Introduction to Julius Caesar

By William Shakespeare

Essential Skills

➢Reading verse

➢Character analysis

➢Dramatic techniques

➢Rhetorical techniques

➢Research:

○ Informative research writing

○ Persuasive research writing

About Shakespeare

➢1564-1616

➢Probably understood Latin and Greek

➢Plays were being performed in London by 1592 (age 28)

Shakespeare’s Works

➢Wrote at least 37 plays in his career (1591-1611)

➢Work evolved over time

○ Early career: history plays

○ Middle career: tragedies

○ Late career: Romances

○ Wrote comedies throughout writing career.

About Julius Caesar

➢ First performed at the Globe Theater in London, probably around 1597.

➢ About the lead up to and aftermath of a ruler’s death, which would have resonated with Elizabethan audiences.

About Julius Caesar

➢Considered a transition piece.

○ Has elements of the history plays of the 1590s

○ Has elements of the tragedies of the early 1600s

About Julius Caesar

➢Only based on the historical figure; the play is not a factual portrayal of events. ○ Shakespeare changed many

things to make it suitable for stage performance.

○ Example: Shakespeare expedited the timeline of events in order to make the narrative more compelling.

The Story

➢Setting ○ Ancient Rome

○ 44 B.C.E.

➢Rome: Capitol city of expansive Empire ○ Britain to North Africa

○ Persia to Spain

As power grew, existence became threatened

A Fight for Power

➢As the empire grew, more contenders fought to control it.

○ Military leaders wanted power for the army

○ Citizens were represented in the Senate

○ Plebeians had no representation in government

Caesar’s Role

➢Powerful military leader made dictator

➢Dictator was supposed to be a temporary position...

Caesar’s Role

➢Caesar wanted absolute, permanent power

➢However, some feared the loss of democratic rule

Caesar’s Role

➢Caesar assassinated

➢Civil war erupts

Essential Questions

➢Does tragedy strike because of leaders’ actions or because of the people lack of conviction?

➢Is it possible for a leader to separate himself entirely from his own ambition and make a truly magnanimous decision that’s best for everyone?

➢Was Caesar’s assassination ethical?

➢Was Caesar’s death for the best?

Important Roman Vocab

➢Tribune ○ Someone appointed to protect the rights of the

plebeians

➢Plebeian ○ Commoners, the lower classes who were not

represented by Roman government

➢Triumvirate ○ Government by three parties or persons

➢Ides of March ○ March 15th

○ Traditionally began pagan New Year celebrations

Important Dramatic Terms

➢Soliloquy ○ A long speech given when a character believes he or

she is alone on the stage, which reveals the character’s innermost thoughts and feelings.

➢Monologue ○ A long speech given by a character on stage when

other characters are present.

➢Aside ○ An utterance meant to be inaudible to some or all

characters but the audience can hear it

Important Dramatic Terms

➢Flourish ○ A showy outward display

➢Fanfare ○ A short and liely playing of trumpets

➢Exeunt ○ Exit (plural)

➢Pun ○ A play on words where a word/phrase can be

interpreted in more than one way (humorous)