Act lII Scene (iii)

A. Readthe extracts given below and answer the questions that follow :
1. Cinna. I dreamt to-night that Idid feast with Caesat,
And things unluckily charge my fantasy.
Ihave no will towonder forth of doors,
Yet something leads me forth.
Lines. 1-4
Meanings: (9things unluckily - unfortunate influences. (i) fantasy - dream. (ü) will - desire.
(ir) wander - go.
Q.L Towhom does Cinna say these words ? When ? Where ?
Ans. Gnna speaksthese words aloud to himself in a street in Rome. He was a poet and a
friend of Caesar and is on his way to Caesar's funeral.
QIL What: makes him step out of his home ? Why had he been hesitant to do s0 ?
Ans,Cinna had dreamt that Caesar had wanted him to dine with him but he had declined.
Caesar had grown impatient and forced him, leading him by his hand against his wishes.
When Cinna arose in the morning he had been upset at remembering his dream. Afraid
that some misfortune was about to happen Cinna had been reluctant to step out of his
house but he seemed to be under the influence of some evil spirit that had "led" him out
of his houSe and towards Caesar's funeral.
QI. Explain, "charge my fantasy."
Ans. Cinna had dreamt that Caesar had desired him to have supper with him and when he
refused he had compelled him. Cinna had risen in the moming with an uneasy premonition
of disaster and did not want to leave his house. The term "charge my fantasy" refers to
the premonitions of some mishap that had preoccupied Cinna's mind. It also meant that
Cinna had seen some things of ill fortune that confirmed his imaginings.
Q.IV. What questions does the mob ask him ? What does he say ?
Ans. When Cinna leaves his house and goes out in the street he comes across the angry mob.
They ask him his name and when he tells them his name they mistake him for Cinna, one
of theconspirators. He tells them that he was apoet and Caesar's friend but they scream,
"tear him for his bad verses." Theyeven ask him whether he was a bachelor or not and
that he should answer each man briefly, sensibly and wisely. They scream that even if he
is not aconspirator they should tear his name from his heart. They tear him to pieces and
Cinna's premonition of amisfortune proves to be true.
Q. What is the mob's reaction to his answer? Why do they react in this manner ?
Ans. The mob is in amad frenzy. Even when Cinna tells them that he was Caesar's friends and
a poet they shout that they must tear him for his bad verses. They tell him that even
though he was not one of the conspirators yet he bore the name Cinna which should be
plucked from his heart. They are mindless and their only aim is to kill the conspirators.
Ihey do not listen to any sense. They are having only one aim and that is to revolt and
avenge the death of Caesar.
2. Second Citizen. It is no matter, his name's Cinna ; pluck but his name out of his
heart, and turn him going,
Lines. 36-37.
anings: () No matter -of no consequence. (ii) pluck-tear off. (ii) turn fire him going -send
him away.
Omprelersion Passages 223 Arun Deep's I.C.S.E. JuBius Caesar
 When ? Where
0.1. To whom does the second citizen say these words ?
Ans. The second citizen saysthese words to the others when Cinna tells them that he
He was Caesars
a conspirator even though his name was Cinna. him to be one of friend.
The
surrounded Cinna in the street and have mistaken the mob has
Q. II. Where does Cinna say he was going ? conspirators.
Ans. Cinna tells the people in the crowd that he was going to attend Caesar's funeral.
Q. IIl. What happens when he tells them his name ? Why ? of
Ans. When Cinna tells them his name they mistake himhisfor one the conspirators
same name. One of the men inthe mob on hearing name screams, "Tear with th.
him
to
'he's a conspirator." Cinna was also the name of one of aesar's murderers piee
Q. IV. What does this passage reveal about the mob ?
madness of the mob. They have no
Ans. This passage reveals the mindlessness and
and are a slave to their emotions. They do not even think sensibly before reasoring
innocent man. They have turned mad and blood -thirsty intheir desire for murrevenge.
deringWe
at
realise that not only was the Roman mob fickle, they could also bbe manipulated anyone
by
and would go to any extreme without thinking rationally.
B. Read Act III scene (iii) carefully and answer the questions below precisely.
0.I. What does Cinna say he had dreamt ?What made him uneasy ?Why had he stepped
out into the streets ?
Ans. Cinna haddreamt that Caesar had come to him to ask him to dine with him. Cinna refused
but Caesar did not listen and compelled him by leading him by his hand against his wish.
Cinna had apremonition on waking up in the morning that some misfortune was going
to happen. So he did not want to go out. But it seemed to him as if some evil spirits had
taken control of him and were leading him out of his house.He left his house to go to
Caesar's funeral.
Q. IL What is the significance of this short scene in the play ?
Ans. The significance of this scene is in its dramatisation of the violent effect that Antony's
speech had on the Roman mob. The mob had become mad and senseless with anger.
They killed an innocent man without any provocation and reason. Their emotions had
enslaved them and they could go to any irrational extent. They butcher Cinna even when
he tells them that he was not a conspirator. Asensitive poet becomes the victim of the
violent and senseless crowd.
Q. IL. Why do the citizens ask Cinna, all the questions they do ?
Ans. The citizens ask Cinna many questions because they mistake him to be one of the
conspirators and they want to find out his 'identity'.
Q. IV. What sort of a mood are they in ?
Ans. The mob is in a frenzy of madness and have become senseless with anger. They murue
an innocent poet just because he bears the name of one of the conspirators. Iney
anyway
maddened with the desire for revenge and want to destroy everything linkedin
with the assassins.
Q. V. Why do they kill Cinna ? violent
Ans. The mob is angry and want to kill anyone linked with the murderers. They arenameas
and senselessly brutal. When they come across Cinna, a poet who bears the samer them
one of the conspirators they brutally and mindlessly kill him even when he tells
emotions
that he was a poet and not one of the
conspirators. They are a mobguided by their
and have been incited into losing their complacent attitude.
Comprehension Passages L.CS.E.JuliusCaes
224 Arun Deep's
 does.
tell
this scene
us about the events to follow ?
Hhal
wehad seen a
different picture of the mob. They had reflected a calm, complacent
2
12.Tillnos
acceptance ofevents. But now they are violent and blood -thirsty and reflect
andàan that would happen in the future. Their mood is a
4ns mod
irational violence of the events
retlectionof,howthe terrible and frightening prophecies and fears of the previous scenes
the
be fulfilled. Their acts of violence and senseless brutality are a forerunner of the
aret o destruction that the people of Rome are going to suffer in the
bloody civil wars and
future.
DneralCOmments:

depictstheeeeffects of Antony's speech on the Roman mob. His passionate appeal

Thesene a subdued and easily influenced public into afrenzied and violent mob. They
transtorms
have discarded their calm, complacent acceptance of events for a brutal and bloody
emotional mass hysteria. Their only motive is revenge and they murder an innocent man
senselessly just because he bore the same name as one of the conspirators. Tear him !
Bum;Kill!"are the slogans they shout while on a rampage. The violenead senselessness
oftheir actions reflects the bloody fulfillment of the prophecies of the earlier scenes.