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Julius Caesar Act I: Cassius and Brutus | ICSE 9

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English LiteratureICSE Class 9 · Julius Caesar – Act I

Julius Caesar Act I: Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens

Updated 18 October 2026 · Fact-checked

In Act I of Julius Caesar the tribunes scold the crowd for celebrating Caesar, a Soothsayer warns Caesar to beware the Ides of March, and Cassius works on Brutus's fear that Caesar will be crowned king. Casca reports the crown offered three times, and on a night of storm and omens Cassius wins Casca and plans to draw Brutus in with forged letters.

Follow the arrows from Scene 1 to Scene 3 and notice how each event feeds the plot built on ambition and fear.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar)

Position of the Act. The chapter page says Acts I and II are the Class IX portion; Acts III to V are for Class X. Act I is the exposition. It has three scenes and plants the plot.

Scene 1. The tribunes Flavius and Marullus scold the commoners for cheering Caesar after his victory over Pompey's sons. Marullus asks what conquest Caesar brings home and reminds them how they once cheered Pompey. The tribunes plan to strip Caesar's statues of decorations, hoping to stop him flying too high like a bird whose feathers are plucked.

Scene 2, the warning. A Soothsayer cries "Beware the ides of March." Caesar dismisses him as a dreamer. This is dramatic irony.

Scene 2, the persuasion. Brutus fears the people are choosing Caesar for their king. Cassius seizes the moment. He makes Caesar seem a giant, "like a Colossus", beside small Romans, and tells how he once saved Caesar from drowning and how Caesar, ill, called for drink "as a sick girl". He says the fault is "not in our stars, / But in ourselves". Brutus promises to think.

Caesar and Casca. Caesar tells Antony he distrusts Cassius's "lean and hungry look". Casca reports in plain prose that a crown was offered three times, that Caesar refused it each time though seemingly reluctant, and that he fell in a fit.

Scene 3. On a night of storm, omens frighten Casca. Cassius treats them as warnings against Caesar, wins Casca over and plans to throw forged letters in at Brutus's window.

Themes. Ambition and fear of tyranny; manipulation; the fickle crowd; free will against fate.

Devices. Simile and hyperbole, metaphor of feathers, pathetic fallacy, soliloquy and dramatic irony.

Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar): key facts

Persuasion tools
  • Flattery
  • Envy
  • Personal stories
  • Forged letters
How Cassius wins Brutus.
Themes
  • Ambition and fear
  • Manipulation
  • Fickle crowd
  • Free will
Choose by the question.
Characters
  • Cassius shrewd and envious
  • Brutus honourable and troubled
  • Caesar proud
One trait plus evidence.
Devices
  • Hyperbole
  • Metaphor
  • Pathetic fallacy
  • Soliloquy
  • Dramatic irony
Name and effect.

How to answer Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar) questions

Use this for an extract or a motive question.

  1. 1Place the extract in its scene and state the situation.
  2. 2Identify the speaker and the person addressed.
  3. 3Explain the image or line in your own words.
  4. 4State the motive or effect on the listener.
  5. 5For a personal response give two reasons from the play.

Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar) in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A friend who plants a doubt

Suppose a classmate keeps telling the class captain that the new student is "after your job", mentioning small mistakes until the captain begins to worry.

Which character does this classmate resemble, and what method is used?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Repeated flattery and reminders.
  2. The listener is already uneasy.
  3. The speaker gains from the doubt.

Answer: The classmate resembles Cassius, who builds on Brutus's existing fear by flattery and comparison.

Memory hook: Plant a doubt, then feed it.

Tricks to remember Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar)

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • FEPL

    Flattery, Envy, Personal stories, Letters.

    Use it when: Cassius's methods.

  • Beware

    Soothsayer warns in Scene 2, ignored.

    Use it when: Dramatic irony.

  • Three crowns

    The crown is offered three times and refused.

    Use it when: Casca's report.

Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar): solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Who says it? · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Who says "Beware the ides of March"?
(a) Cassius (b) The Soothsayer (c) Casca (d) Antony

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Scene 2 (0.5)
  2. Soothsayer (0.5).

Answer: (b) The Soothsayer, as Caesar goes to the race.

Example 2: Tribunes and the crowd (3 marks) · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Why do Flavius and Marullus scold the commoners in Scene 1, and what do they plan to do?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Crowd celebrating Caesar (1)
  2. Reminder of Pompey (1)
  3. Strip statues (1).

Answer: The tribunes scold the commoners for celebrating Caesar's triumph when they once cheered Pompey. They plan to strip the decorations from Caesar's statues to check his rising pride.

Example 3: The Colossus image (4 marks) · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Explain the Colossus image and what it shows about Cassius's aim.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Meaning of Colossus (1)
  2. Comparison (1)
  3. Envy (1)
  4. Effect on Brutus (1).

Answer: A Colossus is a gigantic statue. Cassius says Caesar stands over the world like a giant while other Romans are small. The image reveals his envy, and by exaggerating Caesar's greatness he makes Brutus feel diminished and ready to act.

Example 4: Casca's report (4 marks) · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

What does Casca report about the crown, and why is his account ambiguous?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Crown offered three times (1)
  2. Refused each time (1)
  3. Seemed reluctant (1)
  4. Ambiguity (1).

Answer: Casca says the crown was offered three times and Caesar refused each time, but seemed unwilling to refuse. This leaves unclear whether Caesar truly rejects kingship, which feeds the fears of Brutus and Cassius.

Example 5: Cassius as manipulator (4 marks) · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

"Cassius is a master manipulator." Discuss, with two examples from Act I.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Judgement (1)
  2. Example one (1)
  3. Example two (1)
  4. Effect (1).

Answer: Yes. He plays on Brutus's love of Rome, compares his name with Caesar's and belittles Caesar with a personal story. Later he turns the storm into a sign against Caesar for Casca and plans forged letters. His methods fit each listener.

Where students lose marks in Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar)

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Giving only the speaker's name

    The marks lie in the explanation.

    Wrong working

    Cassius says it.

    Right working

    Cassius says it to flatter Brutus and make Caesar seem a giant.

    Do this: Add purpose.

    Usually costs: 1 mark

  • Mistake: Mixing Acts I and II

    Scenes get confused.

    Wrong working

    Portia begs in Act I.

    Right working

    Portia's plea is in Act II.

    Do this: Learn the Act events.

    Usually costs: 1 mark

  • Mistake: No evidence in a character answer

    Traits stand alone.

    Wrong working

    Cassius is clever.

    Right working

    Cassius is clever: he forges letters to move Brutus.

    Do this: Add evidence.

    Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks

Exam tips

  • Place the extract in its scene first.
  • Explain each image in your own words.
  • Link the line to the speaker's motive.
  • Keep Act I events separate from Act II.
  • Give two reasons in a personal response.

Practice questions on Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar)

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    Which of these is a theme of Act I?
    (a) Ambition and fear of tyranny (b) Love of money (c) Friendship at school (d) Travel

    Hint

    Think of what the plot sets up.

    Answer

    (a) Ambition and fear of tyranny.

  2. Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

    Why does Caesar distrust Cassius? (3 marks)

    Hint

    Quote the key phrase.

    Answer

    Caesar says Cassius has a "lean and hungry look" and thinks too much, and such men are dangerous.

  3. Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    How does the story of Caesar's fever in Spain serve Cassius's purpose? (3 marks)

    Hint

    Think of the effect on Brutus.

    Answer

    It shows Caesar as weak and ordinary in private, which makes his present greatness seem undeserved and encourages Brutus to see him as no better than other Romans.

  4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Explain the dramatic irony in Caesar's reply to the Soothsayer. (3 marks)

    Hint

    What does the audience know?

    Answer

    Caesar calls the Soothsayer a dreamer and walks on, while the audience senses the danger that the warning contains.

  5. Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Why does Cassius plan to throw letters in at Brutus's window? (3 marks)

    Hint

    Think of Brutus's character.

    Answer

    Brutus is honourable and cares for Rome, so letters seeming to come from many citizens would convince him that Rome itself wants him to act.

  6. Q6 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    "The conspiracy grows from fear of what Caesar might become, not proof of what he has done." Do you agree? Give two reasons. (4 marks)

    Hint

    Use Brutus and the tribunes.

    Answer

    Yes. Brutus fears the people will choose Caesar for their king, and the tribunes fear his pride. The crown scene is ambiguous, so there is no clear proof of tyranny; the conspirators act on fear and persuasion.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Which Acts are in Class IX?Show answer

    Acts I and II.

  2. 2.Who warns Caesar of the Ides of March?Show answer

    The Soothsayer.

  3. 3.How many times is the crown offered?Show answer

    Three.

  4. 4.Who describes Caesar as a Colossus?Show answer

    Cassius.

  5. 5.Which tribunes appear?Show answer

    Flavius and Marullus.

  6. 6.What does Cassius plan to send Brutus?Show answer

    Forged letters.

Cassius Persuades Brutus and the Omens of Act I (Julius Caesar): frequently asked questions

Is Class IX marked by CISCE?

No; the school sets the paper.

What is the extract format?

The chapter page describes 16 marks in parts of 3, 3, 3, 3 and 4.

Which edition?

The chapter page mentions the Evergreen edition may differ in spelling.