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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.
Table of Contents
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- Summary
- Workbook answers
- Multiple Choice Questions
- Context questions
- Extra/additional MCQs
- Extra/additional questions and answers
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.
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Workbook answers
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.
Extra/additional MCQs
1. What is Cinna’s profession in the scene?
A. A poet B. A conspirator C. A tradesman D. A madman
Answer: A. A poet
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12. How does the mob plan to use fire in their quest for revenge?
A. To burn Cinna at the stake B. To light their way C. To burn the conspirators’ houses D. To signal others
Answer: C. To burn the conspirators’ houses
Extra/additional questions and answers
1. Why is Cinna outside despite not wanting to go out?
Answer: Cinna is led outside by an unspecified force, despite his lack of desire to wander, indicating a sense of fate or destiny influencing his actions.
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7. What does the encounter between Cinna and the mob reveal about the nature of mob mentality?
Answer: The encounter between Cinna and the mob serves as a chilling illustration of mob mentality, showcasing how easily a group can be swayed by emotion rather than logic. The mob’s decision to attack Cinna, despite his protests and lack of evidence against him, highlights the dangers of collective anger and the abandonment of individual reasoning. This scene underscores the irrationality and cruelty that can emerge from mob behavior, emphasizing the loss of humanity and the susceptibility to manipulation when individuals become part of an unthinking crowd.
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