Julius Caesar • 2013 - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
53 Double-take
In 4.3 Brutus gives Cassius the devastating news that Portia is dead—but moments later, he responds to Messala’s
report of Portia’s death as though it were news to him. Why? Some scholars believe this split is evidence
of an earlier draft of the play which Shakespeare later cut. For this reason the second announcement of Portia’s
death by Messala is often cut in performance. Other scholars, however, have suggested that Shakespeare was
very intentional in his writing here. In small groups, read the scene with and without Messala’s report. Try reading
it several times, interpreting it differently each time. Ask yourself:
✪ How does the second announcement affect the way we see Brutus? What might he be trying to do?
✪ How would he act during the second announcement?
✪ How might Cassius react? Is he surprised? Does he just go along with it?
CONSIDER COMMON CORE ANCHOR STANDARDS R1, R3, W9
ON YOUR OWN
54 Friendship or Flattery?
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“A friend should bear his friend’s infirmities, / But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.”
In 4.2, the fury that is unleashed between two friends is bitter, painful, and intense. Cassius feels assaulted by his
friend’s criticisms. We’ve all been hurt deeply by the critical eye of people we care most about. Cassius contends
that Brutus is focused too much on his faults when, as a friend, he should be overlooking them. Brutus replies
to him that a flatterer, not a friend, would overlook someone’s faults. What do you think? Are you more likely to
overlook a fault in a close friend, or dwell on it because it upsets you? Have you had a friend who was quick to let
you know what was wrong with you instead of what he/she liked about you? What does this dynamic say about
a friendship? After thinking about your own experience with a friend that reminds you of Cassius’s complaint to
Brutus, go back to this exchange between the two men and try your hand at writing it—in your own words, and
with whatever outcome you choose. What escalates the fight? What ends it? CONSIDER COMMON CORE AN-
CHOR STANDARDS R3, W3
A Wife’s Perspective
Portia and Calphurnia do not appear on stage again after Caesar’s death. Write a scene in which one (or both)
of the women reacts to the assassination and the turmoil that follows. CONSIDER COMMON CORE ANCHOR STAN-
DARDS W3, W9
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