1) In Act III, scene 3, Cinna the poet Is torn to pieces by the mob. How is this scene related to the main plot of Julius Caesar? What do we need to understand about Cinna the poet so that we can grasp some of the implications of this episode, which might otherwise seem disconnected from the rest of the play? Can it also be related to the question of the play's authorship as seen in the documentary Lost Wilt and Testament?
2) Discuss the theme of writing in this play. Include, at least, the role of Cinna the conspirator and Cassius' plans at the end of 1.3 and Artimedorus' letter to Caesar in 2.3 and 3.1. What might these episodes suggest about the author's feelings about writing and written communication?
3) Examine the relationships of Portia and Brutus (esp. as revealed in 2.1) and Calpurnia and Caesar (esp. as in 2.2), the only two couples in the play. What do they have in common? Do you notice anything interesting about where these two scenes are placed in the play? I suggested earlier in lecture that Shakespeare believes in the Platonic idea that every person is composed of both male and female characteristics, and that male characters fall Into error when they lose touch with their female side. Can you apply that idea to the dynamics of these two relationships?
4) Email me a question or line of inquiry you'd like to investigate that is substantially different from the above six options. It's a good idea to be asking and trying to answer your own questions, and if youreally have a strong leading, let me know. I may ask you to refine your inquiry, or refocus it a bit, to shape it into something that will work.