Julius Caesar Act 3 summary
Aiman Kashif Bhutto
Julius Caesar Act 3 summary
Act III of Julius Caesar might be considered the
climax, or most intense part or the play, because
this is where all of Brutus' conflict comes to a
head. It is also the longest act of the play. The act
begins with Caesar's arrival in the Capitol. Almost
immediately, he is approached by Artemidorus,
who offers him a letter of warning about the
conspirators. He begs Caesar to take the letter
because it pertains to his well-being. However,
saying that his personal matters are the least of
his concerns, Caesar refuses to take the letter.
Meanwhile, one man wishes Brutus and Cassius
good luck in their "enterprise," causing Cassius to
wonder if their plans have been discovered.
One of the conspirators pulls Antony away on business so that he won't
interfere in the conspiratorial plans. Once inside the Capitol, the
conspirators immediately begin to petition for the return of Metellus'
brother, whom Caesar had banished from Rome. This is all intended as a
means of distracting Caesar. While some of the senators are begging from
their knees, Casca positions himself behind Caesar and stabs him. The
other conspirators stab Caesar as well. Dramatically, the last person to
stab Caesar is Brutus. Caesar cries out, "Et tú, Brute?" which is Latin for
"And you too, Brutus?" This statement fully conveys his surprise that his
dearest of friends has taken part in his murder. After Caesar falls,
Brutus immediately and calmly takes control of the situation. He tells the
conspirators to wash their hands in Caesar's blood so that they may walk
through the streets and show they are not ashamed to take credit for what
they have done. This moment immediately call to mind Calpurnia's dream.
Shortly after this, Brutus receives word from Antony that he is unwilling to
come to the Capitol unless he may be assured that the conspirators will
not attack him as well. Brutus sends his assurances through a servant. A
time later, Antony arrives. Antony is clearly grief stricken at the loss.
Brutus tries to assure him that Caesar's murder was in the best interest of
Rome. Antony requests permission to speak at Caesar's funeral. Brutus
agrees, but Cassius pulls him aside to caution Brutus. Cassius fears that
Antony may do something to incite the commoners against them. Brutus
reassures Cassius, saying he will speak to the commoners first and explain
their intentions. Cassius, satisfied, relents.
Brutus then gives Antony several conditions he just abide by if he is to
speak at the funeral. First, he must say that he speaks with the permission
of the conspirators. Secondly, he may not say anything bad about the
conspirators. Finally, he must say plenty of kind things about Caesar.
Antony agrees to all of these conditions. Brutus and Cassius depart,
leaving Antony with Caesars body. In a soliloquy, Antony reveals how he
truly feels and how he hates to be making peace with the conspirators.
Aft the end of the scene, a messenger arrives to inform Antony that
Octavius, Caesar's nephew is approaching Rome. Antony sends a
messenger to him, advising him to stay out of Rome for the time being
because it could be dangerous for him. In the second scene, Brutus and
Antony both gives speeches at Caesar's funeral. As he assured Cassius he
would, Brutus speaks first to the congregation of commoners who have
gathered at Caesar's funeral. In his speech, he tries to explain why he
killed Caesar, telling the crowd to trust him because of the Honor they
know he possesses. He goes on to say that he killed Caesar because he
loved Rome more than he loved Caesar. Essentially, he says was afraid
that Caesar would become a tyrant. The crowd seems to understand his
motives. Having said all of this, Brutus departs, and Antony takes the
stage. Antony gives a powerful and moving speech at this point.
Throughout the speech, he does not speak ill of conspirators, just as he
promised. However, he frequently refers to Brutus and the conspirators as
"honorable men" which he clearly means in a bitterly sarcastic way.
Antony, in fact, gives several reasons why Caesar was not ambitious, such
as his clear sympathy for the poor and the fact that he gave his exploits
from war to benefit Rome. He also reminds the crowd that Caesar refused
the crown three times. Antony asks: how is this ambitious? The
commoners begin to discuss everything Antony has said, and they begin
to agree with him. Then, Antony shows the crowd Caesar's will, which he
found at Caesar's home. The commoners beg him to read it. Finally,
Antony goes to stand by the body of Caesar, and the people gather
around him. He points out all the places that Caesar was stabbed,
reminding the crowd how Brutus's stab must have tormented Caesar.
The people are further agitated at this, and yet Antony urges them not to
mutiny against the "honorable men" of the conspiracy. Instead, he
reminds the commoners that he still has the will. He reads it to them.
Caesar has left all of his property and personal wealth to the Roman
citizens. This act of generosity drives the people of Rome to action, and
the people storm off to
search for the conspirators. As they wreak havoc on the city, Antony
predicts
a civil war will happen soon.
At the end of the scene, a servant arrives to tell Antony that Octavius
has
arrived in Rome. Additionally, the servant reports that Brutus and Cassius
have fled Rome.
The final act of the play gives the audience a glimpse at exactly what
Antony has done by stirring the people to action. The people riot through
the
streets, searching for the conspirators. In particular, some commoners
come
across one man who has the misfortune of having the same name as one
of
the conspirators. Though he is Cinna the poet, they mistake him for Cina
the
conspirator. They cry for his punishment, despite his protests.
This act is perhaps the most dramatic in the play. It shows not only
Caesar's death but also his shock at his dear friend Brutus' participation in
his murder. It is certainly a humanizing moment for Caesar. The addition
of
Caesar's will and its content also shows that perhaps Brutus was wrong in
his
assessment of Caesar. Caesar left all of his belongings to the Roman
people
and, as Antony points out, this doesn't seem like something a tyrant
would
do.
Additionally, one of the themes of the play is the power of rhetoric, or
words. The audience has already seen the power of words with Cassius'
convincing Brutus to join the conspiracy. This theme is most prominent in
the
funeral speeches delivered by Brutus and Antony. Brutus is, at first, able
to
win the crowd over with his argument in which he logically lays out his
reasons for murdering Caesar. However, when Antony steps in, the
commoners immediately take his side. Antony's speech, though it follows
all
of Brutus' guidelines, is emotionally evocative. With his repetition of the
phrase "honorable men," he shows, ironically, that the conspirator’s
actions
were not honorable. Antony claims that he his no great orator, or public
speaker, but clearly the opposite is true. He completely uses his words to
turn the people against Brutus.
This act also continues to characterize Brutus. His judgment is clearly
flawed. He blindly trusts Antony, ignoring Cassius advice on two occasions
about him. In the end, Brutus' tendency toward mercy and justice comes
back to bite him. By not killing Antony and by allowing Antony to speak at
Caesar's funeral, he essentially shoots himself in the foot. The rest of the
play does not bode well for him.
Question N Answers
Here are some important questions
with answers from Act 3 of Julius
Caesar – including Scene 1 (the
assassination) and Scene 2 (the
funeral speeches). These are useful for
exams or understanding key ideas.
📘 ACT 3 – Important Questions &
Answers
🔴 1. Why do the conspirators
assassinate Julius Caesar?
Answer:
They believe Caesar is becoming too
ambitious and will become a tyrant,
destroying the freedom of Rome. They
think killing him is for the good of the
republic.
🔵 2. What are Caesar’s last words?
What do they mean?
Answer:
“Et tu, Brute?—Then fall, Caesar.”
These Latin words mean “You too,
Brutus?” Caesar is shocked that his
close friend Brutus is part of the
betrayal. After that, he accepts his fate
and dies.
🔴 3. How does Brutus justify
Caesar’s murder to the Roman
people?
Answer:
Brutus tells the crowd that he loved
Caesar, but he loved Rome more. He
says Caesar was too ambitious and
would have enslaved the citizens. Killing
Caesar was necessary to save the
republic and protect their freedom.
🔵 4. What is the purpose of Antony’s
funeral speech?
Answer:
Antony wants to honor Caesar, but
more importantly, he wants to turn the
people against the conspirators.
Through sarcasm, emotion, and
manipulation, he makes the people
doubt Brutus and feel anger toward
the killers.
🔴 5. What is the effect of Antony’s
repeated line, “Brutus is an
honourable man”?
Answer:
At first, it seems like praise, but Antony
repeats it sarcastically. It becomes
clear he’s mocking Brutus and making
the crowd question his honor and the
justification for Caesar’s murder.
🔵 6. How does the crowd react after
Antony’s speech?
Answer:
The crowd becomes furious and
emotional. They feel betrayed and
sympathetic to Caesar. They rise up in
rebellion, seeking revenge against the
conspirators.
🔴 7. What does Caesar leave for the
citizens in his will?
Answer:
Caesar leaves 75 drachmas (silver
coins) to each Roman citizen and gives
his private gardens and orchards for
public use. This act shows he loved the
people, and Antony uses it to turn
them against the conspirators.
🔵 8. What is the significance of Act 3
in the play?
Answer:
Act 3 is the turning point of the play.
Caesar is killed, and Brutus and
Antony give speeches that shift the
public mood. It marks the beginning
of chaos and civil war in Rome.
Sure! Here are more important
questions and answers from Act 3 of
Julius Caesar (both long and short
answers):
📘 More Questions and Answers – Act
3
🔹 Short Answer Questions
1. What role does Antony’s sarcasm
play in his speech?
Answer:
Antony uses sarcasm, especially by
repeating “Brutus is an honourable
man,” to make the crowd doubt the
conspirators’ intentions. His sarcasm
slowly turns public opinion against
Brutus and the others.
2. Why does Antony mention
Caesar’s will to the crowd?
Answer:
Antony uses the will to show how
generous Caesar was. It makes the
people feel that Caesar truly cared for
them, which increases their anger
against the conspirators.
3. What mistake does Brutus make
after Caesar’s assassination?
Answer:
Brutus allows Antony to speak at
Caesar’s funeral, believing Antony will
not cause trouble. This is a major
mistake because Antony’s speech turns
the public against Brutus and the
conspirators.
4. How does the crowd react at the
end of the funeral speeches?
Answer:
The crowd becomes angry and violent.
They call the conspirators traitors and
start a mob, destroying property and
attacking anyone connected to the
conspirators.
5. What does Antony mean when he
says, “You are not wood, you are
not stones, but men”?
Answer:
Antony tells the crowd they should not
be emotionless like wood or stone.
He’s urging them to feel anger and
act, stirring their emotions and
preparing them for rebellion.
🔸 Long Answer Questions
6. Compare the speeches of Brutus
and Antony. How are they different
in tone and effect?
Answer:
Brutus speaks in a logical and calm
tone, appealing to the people's reason.
He justifies Caesar’s death as necessary
for freedom.
Antony speaks with emotion and irony,
slowly planting doubt. He praises
Caesar’s good deeds, uses sarcasm,
and shows the will to make the people
angry.
While Brutus tries to defend his
actions, Antony attacks indirectly and
is more successful in swaying the
crowd.
7. How does Act 3 mark a turning
point in the play?
Answer:
Act 3 is the climax of the play. Caesar is
assassinated, and the political power
shifts. Brutus tries to calm the people,
but Antony's speech reignites loyalty
to Caesar. The people riot, and Rome
moves toward civil war. This scene
marks the start of the fall of Brutus
and the rise of chaos in Rome.
8. Why does Antony not attack the
conspirators directly in his speech?
Answer:
Antony uses clever rhetoric. If he
directly accuses them, the crowd might
not listen. Instead, he slowly builds
sympathy for Caesar and uses
sarcasm and evidence (like the will
and cloak) to let the people draw their
own conclusions. This makes his speech
more persuasive and powerful.
