Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar during a time of great political upheaval. Indeed, the queen who reigned when he
crafted the play, Elizabeth I, was the daughter of a queen
whose life ended, like that of so many political figures from
the English Reformation, on the execution block.
In Julius Caesar, the character Cassius asks, after the
assassination of Caesar, "How many ages hence / Shall
this our lofty scene be acted over / In states unborn and
accents yet unknown!” He is clearly anticipating
Shakespeare's own time.
Which statement most accurately describes the inference the author is
making and the historical context on which the inference is based?
A. The inference is that Cassius is referencing Shakespeare's time,
and the historical context is the English Reformation.
B. The inference is the execution of Queen Elizabeth's mother, and
the historical context is Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
C. The inference is Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, and the
historical context is the quote by the character Cassius.
D. The inference is the personality and motives of Cassius, and the
historical context is the execution of Queen Elizabeth I.