BRUTUS. Remember March, the ides of March, remember.

Question

Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?

What villain touched his body, that did stab,

And not for justice? What, shall one of us,

That struck the foremost man of all this world

But for supporting robbers, shall we now

Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,

And sell the mighty space of our large honours

For so much trash as may be graspèd thus?

I had rather be a dog and bay the moon

Than such a Roman.



–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,
William Shakespeare

Which statements bestinterpret the allusion used in the passage? Choose five options.

The ides means “bad news.”
The ides of March is March 15.
This is a cultural and historical allusion.
The soothsayer is the only character to mention the ides of March.
Caesar’s death happened on the ides of March.
Shakespeare was unfamiliar with the cultural and historical meanings of the ides of March when writing his play.
The play was based on historical events surrounding the murder of Julius Caesar.

Answer 1

The five statements that best interpret the allusion used in the passage are:

1. The ides of March is March 15.
2. This is a cultural and historical allusion.
3. Caesar’s death happened on the ides of March.
4. The play was based on historical events surrounding the murder of Julius Caesar.
5. The ides means “bad news.” (While not incorrect, this is a less common interpretation; the "ides" itself refers specifically to the middle of the month, but it is often associated with foreboding in the context of the play.)

The fourth option, "The soothsayer is the only character to mention the ides of March," is incorrect since multiple characters reference it. Additionally, the statement "Shakespeare was unfamiliar with the cultural and historical meanings of the ides of March when writing his play" is not accurate, as he would have been aware of the historical context when writing.