BRUTUS. Remember March, the ides of March, remember. 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 best interpret the allusion used in the passage? Check all that apply.

The ides means “bad news.”
The ides of March is March 15.
This is a cultural and historical allusion.
There are several references to the ides.
The ides of March signals Caesar’s death.
Shakespeare used an old method of dates.
The play was based on historical events surrounding the murder of Julius Caesar.