The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare: Act 3.2-3.3
Question 5 • CREDIT RECOVERY - ELA 9 - Summer
Read the excerpt below from act 3.1 of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and answer the question that follows. CAESAR:I could be well moved if I were as you.If I could pray to move, prayers would move me.But I am constant as the Northern Star,Of whose true fixed and resting qualityThere is no fellow in the firmament . . . .So in the world: ‘tis furnished well with men,And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;Yet in the number I do know but oneThat unassailable holds on his rank,Unshaked of motion; and that I am he . . . . How does Shakespeare’s use of the specific simile “I am constant as the Northern Star” support the statements he makes in the rest of his speech?
Answer
A
Caesar says that he’s constant like the Northern Star but that he can change his mind depending on what other men say or do.
B
Caesar says that he is never set like the Northern Star, but instead, he likes to change his mind and actions just like other men do.
C
Caesar says that he’s as constant as the Northern Star set in the sky, and he talks about the ways he differs from other men by being constant.
D
Caesar says that he’s not set like the Northern Star, and he talks about the ways he is like other men by being constant.
Explanation
Caesar compares himself to the Northern Star because it appears fixed and unchanging. He then says that although other men are made of “flesh and blood” and can be moved, he alone remains “unshaked of motion.” This supports choice C: Caesar claims he is constant and unlike other men in that respect.
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