JULIUS CAESAR BY

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Background Notes

1 piece of Lined Paper…

Please fold your papers to make 3 columns. Label

the columns:

1. Statement

2. Agree/Disagree

3. Why?

Agree/Disagree Opinionnaire-

Choose 51. It is never right to kill another person.

2. Political leaders usually act in the best interest of their countries.

3. If a political leader has done something wrong, it is all right to get rid of

him by any means necessary.

4. “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

5. No cause, political or otherwise, is worth dying for.

6. In certain situations it may be justified for a political leader to break the

law for the good of the country.

7. People should never compromise their ideals or beliefs.

8. "My country right or wrong" is not just a slogan; it is every citizen's

patriotic duty.

9. "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant taste of death

but once.“

10. "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is [often buried] with

their bones."

Multiple Perspectives Activity

As a way to introduce key concepts and themes in

Julius Caesar, we will be participating in a Multiple

Perspectives Activity. Read through each scenario

(3) and follow the instructions on your paper.

We will be discussing your responses and the quick-

write responses.

Essential Questions

Do the ends justify the means?

How do people balance personal desire and

responsible behavior?

Are ethics based on a universal understanding or is

culture solely responsible for a definition?

Before we begin…

Take out a sheet of paper

Timed Quickwrite! (3 minutes)

Write about a time you were stabbed in the back

by a friend/family member. What happened?

How did you feel?

Have you ever backstabbed someone? What

were the circumstances? How did that person

react?

You may answer these in two bullet points, just be sure

you are writing for the full 3 minutes

(EVEN) Reading Assignment List

Day 1 (2/11): Julius Caesar Background Notes/Begin Act 1

HW: Finish Act 1: Answer SG Questions

Day 2 (2/16): Rhetoric Review

Day 3 (2/17): Read/Watch Speech Cassius Speech (Speech #1)

HW: Cassius’ Speech (Act 1, Scene 2) & rhetorical analysis paragraph

Day 4 (2/19): Act 1 Quiz/Read Act II/Answer SG Questions MISS. NOYES GONE

HW: Finish SG Questions

Day 5 (2/23): Read/Watch Brutus Soliloquy MISS. NOYES GONE

HW: Brutus Soliloquy (Act 2, Scene 1) rhetorical analysis paragraph

Day 6 (2/25): Read Act 3/Brutus Funeral Speech (Act 3, Scene 2)

HW: Act 3 SG Questions

HW: Compare/Contrast Chart and Essay

Day 7 (2/29): Watch Brutus’ Speech. Read Anthony’s Analysis Paragraph.

Day 8 (3/1): Watch Anthony’s Speech/Intro Essay/Compare & Contrast Chart

Day 9 (3/3): Socratic Seminar/Finish Compare & Contrast Chart

Instructions:

As each slide comes up, you will take

notes on the text in BLUE.

You will be responsible for this

information on upcoming quizzes and

the final.

The Scene…

Based on a true story, this play takes

place in Ancient Rome,

where Julius Caesar

has just returned in

triumph from war.

The crowd hails him as their new leader, but there are some Romans who fear he will become too powerful of a ruler, more like an emperor, and they will lose the liberties they have enjoyed as citizens of a free state.

The conspiracy…

A small group of men conspire to assassinate Caesar,

believing they are acting to preserve the freedoms

of the Roman Republic.

They surround him in the Forum,

and stab him to death.

Death of Caesar

The play goes on to tell the story of what happens

after the murder, as the conspirators quarrel among

themselves, war erupts, and liberties, instead of

being protected, appear to be lost.

Your Task…

On the next slide, you will see the names of all the

primary characters. Try and pick out the two

primary leaders of the conspiracy, and the five

other conspirators.

Then…try to find the two female characters.

You don’t need to write anything down…simply talk

with a partner to choose characters. (1 minute)

Find: two lead conspirators, five additional

conspirators, and two female characters…

Lepidus

ArtemidorusCasca

Cicero

Metellus Cimber

VolumniusOctavius

Cato

MarullusDecius

Pindarus

Lucilius

Titinius

Cassius

PortiaMessala

Brutus

Julius Caesar

Cinna

Mark Antony

Calpurnia

Strato

Lucius

Flavius

Soothsayer

Trebonius

Character Notes:

1. As the slides describing each

character come up, continue taking

notes on the information in BLUE on

your handout.

*Julius Caesar

He is the head of the Roman state. He is a great soldier, and has just returned from a series of wars during which he defeated the sons of the previous Roman ruler, Pompey.

He is popular with the crowds that stand in the streets to greet his triumphal return, cheering and clapping.

Calpurnia

Calpurnia is Caesar’s wife.

She is responsible for

having a vision of

Caesar spouting blood

on the night he his

killed, foreshadowing

his tragic stabbing.

*Mark Antony

He is a loyal friend and supporter of Caesar, who he believes will make a good ruler of Rome. He is appalled at the killing of the head of state, and although he shakes hands with theconspirators immediately after the murder, he vows to avenge Caesar’s death.

He gives a funeral oration over

Caesar’s dead body in Act III that

stirs the crowd to anger and

desire for revenge. He will be one

of the three rulers of Rome, after

Caesar’s death, and he gathers

an army to fight the

killers.

*Brutus

He is a respected Roman, a man of

intelligence and honor, who is a personal

friend of Caesar, yet wonders whether

Caesar will overstep his powers and

become a tyrant rather than a good head

of state.

He is finally convinced to join the conspirators

as their leader. As they raise their daggers

to commit the murder, Caesar recognizes

his dear friend and cries, in Latin, “Et tu,

Brute?” or “You too, Brutus?”

Portia

Portia is Brutus’ wife

She is suspicious of

Brutus’ behavior on the

night of the murder, but

Brutus refuses to confide

in her

*Cassius

Cassius is one of the leaders ofthe conspiracy. He is suspicious of Caesar from thebeginning, gathers others into the band, and convincesBrutus to join them in their plans for assassination.

He and Brutus flee Rome afterthe killing, each gathers an army, and they try to conquer Mark Antony’s army.

Octavius and Lepidus are the other two who join with

Mark Antony after Caesar’s death to rule Rome as a

triumvirate.

Casca, Trebonious,

Decius, Cinna

and Metallus

Cimber are the

other members of

the conspiracy,

each of whom

participates

by stabbing Caesar.