MCQ's (with Solutions) - Julius Caesar

Read the following and write the most appropriate option from the ones given to you :

1. Calpurnia : When beggars die, there are no comets seen, the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
 Caesar : Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.

(i) Why does Calpurnia make the above observation?

(a) She is a coward

(b) She is unsure of Caesar's capability

(c) She wishes to stop Caesar from going to the senate

(d) She is superstitious

(ii) How do heavens differentiate between the death of a prince and a beggar?

(a) Heavens are indifferent

(b) There are ill omens when the mighty are going to fall

(c) Beggars and poor are given special preference

(d) It is the duty of Heavens to show some omens

(iii) What is Caesar's logic for not fearing death?

(a) Brave do not think of death

(b) Brave are always ready to die

(c) Brave are always thinking of death

(d) Death always favours the brave

(iv) What does the above conversation reflect about Caesar's character?

(a) proud

(b) selfless

(c) fearless

(d) superstitious

Answers :

(i) (c)

(ii) (b)

(iii) (a)

(iv) (c)

2. Your statue spouting blood in many pipes
 In which so many smiling Roman's bathed
 Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
 Reviving blood, and that great man shall press
 For tinctures, stains, relics and cognisance.

(i) Who is the speaker and who is being addressed here?

(a) Caesar-Calpurnia

(b) Caesar-Antony

(c) Decius-Caesar

(d) Calpurnia-Decius

(ii) What is the context of this speech?

(a) Calpurnia's dream

(b) Caesar's statue spouting blood

(c) Caesar's visit to Senate

(d) Some personal problem between Caesar and Calpurnia

(iii) How will Rome be benefitted as a result?

(a) Caesar's enemies will decrease

(b) He will become more powerful

(c) Rome will gain strength and sustenance from Caesar

(d) Caeser will exploit the weak.

(iv) What is the effect of this speech on the listener?

(a) Caesar is shocked

(b) Calpurnia is amazed

(c) Caesar looks up to Decius in disbelief

(d) Caesar is full of praise for Decius

Answers :

(i) (c)

(ii) (b)

(iii) (c)

(iv) (d)

3. I must prevent thee, Cimber.
 These couchings and these lowly courtesies
 Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
 And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
 into the laws of children.

(i) What is the reason for this speech?

(a) Caesar's anger at Cimber's request

(b) Caesar's politeness to pardon Cimber's
brother

(c) Cimber's audacity to provoke Caesar

(d) Caesar's ignorance of the rules of Rome.

(ii) What kind of behaviour is disliked by the speaker?

(a) giving compliments

(b) bowing and bending to impress

(c) acts of cowardice

(d) acts of defiance and opposition

(iii) What is the speaker's conception of law?

 (a) Laws are a child's play

(b) Laws cannot be changed at will

(c) Laws should be flexible

(d) Laws can be bent to save the guilty

(iv) What light does the above speech throw on his character?

(a) kind and compassionate

(b) anthoritative

(c) strict and law-abiding

(d) fickle-minded

(v) What is the reason for Cimber's behaviour?

(a) He is afraid of Caesar

(b) He wishes to plead for his brother

(c) He wishes to lay a trap for Caesar

(d) He hates Caesar

Answers : 

(i) (c)

(ii) (b)

(iii) (b)

(iv) (c)

(v) (c)

4. O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
 That I am meek and gentle with these batchers
 Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
 that ever lived in the tide of times.
 woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
 over thy wounds now do I prophecy, -
 [C.B.S.E. 2012 (T-2)]

(i) Who is referred to as 'bleeding piece of earth'?

(a) Rome

(b) Caesar's dead body

(c) Brutus

(d) Caesar's home

(ii) What crime have the 'Butchers' committed?

(a) tyranny against Rome

(b) Shed blood of Romans

(c) killed Caesar

(d) looted the coffers of Rome

(iii) The speaker is full of grief at the death of Caesar, but his behaviour is very meek and gentle towards the conspirators? Why?

(a) He is afraid of them

(b) His own life is in danger

(c) He wishes to sidetrack them

(d) He is calm by nature

(iv) What prophecy does the speaker make?

(a) Rome will be destroyed

(b) Caesar will be grieved

(c) Conspirators will meet their doom soon

(d) Rome will not be at peace ever

(v) Who are the conspirators?

(a) Brutus and Antony

(b) Cassius and Brutus

(c) Caesar and Calpurnia

(d) Antony and Cimber

Answers :

(i) (b)

(ii) (c)

(iii) (c)

(iv) (c)

(v) (b)

5. Brutus:
 Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
 Rome more.
 Had you rather Caesar were living and die all
 slaves, than that
 Caesar were dead, to live all free man? As
 Caesar loved me
 I weep for him, as he was fortunate, I rejoice at
 it, as he was valiant, I honour him.

(i) Why does Brutus make the above speech?

(a) To plead and justify himself

(b) to provoke the conspirator

(c) he is afraid of Mark Antony

(d) he wishes to prove his nobility

(ii) Why does Brutus need to reaffirm and emphasise his love for Caesar?

(a) He was considered Caesar's best friend

(b) No one could ever associate him with murder

(c) He was weak

(d) He wished to prove his love for Rome

(iii) What reasons does Brutus offer for killing Caesar?

(a) Caesar was too dominating

(b) Roman liberty and democracy were at stake under Caesar

(c) Caesar was too strict in implementing laws

(d) He was ruthless and unkind

(iv) Mention a praiseworthy quality of Caesar which Brutus speaks about despite killing him.

(a) Authoritative

(b) Ruthless

(c) Brave

(d) Kind

(v) How important was honour to Brutus?

(a) important

(b) most important

(c) least important

(d) indifferent to it

Answers :

(i) (a)

(ii) (d)

(iii) (b)

(iv) (c)

(v) (b)

6. Mark Antony :
 But Brutus says he was ambitious,
 And Brutus is an honourable man.
 He hath brought many captives home to Rome
 Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill;
 Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?

(i) Why does Mark Antony keep repeating that 'Brutus is an honourable man'?

(a) Because his is clever

(b) Not to sound disagreeable to the crowd

(c) Because he is patriotic

(d) Because he respects Brutus

 (ii) Quote one example from the above speech that is in praise of Caesar?

(a) he waged wars

(b) punished the captives of war

(c) filled the coffers of Rome by bringing captives to Rome

(d) he was ambitious

(iii) Mark Antony's conception of 'ambitious' is to have

(a) selfish motives

(b) materialistic gains

(c) wage wars

(d) love for Rome

(iv) What attitude of Mark Antony is reflected by the above speech?

(a) cleverness
(b) great oratorial skills
(c) bravery
(d) vanity

Answers :

(i) (a)

(ii) (c)

(iii) (d)

(iv) (b)

7. Antony :
 But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar;
 I found it in his closet, 'tis his will : ..............
 which, pardon me, I don't mean to read -
 And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds
 And dip their napkins in his sacred blood.

(i) What secret does Antony reveal to the people of Rome?

(a) That Caesar left a will for Romans to read

(b) That Caesar was a very honest man

(c) That Caesar was misguided

(d) That Caesar stabbed Rome in the back

(ii) What would be the effect of Caesar's will?

(a) Romans would protest and revolt against the conspirators

(b) They will feel guilty

(c) They will feel happy at Caesar's death

(d) They will kiss Caesar's wounds

(iii) Why does Antony show hesitation in reading Caesar's will?

(a) He does not wish to reveal the will

(b) He is unhappy at Caesar's will

(c) It is a part of his acting and pretension

(d) He does not wish Romans to know about it

(iv) What are the contents of Caesar's will?

(a) Caesar wished to be remembered as a hero

(b) Caesar wished his statue to be built in the centre of Rome

(c) He had left all his money, perks etc. for Romans

(d) He had left everything to Calpurnia

Answers :

(i) (a)

(ii) (b)

(iii) (c)

(iv) (c)

8. Antony :

Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up To such a sudden flood of mutiny

They that have done this deed are honourable What private griefs they have, alas, I know not That made them do it.

(i) What is the occasion of Mark Antony's speech?

(a) Caesar's birthday

(b) Anniversary of Roman invasion

(c) Caesar's murder

(d) Antony's celebration

(ii) What does the use of 'stir' and 'muting' reveal about the purpose of Antony's speech?

(a) It is a wake-up case for Romans

(b) He wants them to rise up and revolt

(c) He wants most of them to bow before Caesar's statue

(d) He does not want anything from the Romans

(iii) What is meant by 'private griefs'?

(a) virtues

(b) personal problems

(c) professional jealousy

(d) treason against Rome

(iv) Who are the 'sweet friends' Antony wishes to address?

(a) Brutus and Cassius

(b) Romans

(c) Decius

(d) Calpurnia and Caesar's relatives

Answers : 

(i) (c)

(ii) (b)

(iii) (b)

(iv) (b)

9. If there by any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's to him I say, that Brutus' love to Ceasar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer. Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?

(i) Why according to Brutus, did he kill Caesar?

(a) Brutus wanted to save Rome from slavery

(b) Brutus hated Caesar.

(c) Cassius forced Brutus to kill Caesar

(d) Brutus himself wanted to become the king of Rome.

(ii) How does Brutus justify the assassination of Caesar?

(a) Brutus said that Caesar was ambitious.

(b) Brutus said that he would enslave Rome.

(c) Brutus said that he would become a tyrant.

(d) All of the above

(iii) How did the mob react to the speech given by Brutus?

(a) The mob revolted against Brutus.

(b) The mob agreed with Brutus' decision.

(c) The mob criticised Brutus' decision

(d) None of the above.

Answers : 

(i) (a)

(ii) (d)

(iii) (b)

(iv) (b)

10. You know not what you do. Do not Consent that Antony speak in his funeral.

(i) _____ funeral is being talked about.

(a) Cassius's
(b) Caesar's
(c) Brutus's
(d) none of the above

(ii) The person had been____

(a) killed in the war

(b) poisoned

(c) killed by his own friends

(d) killed by a wild animal

(iii) The speaker did not want Antony to speak because :

(a) he was not a good speaker.

(b) he might instigate the public.

(c) he will not let anyone else speak.

(d) none of the above.

Answers :

(i) (b)

(ii) (c)

(iii) (b)

11. Calpurnia : What mean you, Caesar? Think you to work forth? You shall not stir of your house today
 Caesar : Caesar shall forth.

(i) Calpurnia stopped Caesar from going out of the house because

(a) Caesar's enemies were out to kill him

(b) Caesar war not well

(c) Calpurnia saw Caesar being killed in her dream

(d) it was raining heavily

(ii) Caesar wanted to go out of the house because

(a) he didn't care about his wife

(b) he wanted to throw the enemies of Rome out of the country

(c) he was worried about the safety of the common man

(d) he had to attend an important meeting

 (iii) These lines tell us about Caesar that he

(a) was a superstitious person

(b) was a coward

(c) was proud

(d) was soft-hearted

Answers :

(i) (c)

(ii) (c)

(iii) (c)

12. Caesar, I have never stood on ceremonies, Yet now they fright me

(i) _____ who says these words to Caesar?

(a) Calpurnia, his wife

(b) Decius

(c) The watchman

(d) Antony

(ii) What does this tell us about the character of the speaker?

(a) He / She is nervous

(b) He / She is superstitious

(c) He / She is rational

(d) He / She is strong and bold

(iii) They in the above extract refer to some sights seen by his wife. What are they?

(a) graves opening and yielding the dead

(b) lightning shattering the skies

(c) a lioness giving birth in the street

(d) all of the above

Answers :

(i) (a)

(ii) (b)

(iii) (d)