Flashcards on Julius Caesar Summary

The setting of the play 'Julius Caesar'

Two tribunes, upset over Caesar's defeat of Pompey, scatter the crowd of citizens and tear down holiday decorations

Julius Caesar attends the Lupercal race and is warned to beware of March 15 by a fortune teller. When Caesar leaves, Cassius uses flattery to convince Brutus something must be done about Caesar's ambition and power. Caesar returns expressing his distrust of Cassius to Antony, and Cascatellsof Caesar refusing the crown 3 times.

The night of March 14, a bad storm blows in and many characters are concerned these are bad omens, yet Cassius thinks these are signs that Caesar needs to be overthrown.

Brutus, unable to sleep, must decide what he plans to do about Caesar's growing power. He meets with the other conspirators, and they decide to assassinate Caesar later that day in the Senate House. Portia begs Brutus to tell her what is bothering him.

Caesar decides not to go to the Capitol for his wife's sake, but Decius is able to mock him into attending.

Artemidorus, a supporter of Caesar, has a letter to send to Caesar revealing all the conspirators and the plot to kill him.

Portia is nervous and sends Lucius to see what happens.

Caesar refuses to read Artemidorus's letter and continues onto the Senate House where he is stabbed to death by the conspirators. Brutus then promises Antony to explain why Caesar had to die.

Brutus explains to the citizens about Caesar's ambition and why he needed to die for the good of Rome and then he leaves Antony alone to speak of Caesar's accomplishments. A much better motivator, Antony cleverly incites the citizens to seek revenge for Caesar's death and sends them off to pillage the city and kill the conspirators.

1) Must show the downfall of a good person through a fatal mistake or misjudgment 2) Must evoke pity and fear in the audience 3) Must talk about fate (what will be; will be) 4) Must always end with one or more deaths 5) Usually leaves the audience with a tiny bit of hope a the end.