Question 1

It must be by his death, and for my part
I know no personal cause to spurn at him
But for the general. He would be crowned.
How that might change his nature, there’s the question.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Brutus
Soliloquy
Brutus reflecting on Caesar and the idea of killing Caesar

Question 2

And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg—
Which, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous—
And kill him in the shell.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene 1
Brutus
Soliloquy
Compares Caesar to a serpent's egg

Question 3

Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar,
I have not slept.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Brutus
Soliloquy
Brutus shows that he has lost sleep since first turning against Caesar. "whet" means sharpened.  Losing sleep in a Shakespearean play is ominous.

Question 4

Seek none, conspiracy.
Hide it in smiles and affability.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i.
Brutus
soliloquy
Brutus expressing that conspiracy should hide behind smiles and affability.  "affability" is the feature of being well-liked or nice.

Question 5

Cassius: And let us swear our resolution.
Brutus: No, not an oath. If not the face of men,
The sufferance of our souls, the time’s abuse—
If these be motives weak, break off betimes...

Accepted Answer

act II scene i.
characterization
Brutus overrules Cassius on taking an oath.  The rest of the section gives his reasons.

Question 6

O, name him not. Let us not break with him,
For he will never follow anything
That other men begin.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Brutus overrules the conspirators when they propose to include Cicero.  Brutus' reason is within the quote.

Question 7

I think it is not meet
Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar,
Should outlive Caesar.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Characterization
Cassius sees Antony as a threat and proposes that the conspirators should kill him.

Question 8

Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,
To cut the head off and then hack the limbs,
Like wrath in death and envy afterwards,
For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Characterization
Brutus is overruling Cassius about killing Mark Antony because he does not see Antony as a threat.  This will be a bad decision for later on in the play.

Question 9

Peace! Count the clock.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Brutus
Anachronism. 
They did not have clocks in Rome.

Question 10

It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustomed terror of this night,
And the persuasion of his augurers
May hold him from the Capitol today.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Cassius
Characterization of Caesar
He is worried Caesar will not show up to the Capitol due to the strange events and what his augurers may say.

Question 11

For he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betrayed with trees,
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers.
But when I tell him he hates flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flatterèd.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Decius Brutus
Metaphor and characterization
He says he can convince Caesar to come to the capital.  The images are of things and what causes their downfall. Supposedly Caesar hate flatterers.

Question 12

Dwell I but in the suburbs
Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,
Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Portia
Characterization
She is begging Brutus to tell her about the conspiracy

Question 13

Set on your foot,
And with a heart new-fired I follow you,
To do I know not what. But it sufficeth
That Brutus leads me on.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene i
Caius Ligarius
Characterization
Ligarius is showing that he would follow Brutus which shows how much people liked Brutus.  Ligarius also is now in the conspiracy against Caesar.

Question 14

Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace tonight.
Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out,
“Help, ho! They murder Caesar!”—Who’s within?

Accepted Answer

Act II scene ii
Caesar
He reveals that Calpurnia has been having nightmares about his death.

Question 15

When beggars die there are no comets seen.
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene ii
Calpurnia
She is begging Caesar not to go to the Capital because of all of the strange events which had happened.

Question 16

Cowards die many times before their deaths.
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear,
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene ii
Caesar
Direct Characterization
He explicitly says that he does not fear death.

Question 17

They would not have you to stir forth today.
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
They could not find a heart within the beast.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene ii
The servant reveals that the augurers could not find a heart within the animal sacrifice which would be the worst omen to get.

Question 18

This dream is all amiss interpreted.
It was a vision fair and fortunate.
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes...

Accepted Answer

Act II scene ii
Decius Brutus
He reinterprets Calpurnia's dream to make it seem like it was positive and that Caesar should go to the capital.

Question 19

Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be rendered for someone to say,
“Break up the senate till another time
When Caesar’s wife shall meet with better dreams.”

Accepted Answer

Act II scene ii
Decius Brutus is convincing Caesar to come to the capital by ridiculing Caesar's reasoning for not coming to the Capital

Question 20

See, Antony, that revels long a-nights,
Is notwithstanding up.—Good morrow, Antony.

Accepted Answer

Act II scene ii
Caesar, as he is going to the Capital, remarks how Antony is hung over from partying too much the night before.

JC Quotation Act IIA

Julius Caesar Act II Quotations

Question	Answer
It must be by his death, and for my part I know no personal cause to spurn at him But for the general. He would be crowned. How that might change his nature, there’s the question.	Act II scene i Brutus Soliloquy Brutus reflecting on Caesar and the idea of killing Caesar
And therefore think him as a serpent’s egg— Which, hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous— And kill him in the shell.	Act II scene 1 Brutus Soliloquy Compares Caesar to a serpent's egg
Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar, I have not slept.	Act II scene i Brutus Soliloquy Brutus shows that he has lost sleep since first turning against Caesar. "whet" means sharpened. Losing sleep in a Shakespearean play is ominous.
Seek none, conspiracy. Hide it in smiles and affability.	Act II scene i. Brutus soliloquy Brutus expressing that conspiracy should hide behind smiles and affability. "affability" is the feature of being well-liked or nice.
Cassius: And let us swear our resolution. Brutus: No, not an oath. If not the face of men, The sufferance of our souls, the time’s abuse— If these be motives weak, break off betimes...	act II scene i. characterization Brutus overrules Cassius on taking an oath. The rest of the section gives his reasons.
O, name him not. Let us not break with him, For he will never follow anything That other men begin.	Act II scene i Brutus overrules the conspirators when they propose to include Cicero. Brutus' reason is within the quote.
I think it is not meet Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar, Should outlive Caesar.	Act II scene i Characterization Cassius sees Antony as a threat and proposes that the conspirators should kill him.
Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, To cut the head off and then hack the limbs, Like wrath in death and envy afterwards, For Antony is but a limb of Caesar.	Act II scene i Characterization Brutus is overruling Cassius about killing Mark Antony because he does not see Antony as a threat. This will be a bad decision for later on in the play.
Peace! Count the clock.	Act II scene i Brutus Anachronism. They did not have clocks in Rome.
It may be, these apparent prodigies, The unaccustomed terror of this night, And the persuasion of his augurers May hold him from the Capitol today.	Act II scene i Cassius Characterization of Caesar He is worried Caesar will not show up to the Capitol due to the strange events and what his augurers may say.
For he loves to hear That unicorns may be betrayed with trees, And bears with glasses, elephants with holes, Lions with toils, and men with flatterers. But when I tell him he hates flatterers, He says he does, being then most flatterèd.	Act II scene i Decius Brutus Metaphor and characterization He says he can convince Caesar to come to the capital. The images are of things and what causes their downfall. Supposedly Caesar hate flatterers.
Dwell I but in the suburbs Of your good pleasure? If it be no more, Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.	Act II scene i Portia Characterization She is begging Brutus to tell her about the conspiracy
Set on your foot, And with a heart new-fired I follow you, To do I know not what. But it sufficeth That Brutus leads me on.	Act II scene i Caius Ligarius Characterization Ligarius is showing that he would follow Brutus which shows how much people liked Brutus. Ligarius also is now in the conspiracy against Caesar.
Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace tonight. Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out, “Help, ho! They murder Caesar!”—Who’s within?	Act II scene ii Caesar He reveals that Calpurnia has been having nightmares about his death.
When beggars die there are no comets seen. The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.	Act II scene ii Calpurnia She is begging Caesar not to go to the Capital because of all of the strange events which had happened.
Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear, Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come.	Act II scene ii Caesar Direct Characterization He explicitly says that he does not fear death.
They would not have you to stir forth today. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast.	Act II scene ii The servant reveals that the augurers could not find a heart within the animal sacrifice which would be the worst omen to get.
This dream is all amiss interpreted. It was a vision fair and fortunate. Your statue spouting blood in many pipes...	Act II scene ii Decius Brutus He reinterprets Calpurnia's dream to make it seem like it was positive and that Caesar should go to the capital.
Besides, it were a mock Apt to be rendered for someone to say, “Break up the senate till another time When Caesar’s wife shall meet with better dreams.”	Act II scene ii Decius Brutus is convincing Caesar to come to the capital by ridiculing Caesar's reasoning for not coming to the Capital
See, Antony, that revels long a-nights, Is notwithstanding up.—Good morrow, Antony.	Act II scene ii Caesar, as he is going to the Capital, remarks how Antony is hung over from partying too much the night before.

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