English II Honors - Caesar Essay Questions

Hey guys!

The following five questions will be narrowed down to three for the test; however, since you will not know which three questions you will have to choose from, it is incumbent upon you to study and review for all of them.

A few reminders before I get to the essay topics:

- Don't forget to format the Word documents as directed at the start of the year. This is something I will be paying more attention to as the year progresses, and it may impact your grade if you are not following the specifications. 

- QUOTE. This is a simple one - if you are making a statement about the text, you must show where you came to the view that you are espousing in your essay. Don't view it as a 'one and done' directive, either - quotations must be incorporated into the essay frequently. 

- Use the '/' slash to indicate line breaks when quoting Shakespeare. Also, be sure to include the scene and line information. For example, from Act III, Scene i:

"If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him / I spurn thee like a cur out of my way. / No, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause / will he be satisfied." - Act 3, Scene i, 50-55.

- Use the original text for the quote. Use the original text for the quote. Use the original text for the quote. 

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Now, for the essay questions:

1. A tragic figure in Shakespearean literature is someone who is brought undone by their own fatal flaw(s). What are Brutus' fatal flaws, and how do they contribute to his demise?

2. Some would suggest that fate causes the tragic events of the play, while others might argue that the omens and supernatural phenomena only complement the existing drama. Choose a position and argue whether fate is the cause, or simply an image of, the evil in the work.

3. While they both contributed to the death of Caesar, Cassius and Brutus had very different reasons for killing him. What were they? Was one more honorable than the other?

4. Consider the rhetorical devices Antony uses in his speech at Caesar's funeral. How, without directly calling for it, does Antony turn the people against Brutus and the rest of the conspirators?

5. Using the character traits of the characters in the play, describe what qualities you would need to make a great leader of Rome, or any nation.