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Julius Caesar Act5, Scene 5

Julius Caesar

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140 views2 pages

Julius Caesar Act5, Scene 5

Julius Caesar

Uploaded by

revanth09a
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Julius Caesar Act V, Scene 5

Extract 1

(i) Volumnius is one of Brutus’s loyal friend and follower. Brutus shows intimacy to him
because they have a long history together, having been schoolmates. Brutus expects
Volumnius to help him commit suicide by holding his sword while he runs onto it.
(ii) The ghost of Caesar told Brutus in Sardis, “Thou shalt see me at Philippi,” which was
a prophecy of Brutus’s death. Here in Philippi, it indicates that the prophecy is about
to be fulfilled, signifying imminent death.
(iii) Two of Brutus’s friends who refused to kill him are Clitus and Dardanus. Volumnius
refuses to carry out Brutus’s wish, saying, “That’s not an office for a friend, my lord”,
indicating that assisting in his friend’s suicide is not something he can do as a friend.
(iv) This means that Volumnius can see the state of the world and their situation; their
enemies have defeated them and driven them into a hopeless situation, where
death seems inevitable.
(v) Brutus mentions the appearance of Caesar’s ghost as a bod omen, signaling his
impending death. He also refers to their military defeat, where their enemies have
cornered them, and the honourable choice for him now is to take his own life rather
than be captured or killed by the enemy.

Extract 2

(i) Brutus is speaking on the battlefield at Philippi, just before his death. He is speaking
about the loyalty of his friends and followers to those who are still with him;
Dardanus, Clitus, and Volumnius.
(ii) Brutus says this after witnessing the loyalty of his followers even in the face of
defeat. Despite the overwhelming odds and the loss of the battle, none of his
followers have betrayed him, which prompts him to acknowledge their unwavering
loyalty.
(iii) Yes, Cassius can be included among those who were ‘true’ to Brutus. Although
Cassius had his own motivations, he consistency upported Brutus and their cause.
Cassius had his own motivations, he consistently Brutus and their cause. Cassius’s
actions were always in alignment with their shared goal, and he remained loyal to
Brutus until his death.
(iv) Strato is the one who finally serves Brutus by holding the sword for him as Brutus
runs onto it, leading to Brutus’s death.
(v) Yes, the speeches of Antony and Octavius prove Brutus’s words to be true. Antony
acknowledges Brutus as “the noblest Roman of them all”, stating that Brutus acted
not out of envy but for the common good. Octavius orders that Brutus be buried
with all honours, showing respect and recognizing the glory Brutus believed he
would gain by his actions, even in defeat. This recognition by his enemies validates
Brutus’s belief that he would attain more glory through his honourable defeat than
they would through their conquest.

Extract 3

(i) Antony speaks these words after the death of Brutus, following the battle at Philippi.
“The noblest of them all” refers to Brutus. The word ‘all’ includes the other
conspirators who plotted against and assassinated Julius Caesar.
(ii) (a) This means that Brutus acted out of a sincere and honest belief, rather than out
of envy or personal gain, unlike the other conspirators.
(b) This means that Brutus joined the conspiracy for the benefit of Rome and its
people, rather than for any selfish reasons.

(iii) In the Elizabethan way of thinking, a perfect human being was someone who
possessed a balanced mixture of the four classical elements – earth, water, air and
fire – which symbolized different virtues and qualities. Brutus is described as having
these elements so perfectly mixed that Nature herself would acknowledge him as an
exemplary man, embodying the ideal of balanced and virtuous human nature.
(iv) Octavius orders that Brutus be given full honour and proper funerals rites, befitting
noble soldier. Yes, Brutus deserves such a burial because, despite his role in the
assassination of Caesar, he acted out of sense of duty and for the perceived greater
good of Rome, which even his enemies acknowledged.
(v) The play demonstrates that disloyalty and conspiracy lead to tragic outcomes, as
seen in the fate of the conspirators. Despite their initial success in assassinating
Caesar, the conspirators ultimately meet with defeat and death. The internal
conflicts, lack of trust among them, and the eventual downfall of Brutus, who was
the most honourable among them, underscore the idea that treachery does not
bring lasting success.

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