Welcome to our blog post dedicated to dissecting Act 3, Scene 3 of William Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Julius Caesar. As avid learners and educators, we understand the importance of grasping the nuances of Shakespearean literature, and that’s why we’ve curated this comprehensive guide specifically tailored to the ICSE curriculum.
In this blog, we’ll delve into the depths of Act 3, Scene 3, utilizing the meticulously crafted workbook provided by Morning Star publishers. Our aim is to not only provide you with multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and long-form answers but also to empower you with a deeper understanding of the themes, characters, and language intricacies within this iconic play.
It’s important to note that while we offer structured responses based on the workbook, we encourage students to use this resource as a foundation for their own exploration. Shakespeare’s works are renowned for their richness and versatility, allowing ample room for interpretation and analysis. Therefore, feel free to adapt and modify our insights to suit your individual learning style and requirements.
So, whether you’re a student looking to ace your exams or a literature enthusiast eager to unravel the mysteries of Julius Caesar, join us on this enlightening journey through Act 3, Scene 3. Let’s embark on an adventure where words transcend time, and the legacy of Shakespeare continues to captivate minds across generations.
( Updated For ICSE 2026 Session )
Table of Contents
Workbook Summary :
The scene of Caesar’s assassination is a brutal one, but, if anything, this little of the circumstances in which Cinna, the Poet is lynched by the mob whom Antony scene is still more terrible. What intensifies its terrible nature is the cruel comedy has let loose on Rome.
Like Calpurnia, Cinna dreamt during the night of feasting with Caesar. What I might have seemed like a privilege and honour now frightens him, and yet he comes out into the streets as if still in a dream-state. The Commoners surround him demanding to know his identity, taunting and threatening him. When he declares he is a friend to Caesar, they nevertheless persist in their questioning. When he says his name is Cinna they assume he is Cinna, the conspirator and cry out Tear him to pieces!” When he protests that they have got the wrong Cinna, that he is a poet and not a politician, they ignore the distinction : “It is no matter; his name’s Cinna.” And they proceed to beat him up and probably kill him.
Workbook MCQs :
1. What did Cinna the poet dream about?
(a) Fighting with Caesar
(b) Reading poetry with Caesar
(c) Feasting with Caesar
(d) None of the above
Answer :-(c) Feasting with Caesar
2. What seemed to be an honour to Cinna now is a
(a) dream
(b) frightening situation
(c)difficulty
(d) insult
Answer :-(b) frightening situation
3. What purpose does this scene serve?
(a) It highlights the effect of Antony’s speech
(b) It signifies the love of the common man for Caesar
(c) It highlights Antony’s speech
(d )All of the above.
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
4. According to a citizen, Cinna’s reply that he was a bachelor, tantamount to saying
(a) Only bachelors are trustworthy
(b) Those who marry are fools
(c) Those who are bachelors are fools
(d) None of the above
Answer :- (b) Those who marry are fools
5. Cinna was lynched by the mob because he had
(a) brutality as Cinna, the conspirator
(b) grudge against the conspirators
(c) same name as Cinna the conspirator
(d) None of the above
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
Workbook Questions :
Question No: 1
Cinna
I dreamt tonight that I did feast with Caesar,
And things unluckily charge my fantasy.
I have no will to wander forth of doors,
Yet something leads me forth.
(i) Who was Cinna? Why did he wander forth? What did he dream that night?
Answer :- Cinna is a poet who shares his name with one of the conspirators who killed Caesar. Although he has no desire to go out, an inexplicable force compels him to wander. That night, he dreamt of feasting with Caesar, which was considered an ominous sign, especially in the superstitious Elizabethan era. This dream foreshadows the misfortune that awaits him, as he is later mistaken for the conspirator and killed by the mob.
(iII) Why had Cinna no will to go about? What does the extract show about superstitious attitude of the Elizabethan age?
Answer :- Cinna had no will to go out because he dreamt of feasting with Caesar, who had been assassinated. In the Elizabethan era, such dreams were often seen as bad omens, and people believed they foretold misfortune. This extract reflects the superstitious mindset of the time, where dreams and signs were taken seriously and often interpreted as warnings of impending doom or tragedy.
(iV) What type of questions did the mob ask him? What did he tell them ?
answer:- The mob asked Cinna his name, where he was going, where he lived, and whether he was married or a bachelor. Cinna answered truthfully, stating that he was a bachelor, going to Caesar’s funeral, living near the Capitol, and that his name was Cinna. Despite his honest answers, the mob, driven by irrational anger, attacks him because his name matches that of one of the conspirators.
(v) How far has Shakespeare portrayed a frenzied mob in this scene?
Answer:- Shakespeare portrays the mob as highly emotional, irrational, and violent. They act without reason or logic, driven solely by their heightened emotions. The mob’s decision to kill Cinna, an innocent poet, simply because he shares a name with a conspirator, highlights their frenzy and lack of judgment. This scene effectively captures the chaos and unpredictability of a mob driven by passion and anger.
Question No: 2
Cinna
What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell?
Am I a married man or a bachelor? Then, to answer every
man directly and briefly, wisely and truly : wisely I say,
I am a bachelor.
Second Citizen
That’s as much as to say, they are fools that marry; you’ll
bear me a bang for that, I fear.
Proceed; directly.
Cinna
Directly , I am going to Caesar’s funeral.
(i) Who asks Cinna so many questions? What has just happened that makes them confused and irrational?
Answer :- The citizens of Rome, who are part of the mob, ask Cinna these questions. They are confused and irrational due to the recent assassination of Julius Caesar and the conflicting speeches by Brutus and Antony. Antony’s speech, in particular, has stirred their emotions, turning their grief into anger and making them volatile and unpredictable.
(iI) When Cinna says he is a bachelor, the Second Citizen concludes: “they are fools that marry.” Why is this conclusion not logical?
(iII) Why was it unfortunate for the man to have Cinna as his name? How did the citizens deal with him?
Answer :- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
(iV) What does this scene tell us about the events to follow?
answer:- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
(v) What is the significance of this short scene in the play? What purpose does it serve, dramatically?
Answer:- For Full Answers Get The Workbook Answers PDF – View
