1. law, govt and politics
2. legal issues
3. death penalty

NAME
CLASS
DATE
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER FOR ACTIVE READING
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act HI
William Shakespeare
Pupil's Edition page 820
Who Is Mark Antony?
Mark Antony has only a minor role in the play until Act III, when he becomes the major force
moving the action. In the busts below, record lines from the play that contrast how Mark Antony is
presented before Act III, and how he is revealed in Act III. Then in the lines provided below the
busts, summarize your own view of Antony's character. You might consider these lines from Acts I
and D: Act I, Scene 2, lines 9-10, 28-29, and 235-236; Act II, Scene 1, lines 155-184; and Scene 2,
lines 52-53.
Before Act III
In Act III
The Real Antony:
1. Do you consider Antony a hero or a villain, or something in between? Explain.
2. Make a prediction: What will happen as a result of Antony's having turned the crowd against the
conspirators?
Elements of Literature
Graphic Organizer for Active Reading: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act HI 9 1
NAME
CLASS
DATE
BECOMING A STRATEGIC READER
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act HI
William Shakespeare
Pupil's Edition page 844
Paraphrasing Elizabethan English
As you try to understand Shakespeare's language, you may find paraphrasing a useful technique. To
paraphrase a passage, write the same ideas as in the passage but express them in your own words.
Translate figurative language into non-figurative terms. Include details as well as the main idea in
your rewording. Putting another's ideas into your own words often makes it easier for you to
understand and remember what you have read or heard.
Consider the following passage spoken by Metellus in Act III.
EXAMPLE: "Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear
For the repealing of my banished brother?" —Scene 1, lines 49-51
Work through the passage phrase by phrase, putting the ideas in your own words. Here is a
possible paraphrase of Metellus's speech.
Is there no one as worthy as I am
To speak eloquently to you
In favor of returning my banished brother?
Then if you wish, you may tighten the paraphrase even further.
Can no one else speak as well as I to convince you to free my brother?
EXERCISE A Paraphrasing Shakespeare
Paraphrase the following passages from Act III.
1. Caesar: I could be well moved, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;
But I am constant as the Northern Star,
Of whose true-fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament. —Scene 1, lines 58-62
2. Servant: If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
May safely come to him and be resolved
How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead
So well as Brutus living .. . —Scene 1, lines 130-134
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9 2 Becoming a Strategic Reader; The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act HI
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3. Cassius:
Brutus, a word with you.
You know not what you do; do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral.
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter? —Scene 1, lines 231-235
4. Antony:
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy
(Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue),
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men—Scene 1, lines 259-262
EXERCISE B Revising a Paraphrase
Read the following lines from Act III. Then read the faulty paraphrase of those lines that follows.
Consider how the writer has failed to paraphrase the speech correctly. Then on the lines provided,
rewrite the paraphrase, correcting any errors to make the ideas as clear as possible.
ANTONY: I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause;
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason! Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me. —Scene 2, lines 102-109
Faulty Paraphrase: I'm not here to argue with Brutus, I'm here to say what I know. There was a
time when you loved Caesar, for no reason; why do you now mourn? Judgment has flown off with
the animals and men have lost their reason. Hold me up; my heart is in Caesar's coffin and I have to
wait until it comes back.
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Elements of Literature
Becoming a Strategic Reader: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act III 93
NAME
CLASS
DATE
WORDS TO OWN
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act HI
William Shakespeare
Pupil's Edition page 820
Developing Vocabulary
Carefully read each word's definition, explanation, and sample sentence. Then write a sentence of
your own using that word.
1. firmament (form's «ni9nt) n. the sky; the
heavens. A This word comes from a Latin
word meaning "a strengthening support."
• Juan's poem began, "Alone in the
firmament / a star twinkles for me." (page
823, Scene 1, line 62)
Original sentence:
2. valiant (val'yant) adj. brave; courageous.
A Valiant is derived from the Latin word
valere meaning "to be strong."
• hi Shauna's daydreams, she always fought
alongside valiant knights, (page 826, Scene
1, line 138)~
Original sentence:
3. fetch (fech) v. get; bring; elicit. A This
word comes from the German wordfessen,
meaning "to grasp."
• I taught my dog to fetch a stick, (page 826,
Scene 1, line 142)
Original sentence:
4. beseech (be«sechO v. to beg. A Beseech
and beg are synonyms, but beseech also
implies anxiety over the outcome.
• The woman dropped to her knees to
beseech the king to spare her husband's life,
(page 826, Scene 1, line 157)
Original sentence:
5- plebeians (ple'be'anz) n. pL common
people. A In ancient Rome, the plebeians
were the lower class and the patricians were
the upper class.
• When food supplies were short, the
plebeians would often assemble in the
square and demand that the wealthier
citizens provide them with assistance,
(page 831, Scene 2)
Original sentence:
9** Words to Own: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act III
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6. censure (sen'shsr) v. to express strong
dissapproval of. A In modern times this
word has taken on the meaning "to blame or
criticize."
DATE
• The state legislature passed a resolution to
censure the governor for her misconduct,
(page 831, Scene 2, line 16)
Original sentence:
7. interred (in«terd') adj. a form of the verb
inter, which means "to bury." A This word
combines the prefix in-, here meaning "into,'
and the Latin word terra-, meaning "earth."
• The dog quickly located the interred beef
bone and dug it up. (page 834, Scene 2,
line 78)
Original sentence:
8. bequeathing (be • kwetih'irj) v. A form of
bequeath, which means "to give by will" or
"to hand down." A This word is from the
Old English word becwethan, having the
same definition. • The king declared, "When
I die, I am bequeathing my gold to my oldest
daughter." (page 836, Scene 2, line 138)
Original sentence:
9- legacy (leg's *se) n. an inheritance; anything
handed down from an ancestor.
A This word derives from a Latin word
meaning "to send as an ambassador."
• Sharon's only legacy from her father was a
gold watch, (page 836, Scene 2, line 138)
Original sentence:
10. orator (6r/9t»9r) n. a skilled public speaker.
A This word is based on a Latin
word meaning "to speak."
• Winston Churchill was awarded the Nobel
Prize in Literature, as much for his
accomplishments as an orator as for his
writing, (page 838, Scene 2, line 219)
Original sentence:
Elements of Literature
Words to Own: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act III
95
NAME
CLASS
DATE
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER FOR ACTIVE READING
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, ActIV
William Shakespeare
Pupil's Edition page 845
Who Is Cassius?
At the beginning of Act IV, Scene 3, Brutus is angry 'with Cassius and makes several accusations
against him. What are they? Create a "Wanted" poster for Cassius by filling in the lines below.
Catssixxs
PViysical Description;
Crimes:
JBriejf History:
Personality Traits:
Attitxj.de "Toward. Government:
..,,• • . • . .
1. How have Brutus's feelings changed by the end of Scene 3?
2. How have your feelings about Cassius changed through the play so far?
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Graphic Organizer for Active Reading: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act IV
Elements of Literature