Download Michael, Ezoza, Shayak, Quentin, Seth.Period 5 - CVHS-English-2

1a. "A trade , that I hope may use with a safe conscience, which is indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles."
The cobbler uses the word soles to mean two different things. Literally the cobbler is a mender of bad
shoe soles because that is a cobbler's trade. He is also implying that he is a mender of bad souls.
1b. "Nay I beseech you, sir, be not out with me. Yet if you be out, sir, I can mend you."
The cobbler uses the word out twice however they are used differently. The first time the cobbler uses out
to say that Flavius shouldn't be mad at him. The second time the cobbler uses out to mean wearing worn
out shoes, which is funny because he the cobbler fixes shoes for a living.
1c. "Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl."
The pun in this sentence is in the word awl because an awl is a little sharp tool, but it sounds like he is
saying all.
2a. "Stand you directly in Antonius' way when he doth run his course."
This is sentence is an example of subject-verb inversion said by Caesar. The sentence could have been
written, you stand directly in Antonius' way.
2b."I have not from you eyes that gentleness and show of love as I was wont to have."
I have not seen the gentleness and love in your eyes as they used to have.
2c. "Good even, Casca. Brought you caesar home? Why are you breathless? And why stare you so?"
You brought caesar Home? and Why do you stare so?
3a. "Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts, / Why birds and beasts, from quality and kind; / Why
old men fool and children calculate; / Why all these things change from their ordinance"
Shakespeare uses anaphora to show a sense of frantic thought in Cassius' description of the state of
Rome.
3b. "And do you now put on your best attire? / And do you now cull out a holiday? / And do you now strew
flowers in his way / that comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?"
Shakespeare uses anaphora to further emphasize the interrogating tone that Marullus is using with the
commoners.
3c. "Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong; / Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat. / Nor
stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, / Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,"
This anaphora is used to show Cassius insistence to prove his point that Rome is losing its glory, and that
he will have no more of it.
The Characters and Story
1) Cassius describes Caesar as one with large physical disabilities that will no doubt lessen his power if
found out by the public.
Weaknesses:
a. He is allegedly unable to bear children.
b. He has very little stamina
c. He seems to have epilepsy
d. He has no private life and seems cold and uncaring, i.e. "He loves no plays, / As thou dost, Antony; he
hears no music. / Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort / As if he mocked himself, and scorned his
spirit / That could be moved to smile at anything"
e. He seems to have unknown motives of some sort, as he refused the crown thrice.
Strengths:
a. He is exceptionally popular with the general public
b. He has complete control over his subjects
c. He is ambitious
d. Caesar has a seemingly infinite amount of power
e. He has a chance to become a monarch
2) I think Cassius is is a "Better Man" because he is more liberal and willing to go against Caesar. He is
not happy with the status quot because he knows that Caesar is still a human and still a man even though
many make him out to be a G-d. Brutus while he feels similarly with Cassius, he is not as open about it
and he is more conservative.
Cassius:
1. "'Tis true, this god did shake! His coward lips did from their color fly, and that same eye whose bend doth awe the
world did lose his luster."
2. “It doth amaze me a man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear the palm
alone.”
3.“Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and
peep about to find ourselves dishonorable graves.”
Brutus:
1. “I would not, Cassius. Yet I love him [Caesar] well.”
2. “Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, that you would have me seek into myself for that which is not in
me?”
3. “What means this shouting? I do fear, the people choose Caesar for their king.”
3. Caesar means that he thinks Cassius is hungry for his power, and that he will "love no plays" and "hear
no music", that is, he won't rest, until he gains the power Caesar currently has.
4. The exchange between Casca and Cicero is important because Casca's fears of an impending doom
foreshadow that such a thing will happen later in the play, but Cicero is skeptical, commenting that a sign
such as this can easily be misinterpreted.
5. The reason as to why these lines are important is because it portrays the way that Cassius sees the
whole situation and is also a bit of foreshadow/suspense. Cassius mentions how everything around them
in changing and becoming abnormal, which informs the readers of their situation and incorporates
Cassius's theory as to why that is happening.
6. The three devices that Cassius uses in his speeches are comparisons, flashbacks and an anaphora.
When Cassius tells the story of how he had saved Caesar’s life in a storm on the Tiber Riverto to Brutus,
he is making himself reliable and trustable because he was honorable and courageous in that situation.
He is making this ethical appeal to help establish a certain perception of himself in Brutus’s mind which
would help him get his ideas across easier, since Brutus would trust him. The flashback is also a logical
appeal because it highlights Cassius’s courage and honor and Caesar’s weakness, thus logically guiding
Brutus to come to the conclusion that another leader, perhaps he, is better fit to lead than Caesar.
Cassius also uses many comparisons when talking to Brutus such as “I was born as free as Caesar, so
were you;/we both have fed as well and we can both/endure the winter’s cold as well as he/” The fact that
the comparisons incorporate Brutus help create an emotional appeal because it helps build Brutus’ spirit
and self-confidence. By comparing Brutus and himself to Caesar, the next leader to become, Cassius is
instilling Brutus with the fact that they are both qualifiers for that position, in a way that moves Brutus
emotionally to believe it. When talking to Casca, Cassius uses anaphora to persuade him in his point. He
says “Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,/ Why birds and beasts, from quality and kind/why
old men fool and children calculate/why all these things change from their ordinance/” The repentance of
“why” helps create an emotional appeal because when repeated several times like this it makes the tone
more dramatic and also because it touches on subjects that concern nature, which the Roman’s had a
strong tie with, believing through events in nature the Gods spoke to them. Thus, when he is talking about
changes in nature, he is also talking about the wants and wishes of the all-powerful Gods, which surely
will stir something like fear in Casca’s heart.