Work to be done in Literature notebooks

Leadership & Power

1. What makes someone a good leader? Give examples of leaders you admire (real or fictional) and explain why they stand out.

2. If you were in charge of your school for a day, what rules would you make or change? Why?

3. Can a person with too much power become dangerous? Why or why not? Give an example to support your answer.

Friendship & Loyalty

4. Would you tell the truth if it meant losing a friend? Why or why not?

5. Write about a time when you had to choose between standing by someone or doing what you thought was right.

Betrayal & Trust

6. What does “betrayal” mean to you? Describe a time you saw or read about someone being betrayed. How did it affect the people involved?

7. Is it ever okay to betray someone for the greater good? Explain your thinking.

Ambition & Choices

8. Would you rather be loved or feared as a leader? Why?

9. Have you ever made a choice that changed how people saw you? What happened, and would you do it again?

Persuasion & Public Opinion

10. Have you ever been persuaded to change your mind? What convinced you?

After reading create summary points.

Character Interview: Marullus and the Cobbler

(Watch and make video notes in your Literature notebook)

Key Points / Plot in Act 1, Scene 1 (from the Video)

1. Setting & Chaos in Rome: The scene opens amid a public celebration. Caesar has just returned victorious, and there’s a festive mood among the common people. YouTube

2. Conflict between Tribunes and Commoners: Two tribunes (Flavius and Marullus) confront the crowd. They are upset with the commoners for celebrating Caesar so loudly, putting up decorations, etc. They believe this kind of celebration threatens the Republic or Caesar’s growing power. YouTube

3. Removal of Decorations: The tribunes order the removal of decorations honoring Caesar. This is symbolic of trying to reduce public adoration and curb Caesar’s influence.

Themes / Key Character Insights Highlighted

• Power & Popularity: The video shows how Caesar’s popularity is immediately clear—people are celebrating him, making holiday. This reveals how influence works in public spaces in Rome. YouTube

• Anxiety about Ambition & Tyranny: The tribunes represent those uneasy with Caesar’s rise. Their actions show a fear that too much popularity / public worship can translate into tyranny or loss of republican freedom. YouTube

• Conflict between Public Sentiment and Political Order: The commoners love Caesar; the tribunes believe political stability depends on limiting that love. Thus early tension between what the people want vs. what some of the elite believe is best for the state.

Why This Scene Is Important?

• Sets up major conflicts for the rest of the play: ambition vs. public good; individual vs. state; popularity vs. virtue.

• Introduces key characters (Flavius, Marullus, the commoners) and shows different perspectives in Rome: loyalty, celebration, criticism.

• The removal of decorations is symbolic of the power struggle: what you see in public, what you show, matters a lot in political power.