Get notes, workbook solutions, summary, questions and answers, and pdf of the drama/play Julius Caesar (Act 3 Scene 3) by William Shakespeare, which is part of ICSE Class 10 English. However, the notes should only be treated as references, and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
Summary
This scene takes place after the famous event where Brutus and the other conspirators assassinated the powerful Roman leader Julius Caesar. After Caesar’s death, his close friend Mark Antony gave an emotionally charged speech that turned the Roman citizens into an angry, vengeful mob against the conspirators.
The scene opens with Cinna, who is a poet, wandering the streets of Rome in a disturbed state after having bad dreams about Caesar. Despite his misgivings, Cinna decides to go to Caesar’s funeral. However, he is stopped by a group of aggressive plebeians (common citizens) who aggressively question him.
The plebeians demand to know Cinna’s name, where he lives, if he is married, and where he is going. Cinna tries to calmly and directly answer their questions – he says he is an unmarried bachelor named Cinna who lives near the Capitol, and he is going to Caesar’s funeral as a friend.
However, when Cinna reveals his first name is Cinna, the plebeians immediately assume he is Cinna the Conspirator – one of the men who killed Caesar. No matter how much Cinna protests that he is Cinna the poet, not the conspirator, the furious mob refuses to listen to reason.
The plebeians decide that even if he’s not the conspirator, they will kill Cinna anyway because they don’t like his poetry (“Tear him for his bad verses!”). The mob surrounds the outnumbered Cinna and prepares to viciously attack him, ignoring his pleas that he is innocent. Just before they kill Cinna, the mob decides to leave and go burn down the homes of Brutus, Cassius, and the other real conspirators.
Video tutorial
Evergreen Workbook Solutions
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In the scene, Cinna is
a. a poet
b. a conspirator
c. a tradesman
d. a madman
Answer: a. a poet
2. Cinna is interrogated by the
a. Conspirators
b. Senate
c. Mob
d. Antony
Answer: c. Mob
3. Cinna is a
a. bachelor
b. married man
c. business man
d. traitor
Answer: a. bachelor
4. Cinna is attacked by the mob because
a. his name is Cinna
b. he is dangerous
c. he is not a well-wisher of Caesar
d. he is a friend of Antony
Answer: a. his name is Cinna
5. At the end of the scene, the mob rush to
a. Caesar’s funeral
b. burn the houses of the conspirators
c. kill Cinna, the conspirator
d. the Capitol
Answer: b. burn the houses of the conspirators
Context questions
QUESTION 1: Third Citizen – Your name, sir, truly,
CINNA – Truly, my name is Cinna.
Second Citizen – Tear him to pieces! He’s a conspirator.
1. Who is Cinna in the scene? Where is he going?
Answer: Cinna in the scene is a poet, and he is on his way to attend Caesar’s funeral.
2. What makes the mob furious with him? What does this show about the mob?
Answer: The mob becomes furious with him because his name is Cinna, mistaking him for a conspirator. This shows that the mob is illogical, irrational, and driven by emotions rather than intellect, ready to commit violence based on mere association rather than factual guilt.
3. Cinna was asked four questions by the mob. What were they?
Answer: The four questions asked by the mob are: What is your name? Whither are you going? Where do you dwell? Are you a married man or a bachelor?
Besides the answer given in the extract, what are the other three answers he gives to the mob? How does the mob react to his answers?
Answer: Besides the answer given in the extract, the other three answers he gives are: he is going to Caesar’s funeral, he dwells by the Capitol, and he is a bachelor. The mob reacts to his answers with violence, deciding to attack him despite his attempts to clarify his identity.
Where does the mob go at the end of the scene? What is the significance of this scene? What character traits of the mob are portrayed in this scene?
Answer: At the end of the scene, the mob rushes off to burn the houses of the conspirators. The significance of this scene is to illustrate the chaos and lawlessness that has engulfed Rome, highlighting the mob’s capacity for baseless violence and foreshadowing further destruction. The mob is portrayed as ruthless, easily swayed, and vengeful, acting on impulsive aggression rather than reasoned judgment.
Morning Star Workbook Solutions
Multiple Choice Question
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
Answer: (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
Answer: (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.
Answer: (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
Answer: (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
Answer: (c) same name as Cinna the conspirator
Context Questions
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?
Answer: Cinna was a poet. He wandered forth despite having no desire to do so because something compelled him to leave his home. That night, he dreamt that he was feasting with Caesar.
(ii) What is meant by: “things unluckily charge my fantasy” ? What do you find ironical in this statement of Cinna?
Answer: The phrase “things unluckily charge my fantasy” means that Cinna’s mind was filled with troubling and ominous thoughts. The irony in this statement lies in the fact that his dream, which seemed to be merely an unlucky or disturbing fantasy, foreshadows the real danger he is about to encounter—being killed by the mob because of a mistaken identity.
(iii) Why had Cinna no will to go about? What does the extract show about superstitious attitude of the Elizabethan age?
Answer: Cinna had no will to go out because he was unnerved by his ominous dream. The extract reflects the superstitious attitude of the Elizabethan age, where dreams and omens were often seen as signs of impending events, influencing people’s actions and beliefs.
(iv) What type of questions did the mob ask him? What did he tell them ?
Answer: The mob asked Cinna a series of personal questions, such as his name, where he was going, where he lived, and whether he was married. Cinna answered them truthfully, stating his name, his intention to attend Caesar’s funeral, and where he lived. He also clarified that he was a poet and not the conspirator named Cinna.
(v) How far has Shakespeare portrayed a frenzied mob in this scene?
Answer: Shakespeare portrays the mob as irrational and violent, driven by anger and a desire for revenge. The mob is depicted as frenzied, attacking Cinna simply because of his name, despite his attempts to explain that he is not the conspirator. This scene highlights the dangers of mob mentality, where reason and justice are overridden by collective hysteria and violence.
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?
Answer: The Plebeians (the Roman citizens) ask Cinna so many questions. They have just come from hearing Marc Antony’s speech, which stirred them into a frenzy. The mob is now confused and irrational, looking for someone to blame for Caesar’s death.
(ii) When Cinna says he is a bachelor, the Second Citizen concludes: “they are fools that marry.” Why is this conclusion not logical?
Answer: The Second Citizen’s conclusion that “they are fools that marry” is not logical because Cinna simply states he is a bachelor. There is no direct reasoning provided to support that married men are fools, making the conclusion an illogical leap based on personal bias or societal beliefs rather than sound reasoning.
(iii) Why was it unfortunate for the man to have Cinna as his name? How did the citizens deal with him?
Answer: It was unfortunate for the man to have the name Cinna because the mob mistakenly identifies him as Cinna the conspirator, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar. Despite his protests that he is Cinna the poet and not a conspirator, the citizens still attack him. The mob, in their irrational rage, decides to punish him regardless, simply because he shares the same name as one of the conspirators.
(iv) What does this scene tell us about the events to follow?
Answer: This scene foreshadows the further chaos and violence that will follow in Rome after Caesar’s assassination. The irrational and violent behavior of the mob suggests that the city is descending into anarchy, where reason and justice are overshadowed by mob mentality and revenge.
(v) What is the significance of this short scene in the play? What purpose does it serve, dramatically?
Answer: This short scene serves to illustrate the dangerous power of mob mentality and how quickly the public can turn to irrational violence. Dramatically, it highlights the consequences of the political manipulation by the conspirators and Antony, setting the stage for the further downfall of Rome into civil strife. It also emphasizes the tragic futility and injustice that can arise in such turbulent times.
Extras
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What leads Cinna to leave his house despite his reluctance?
A. A strong desire to attend Caesar’s funeral
B. A mysterious compulsion despite bad omens
C. An invitation from the conspirators
D. A need to clear his name
Answer: B. A mysterious compulsion despite bad omens
5. What is the significance of Cinna being a poet in this scene?
A. It highlights the mob’s hatred for literature
B. It shows the power of art in political discourse
C. It underlines the irrationality of the mob’s violence
D. It indicates that poets were seen as conspirators
Answer: C. It underlines the irrationality of the mob’s violence
Questions and Answers
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 Caesar, and what was his significance in Rome?
Answer: Caesar was a powerful Roman leader who was assassinated by conspirators, leading to chaos in Rome.
ii. What is meant by “things unluckily charge my fantasy”?
Answer: This phrase means that Cinna’s mind was filled with troubling and ominous thoughts, foreshadowing danger.
iii. Why does Cinna have no will to wander forth?
Answer: Cinna had no will to wander forth because of his ominous dream, which made him uneasy.
3.Third Plebeian
Where do you dwell?
Cinna
Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.
i. What does Cinna reveal about his residence?
Answer: Cinna reveals that he lives near the Capitol.
ii. Why does the mob question Cinna about his dwelling?
Answer: The mob questions Cinna to gather information, although their intent is already hostile.
iii. How does the mob’s questioning contribute to the tension in this scene?
Answer: The mob’s questioning heightens the tension by showing their suspicion and readiness to attack based on minimal information.
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.
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