resistance movement he started against Caesar.

 

l) Cinna -  (tribune/conspirator) enters.

m) Cinna asks Cassius if he has persuaded Brutus to be a part of the conspiracy yet.

n) Cassius gives Cinna the forged letters and tells him to put some on Brutus’s

    chair, throw some through his window and put one on the statue of Brutus’s

    heroic ancestor.

o) Then, Cassius will visit Brutus at home.

 

Why do you think Cassius wants the letter posted on the statue of Old Brutus?

 

Brutus’s ancestor helped establish the republic; finding the letter on the statue will remind him of his duty to preserve the republic out of respect for his ancestor.

 

p) Casca comments that the noble Brutus’s participation in their plot will bring worthiness to their schemes, for “he sits high in all the people’s hearts, / And that which would appear offence in us / His countenance, like richest alchemy, / Will change to virtue and to worthiness” (I.iii.157–60).

 

1.In the opening scene, what two events are the workers celebrating?

2.During the celebration, what warning does the soothsayer give to Caesar?

3.Who does Caesar feel is dangerous?

4.What does Casca report that Antony did after the Lupercal games?

5.At the end of Act I, how is Cassius planning to win Brutus to the conspiracy?

owl (nocturnal bird) was in the marketplace (daytime)