Question

loves thee not: thou hast wronged caius ligarius.
there is but one mind in all these men, and it is
bent against caesar. if thou beest not immortal,
look about you: security gives way to conspiracy.
the mighty gods defend thee! thy lover,
artemidorus.
here will i stand till caesar pass along,
and as a suitor will i give him this.
my heart laments that virtue cannot live
out of the teeth of emulation.
if thou read this, o caesar, thou mayst live;
if not, the fates with traitors do contrive.

exit

directions: type your answer below the question in a different color, highlight your answer, and
type your short - constructed response below question #7.

1. according to artemidorus’s letter, what quality must caesar avoid? why?

Explanation:

Artemidorus's letter warns Caesar that those around him conspire against him. He identifies overconfidence (or excessive trust in his security/immortality) as the quality Caesar must avoid. Caesar's belief in his own invulnerability makes him overlook the conspiracy; if he stays unaware of the threat and maintains this overconfidence, he will be killed by the conspirators.

Answer:

Caesar must avoid overconfidence (or reckless trust in his perceived security/immortality). Artemidorus warns that all the men around Caesar are united in a conspiracy against him, and if Caesar acts as if he is immortal/ignores the danger, he will fall victim to the traitors and lose his life.