Question

Read the excerpt below from Life of Caesar by Plutarch and answer the question that follows. At Rome, moreover, Caesar won a great and brilliant popularity by his eloquence as an advocate, and much good will from the common people for the friendliness of his manners . . . . He had also a large and gradually increasing political influence in consequence of his lavish hospitality and the general splendour of his mode of life. At first his enemies thought this influence would quickly vanish . . . . [T]he man who is thought to have been the first to see beneath the surface of Caesar’s public policy and to fear it, . . . and who comprehended the powerful character hidden beneath his kindly and cheerful exterior, namely Cicero, said that in most of Caesar’s political plans and projects he saw a tyrannical purpose . . . . Based on this excerpt, what information could Shakespeare use to construct the character of Julius Caesar? Shakespeare could not have used any of the information. Shakespeare could have only used the information about Caesar’s popularity with the common people. Shakespeare could have used the information about his personality, political influence, and tyranny. Shakespeare could only have used the information about Caesar’s enemies.

Answer 1

Shakespeare could have used the information about his personality, political influence, and tyranny.

This passage gives some really good information on Caesar's personality, which Shakespeare could have used to develop the character. Additionally, Shakespeare could have used the information about his political influence and tyranny to build the political relationships in the play.