Practice Questions: Julius Caesar | Practice Questions with Solutions for Class 10 PDF Download

Q1: How does Brutus interpret Calpurnia’s dream?
Ans: Calpumia dreamt that Caesar’s statue was spouting blood like a fountain and Romans were washing their handkerchiefs in the blood of Caesar. Brutus said the dream foretold some positive events. He said the blood from the statue indicated the Caesar’s influence would increase.

Q2: Why does Brutus kill Caesar ?
Ans: Bruters was a true Roman and he loved Rome more than his life. But he was not able to judge the real worth of people. He believed the conspirators when they said Caesar was ambitious. Brutus killed Caesar as he was convinced by the conspirators that Caesar wanted to be a dictator and treat the Romans as slaves. The freedom, liberty and democracy of Rome was under threat.

Q3: How is Decius Brutus successful in taking Caesar to the senate inspite of Calpumia’s efforts to prevent him?
Ans: Calpurnia had a very bad dream the previous night. She saw people washing their handkerchiefs in the blood of Caesar. Decius interpreted the dream in a very positive way saying that people washing their handkerchiefs in the blood of Caesar symbolised that people would take inspiration from Caesar and there would be renaissance.

Q4: Why did Cassius tell Brutus not to allow Antony to speak on Caesar’s funeral?
Ans: Cassius knew it well that Marks Antony was a great diplomat and orator. Using his oratory, he might win the hearts of the people in his favour. At that point of time, Cassius and other conspirators were quite near the crown after assassinating Caesar. Moreover, the Romans were very emotionally charged at that time. Cassius did not want to take any risk at that time. Hence, he told Brutus not to allow Antony to speak on Caesar’s funeral.

Q5: How did Antony prove that Caesar was not ambitious?
Ans: Antony being a great diplomat and orator proved Caesar’s innocence very meticulously. He informed the Romans that Caesar refused to accept the crown thrice when it was offered to him on the eve of Lupercal. If he had been ambitious, he must have accepted it. He also told the Romans that Caesar had brought many captives from the battlefield. Whatsoever amount, he got as ransom to set the captives free, he put it in the national treasure. When the poor wept, Caesar also wept. Reading the will of Caesar, Antony disclosed to the Romans that Caesar had left seventy-five silver coins for every citizen and his personal arbours were o became national property. These evidences were adequate to prove that Caesar was not ambitious.

Q6: Why did Julius Caesar deny the repeal of banishment of Publius Cimber?
Ans: Caesar was a great ruler and administrator. He was very disciplined and strict in taking decision. He would take decision in the welfare of Rome and the RomAnswer: Giving reply to the request for the repealing, Caesar said that if he was moved by prayer on that point, one day prayers would move him completely. He was as constant as the northern star. He was of the view that the repeat of banishment of Publius Cimber would not be in the interest of Rome.

Q7: Mark Antony, with the help of his oratory, succeeded in winning the mob over to his side. This led to the downfall of the conspirators. Write in 80-100 words, how with the power of words he could effect a change in his listeners.
Ans: Mark Antony was indeed a great orator and diplomat. After the assassination of Caesar, he reached the site and made his plan how to take revenge on the conspirators and get advantage of the situation. He warned the Romans that Rome would face natural calamities if they didn’t take revenge for the assassination. Further, he said that Caesar’s spirit would come with the God of death and cause a great loss of life. Very systematically, he proved that Caesar was not ambitious. As long as his position was weak, he pointed out the guilts of the conspirators ironically. Later, he told the Romans that Caesar had neither accepted the crown nor kept the ransom in his personal treasure. He made the mob emotional by saying that Caesar used to weep for the poor and for the sake of Romans he left his entire property. Showing the cuts to the mob and deliberate delay in reading the will were the effective endeavours of Antony to instigate the Romans against the conspirators. Thus, the oratory of Antony altered the entire scene. The conspirators, though appeared to be successful in the beginning, were badly defeated.

Q8: Why did Calpumia try to stop Caesar from going to the senate?
Ans: Calpurnia had a very bad dream the previous night. She was also informed by the watchman that in his dream he had seen many unnatural things. A lioness had given birth to her little ones in the streets. Dead bodies were coming out of graveyards. A fierce war was going in air and blood was falling upon the capital. Calpumia saw that blood was coming out of the statue of Caesar and lusty Romans were bathing their hands in it with smiling faces. All these were ominous and Calpumia thought that the life of Caesar was in danger.

Q9: How did nature foretell Caesar’s death?
Ans: For nature Caesar was a prominent person. So she gave a warning of danger in Caesar’s life. Calpumia saw in her dream that blood was coming out of Caesar’s statue and the lusty Romans with their smiling faces were washing their hands in it. The watchman saw that a lioness was giving birth to its little ones in the street. Dead bodies were coming out of the graveyards and warriors were fighting in the sky. These ominous signs were the nature’s foretelling of Caesar’s death.

Q10: How and when did Caesar’s murder take place?
Ans: Julius Caesar was a great administrator. His name and fame was spreading by leaps and bounds. Cassius, one of the senators, was envious of the position of Caesar and he himself wanted to become the ruler. So he began to conspire against Caesar with the help of some cunning and wicked people. Later on, he poisoned the ears of noble Brutus saying that the growing power of Caesar would be dangerous to the democracy of Rome. All the conspirators planned to assassinate Caesar in the senate-house. On the scheduled date, Decius Brutus persuaded Caesar to go to the senate-house. The conspirators requested Caesar one by one to repeal the banishment of Publius Cimber. But Caesar turned down their requests and the conspirators got an excuse to assassinate Caesar. Casca attacked Caesar first and he was followed by other conspirators. Caesar could not believe his eyes when he saw Brutus attacking him. Ultimately, Caesar was assassinated in the senate-house at the feet of the statue of Pompey.

Q11: Under what condition does Brutus allow Mark Antony to make the funeral speech?
Ans: After the assassination of Caesar, Brutus wanted to justify the act of the conspirators. After delivering his speech he wanted Antony to address the Romans. But certain conditions were imposed on Antony. He was not allowed to blame any conspirator though he was allowed to praise Caesar. He had to disclose the Romans in his funeral speech that he was speaking by the permission of the conspirators. Antony had to accept all the conditions as his position was weak at that moment.

Q12: How did Decius Brutus interpret Calpumia’s dream?
Ans: The misinterpretation of Calpumia’s dream by Decius Brutus proved fatal for Caesar. Otherwise Caesar had made up his mind to remain at home on that unfortunate day. Decius Brutus said that Calpumia’s dream that blood was coming out of Caesar’s statue signified that the Romans would get reviving blood. It would be preserved as an object of reverence by the Romans. It would serve as colours added to a coat of arms. So Decious Brutus succeeded in persuading Caesar to go the senate-house where his death was waiting for him in the daggers of the conspirators.

Q13: What was the effect of Antony’s speech on the Roman citizens?
Ans: Antony’s speech revolutionised the Roman mob. He had become successful in making the Romans realise that Caesar was not ambitious and the conspirators were guilty. So the mob became vindictive. They became ready to die with Antony. They said that they would bum the house of Brutus. They became ready to seek the conspirators. They also said that they would bum the dead body of Caesar at a holy place and using the brands they would bum the houses of the traitors.

Q14: Why did Cassius object to Antony’s speech at Caesar’s funeral?
Ans: Cassius knew it well that Marks Antony was a great diplomat and orator. Using his ‘oratory, he might win the hearts of the people in his favour. At that point of time, Cassius and other conspirators were quite near the crown after assassinating Caesar. Moreover, the Romans were very emotionally charged at that time. Cassius did not want to take any risk at that time. Hence, he told Brutus not to allow Antony to speak on Caesar’s funeral.

Q15: What are the conditions imposed on Antony by the conspirators before permitting him to speak at Caesar’s funeral?
Ans: After the assassination of Caesar, the situation of Rome became chaotic. Caesar was a popular ruler and the Romans loved him so dearly. The Romans regarded him a great patriot. So the conspirators had to justify the assassination of Caesar. Brutus delivered a long speech and tried to justify the assassination. But the conspirators thought that if Antony spoke, the Romans would be easily convinced. So the conspirators asked Antony to deliver a speech but he was not permitted to speak anything against the conspirators. He was permitted to speak everything in admiration of Caesar. The conspirators also imposed the condition that Antony had to proclaim in his speech that he was speaking to them with the permission of the conspirators. Actually the conspirators wanted to make their good image in the eyes of the RomAnswer: They also wanted to keep control on Antony as he was a great orator.