Question

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.

a) Whom is Caesar speaking to? Why does he say these words?
b) What fears has the listener expressed?
c) What is the basis for the fears expressed?

Answer 1

(a) Caesar is speaking to his wife, Calpurnia. Calpurnia expresses her fears to him that she has seen a bad dream and Caesar should not go out. Caesar, being brave, does not agree with her and says these words to make her understand the futility of her dreams.

(b) The listener has expressed the fear of Caesar being killed by somebody.

(c) The speaker, Calpurnia, has seen most unnatural things in the dream like a lioness yelping, blood drizzling frormsky; ghost shrieking, etc. that makes her request Caesar to stay at home and not go out.