The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
By William Shakespeare
Ideas to Consider as We Read…..
1. Most people resent others’ power….
2. Sometimes being superstitious is a good
thing….
3. No cause, political or other, is worth dying
for…
4. Revenge is like drinking poison…
5. Power necessarily corrupts….
Ideas to Consider as We Read…..
6. I am drawn more to advice from my peers than
that from persons of authority….
7. "The evil that men do lives after them; the good
is [often buried] with their bones.”
8. One instance of betrayal from a friend
warrants ending that relationship…
9. People are drawn toward darkness, whether
they admit it openly or not….
10. Murder and honor cannot coexist….
Plot Diagram of Julius Caesar
• Act I– Exposition- intro of characters, elements of
setting (time, place)
• Inciting Incident/Exciting Force- intro of major
conflict, force that drives rest of plot
• Act 2– Complication (Rising Action)- struggles
intensify, plot events leading twrd climax
• Act 3– Climax- highest point of tension/action
• Act 4– Denouement (Falling Action)- events
following climax, leading twrd resolution
• Act 5– Resolution- loose ends tied up; major
problems solved!
Act I, Scene i
Setting: Streets of Rome, 44 B.C.
Marullus & Flavius- 2 tribunes (officials
elected to ‘protect’ interests of commoners)
People are celebrating both the Feast of
Lupercal and Caesar’s defeat of Pompey’s
sons. (Caesar had defeated Pompey, an old
rival, in 48 B.C; he has just defeated
Pompey’s sons in battle)
Act I, Scene i
Cobbler (shoemaker) & Carpenter- both
commoners- meet Flavius, Marullus
Note comic relief & pun- play on 2 words
similar in sound and meaning- lines 13-15
“mender of bad soles”
F & M- see Caesar as threat to Rome’s
republican rule, want to shame commoners,
remind them of past loyalty to Pompey,
lines 41-5
Act I, Scene i
Flavius- disgusted w/ celebrations
He orders all statues be removed of any
decorations celebrating Caesar (lines 73-80)
“These growing feathers plucked from
Caesar’s wing/ Will make him fly an
ordinary pitch….”
Act I, Scene ii
Note evidence of superstition and ritual
early in this scene: Caesar orders Antony to
touch his wife Calpurnia so that she may
become fertile.
(Antony participating in Feast of Lupercal
races- lead runner believed to be able to
remove curse of sterility)
Act I, Scene ii
---Soothsayer (fortuneteller) to Caesar
“Beware the ides of March.”
(foreshadowing)
Ides- Latin- translated roughly to halfway
point- ‘ides of march’- modern-day:
metaphor for doom
The arrogant Caesar blows him off:
“He is a dreamer. Let us leave him pass.”
Questions for Review
1.Why could Flavius and Marullus be
described as officious and supercilious?
2. Look at the rhetorical ?s in Marullus’
speech in 1.1. What is their function?
“That Tiber trembled under her banks…”literary devices?....
Characterize the relationship between
Caesar and Pompey.
(C & P had had a major falling out during
their rule in the 1st triumvirate of Rome….)
Act I, Scene ii
Cassius- is a shady, sly character- uses flattery
to lure Brutus in; Cassius wants to take Caesar
down, to take advantage of Brutus’ inner
conflict regarding Caesar.
Why might Brutus be conflicted?
Brutus: “I love the name of honor more than
I fear death.”
“I would not Cassius, yet I love him well.”
Act I, Scene ii
Brutus loves Caesar, but he fears that he
will not lead Rome well. (internal
conflict)-He is caught between his loyalty
to a dear friend and his love of Rome, his
commitment to honoring the good of the
republic.
Which Macbeth character does Brutus
remind you of? Why?
Act I, Scene ii
Cassius- ‘Why shouldn’t you, Brutus, be the
leader of the Romans? You are just as good
as Caesar!’
Cassius’ story of Caesar’s past:
monologue- lines 97-138- Caesar is a
physically weak man; why should someone
like him be king? (cannot swim, fevers,
epilepsy)
Act I, Scene ii
Casca to Brutus- The people of Rome love
Caesar, want to crown him king. Caesar
‘refused’ the crown 3 times, suffered epileptic
fits, even offered the crowd his throat to be
cut…. – a true spectacle!
“if Caesar has stabbed their mothers they
would have done no less…”
Act I, Scene ii
Caesar on Cassius: He is very wary of
him, yet he goes on to say he doesn’t fear
him…. (dramatic irony/foreshadowing)
Caesar- half deaf and epileptic
Why do you think Shakespeare
portrayed Caesar this way?.....
Act I, Scene ii
Cassius’ soliloquy- his plan to lure Brutus into
the conspiracy against Caesar.
Cassius’s plan- write letters in all sorts of
handwriting, throw them in Brutus’ window
(inciting incident/exciting force!)
Note the presence of rhyming couplets.
Cinna will plant the letters…..
(Every conspirator plays a key role)….
Act I, Scene iii
Notice the omens Casca says he experienced
(signs from nature, usually somewhat
spooky/supernatural, that are linked to future
disaster).
Locate 5.
Act I, Scene iii
A tempest (violent storm)
A slave’s hand was on fire, but he is unscathed.
There was a random lion in the capitol, but he
did not attack.
A crowd of women see a group of men walking
around on fire.
A creepy owl shrieking during the day
(Shakespeare is clearly obsessed).
Act I, Scene iii
Conspirators
Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Cinna,
Metellus Cimber, Trebonius, Decius
(Later, another is added as revealed later in Act
2- Caius Ligarius- he’s not so important,
though).
Act II, Scene i
Lucius- Brutus’ servant
Brutus’ soliloquy illustrates his feelings about
Caesar: ‘My issues w/ Caesar are not personal.
I fear that if he is crowned king, he will change;
power might go to his head. He seems to have
risen to power too quickly and poses a danger to
the republic. Ambition may ruin him- and
Rome!’ – B’s internal conflict….
Act II, Scene i
Key points of Brutus’ soliloquy:
What is an adder anyway?
‘Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins/Remorse from
power./…lowliness is young ambition’s ladder,/Whereto the
climber upwards turns his face…scorning the base degrees/By
which he did ascend.’
Note the extended metaphor
Note the simile in line 33.
ActII,
II, Scene
Act
Scenei i
Brutus’ reaction to letters planted by Cinna:
I will act on these requests of the Romans and
do what is best. He is resolute in his decision.
--- Has Brutus started to change? How so?
What exactly is his tragic flaw? (ironically
enough…)
ActII,
II, Scene
Act
Scenei i
It is the ides of March (as Lucius reveals)
All conspirators arrive
Cassius- repeats what is contained in
letters to make sure Brutus joins
conspiracy (97-102)
Brutus: ‘Oaths are beneath us; they
aren’t necessary for we are men of
honor….’
ActII,
II, Scene
Act
Scenei i
Cassius feels Marc Antony should also be
killed, but Brutus does want to make things
“too bloody.” He feels Antony does not
pose too much of a threat, “is only a limb of
Caesar./” – extended metaphor of body
continues in 195,6
Clock strikes- anachronism- placement of
an event, idea, or person in wrong time
period- Clocks didn’t exist at this time.
Questions for Review
1. Cassius’ monologue in 1.2- “Tis true, this god
did shake!”- literary device? Line 127
Verbal Irony- Why?
2. Why does Brutus mention an adder and a
ladder in his soliloquy in 2.1? Lines 10-36
Relies on an extended metaphor to make his point
about Caesar’s dangerous rise to power
3. Brutus’ monologue in 2.1, lines 186-88- literary
devices?
Similes and Parallelism
Parallelism- a similar structure in successive lines
of poetry or prose
ActII,
II, Scene
Act
Scenei i
Portia, Brutus’ wife, senses he is
tormented, begs him to trust her and confide
in her, tell her his secrets. She states that
even though she is a woman, she can handle
anything he may tell her. She even stabs
herself in the thigh to show her toughness!
Does she remind you of anybody? How so?
Literary Terms Review
1. Apostrophe- literary device in which
someone (usually, but not always absent),
some abstract quality, or a nonexistent
personage is directly addressed.
2. Hyperbole- the use of grand language
and/or exaggeration to achieve dramatic
effect. (overstatement)
Literary Terms Review
Brutus- 2.1.86-94
O conspiracy, Shamest thou to show thy
dangerous brow by night, /When evils are most
free? O, then by day/ Where wilt thou find a
cavern dark enough/ To mask thy monstrous
visage? Seek none, conspiracy;/ Hide it in smiles
and affability:/ For if thou path, thy native
semblance on,/ Not Erebus itself were
dim enough/ To hide thee from
prevention.
1. Apostrophe and personification- Brutus
address the conspiracy as if it is a person.
Note that the conspiracy is not yet present.
2. Alliteration: thou, thy, wilt, where, wilt,
mask, monstrous….
3. Allusion: Erebus- Greek god who
personified darkness; also, dark passage
through which the souls of the dead pass
through Hades…
4. Hyperbole- Even the darkest of places
wouldn’t be dim enough to hide the
conspiracy unless they’re careful….
ActII,
II, Scene
ii i
Act
Scene
Caesar is very troubled by Calpurnia’s
dream in which she cried out 3X- “Help ho,
they murder Caesar!” (foreshadowing)
Omens she mentions: scary lioness, graves
opening and closing, warriors fighting
amongst themselves in the clouds, blood
raining down on Capitol, horses going
nutty…
Doe she remind you of anybody? How so?
ActII,
II, Scene
ii i
Act
Scene
Calpurnia refers to omens as ‘comets from
heaven’- He must not go to Capitol.
Literary device in her speech?...
Where and how is animal sacrifice present?
What does this show about the Romans?
Why does Caesar decide to ignore the
advice of Calpurnia? What does this show
about him?
ActII,
II, Scene
ii i
Act
Scene
Decius follows through on his pledge to
conspirators to ensure that Caesar goes to
Capitol- uses flattery and trickery
“This dream is all amiss interpreted./ It is a
vision fair and fortunate.”
This dream shows you are the lifeblood of
Rome, giving Romans hope as a strong leader
who will do what must be done! The blood is
not a sign of death.
ActII,
II, Scene
ii i
Act
Scene
Decius’ deception continues….
Decius: The Romans intend to crown you
king. Are you going to tell them that you fear
your wife and are too scared to show?....
Act II,
iii-ivi
Act
II,Scene
Scene
Artemidorus: He reads aloud a letter in
which he tries to warn Caesar of the plot
against him.
He will try to pass this letter to Caesar as he
passes on his way to Capitol.
Portia is a mental wreck at this point. She is
onto the conspirators.
She pumps the soothsayer for info, but she
can only wait….
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
Caesar dismisses Artemidorus’ attempt to
warn him about the threat to his life.
“What touches us ourself shall be last
served….What, is the fellow mad?”
Act II,
III, Scene
Scene I i
Act
Poetic license: freedom taken by a poet, prose
writer, or other artist in deviating from rule,
conventional form, logic, or actual fact, in order to
produce a desired, more dramatic effect.
Shakespeare dramatized some of the actual history
behind the story of JC’s assassination…..
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
Conspirators each play a role in the assassination.
Trebonius: “draws Marc Antony out of the way.”
(During the murder, Trebonius will pull MA aside
so that he cannot protect C).
Metellus Cimber: distracts Caesar by asking him
to lift the banishment (exile) placed upon his
brother, Publius Cimber.
Casca: He will be the first to stab Caesar; others
will then join him. (As Cinna states, “You are the
first that rears your hand…” line 32)
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
Caesar refuses to lift the banishment he has placed
upon Publius Cimber: “I am as constant as the
Northern Star.”
Casca stabs Caesar, others join in
Et tu, Brute? (Latin- you too, Brutus?)- shows
Caesar’s recognition of the betrayal
According to Brutus’ instructions, conspirators
smear their swords, wash and hands in Caesar’s
blood, walk around crying, Peace, Freedom,
Liberty!
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
Marc Antony’s servant enters, pledging that Marc
Antony will be loyal to Brutus now that Caesar is
dead. Brutus assures the servant that MA will be
“untouched.”
How does Cassius feel about Marc Antony’s vow?
(lines 160-2) What had he said in II.i about
Brutus’ decision to let Marc Antony live? What
does this show about Cassius?
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
When he appears, Marc Antony is trying to
get the conspirators to trust him. He tells
them that if they wish to kill him, then he
would feel honored to die next to Caesar’s
body.
Brutus assured MA that he is not in danger.
MA- “…you shall give me reasons/Why and
wherein Caesar was dangerous” (Why did
you kill my friend?....)
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
Marc Antony- let me speak at the funeral
Cassius doesn’t think this is such a hot idea
Brutus grants Marc Antony permission to
speak at C’s funeral under these conditions:
- Brutus speaks first
- MA has to tell the crowd he is speaking b/c
Brutus said he could.
- MA cannot speak badly about the
conspirators.
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
What happens when MA speaks over
Caesar’s body?
In this soliloquy, MA vows to Caesar’s
corpse that he will avenge Caesar’s death,
will go after the conspirators bigtime.
He invokes help of Ate (allusion to Greek
mythology, god of discord & vengeance) to
make Brutus & conspirators pay.
MA- not afraid to start bloodiest of wars in
getting justice for his friend.
ActII,
III, Scene
Scene i i
Act
Octavius is on his way to Rome (Caesar’s
great-nephew, actually did go on to rule
Rome under the name Augustus)…
Act II,
III, Scene
Scene ii i
Act
Pay close attention to the rhetoric in Brutus’
and MA’s speech: which proves more
effective in winning over the plebeians?
Rhetoric: the art of speaking and writing
persuasively; skill in using language
effectively
Rhetorical devices: techniques writers
(speakers) use to enhance their arguments
and communicate more effectively
Act II,
III, Scene
Scene ii i
Act
Parallelism- same grammatical
constructions or syntactical patterns used
over and over again to emphasize points
Rhetorical ?s: questions posed to elicit a
reaction, to promote critical thought and
speculation, rather than an actual response
Paralepsis- the method of emphasizing a
point by seeming to pass over it
More
on Rhetorical
Devices
Act
II, Scene
i
3 main forms of appeal can be used in making a
persuasive argument. (These concepts date back to
Aristotle- notice their Greek etymology).
ETHOS- an appeal based on the moral character
of the author (speaker). It is constructed through
tone and style, as well as through direct references
to the author's credibility.
PATHOS- an argument appealing to the
sympathy or emotion of the audience
LOGOS- think in terms of logic and reason….
Questions for Review
1. In what various contexts has the number 3
•
•
•
•
•
appeared thus far?
Caesar denies the crown 3X
Conspirators break up their meeting at 3AM
on 3/15
Calpurnia cries out Caesar’s names 3x in her
sleep
Cassius tells the conspirators that they have
“three parts” of Brutus already
Act IV when Marc Antony belittles Lepidus
(new character)- we’ll develop this plot point….
Questions for Review
2. Where have we seen strong examples of
situational irony so far?
Caesar’s death- notice that his body falls at the base
of Pompey’s statue. Also, the way he is murdered
loaded w/ situational irony. ‘We are purgers not
murderers…’
3. What statement does the play seem to
make/suggest about the concept of death?
Cite plot points/ quotes as evidence…..
Brutus’
Speech i
Act
II, Scene
He establishes his credibility and honor
immediately by stating, rather logically, his
reasons for killing Caesar: “as he was ambitious, I
slew him.”
The crowd is convinced by his authoritative
pledge to protect the republic.
At the end of his speech, he appeals to the
plebeians’ sense of nationalism…..
His 3 objectives: Establish his honor, that of the
conspirators, and the necessity of Caesar’s death.
His ambition would have choked the republic!
ActMA’
II,Speech
Scene i
MA cleverly persuades the crowd into believing
that Caesar’s murder was unjust and that the
people should rise up. (Remember his vows
during the soliloquy).
He established that Caesar was not “ambitious”
and cites C’s kind actions toward the Romans….
Notice the presentation of the body and the will…
Does he violate the terms of his previous
agreement with Brutus?......
Rhetorical
devices
in Brutus’
Act
II, Scene
i speech
- Repetition: “honor”, “ambition”, “love”,
“weep”- these appeal to crowd’s emotions
- Parallelism- same types of sentences and
constructions used over and over again
emphasize his points
- Key example of parallelism: “Hear
me….believe me….censure me…”
Rhetorical
devices
in Brutus’
Act
II, Scene
i speech
- Note the repetitious use of “If….” towards
the end- This an example of anaphorarepetition of an initial word/s to emphasize
a key point.
- Rhetorical questions “Who here is so vile
that will not love his country?” (appeals to
the plebeians’ sense of nationalism)
- How could we characterize his tone?....
Rhetorical
Brutus’
ActDevicesII, Scene
i speech
Hear: Listen to me so I can make my point (logos)
Believe: I am an honorable man (ethos)
Censure: Judge me accordingly (logos)
Brutus pairs Caesar’s accomplishments w/ his own
reactions:
Caesar loved………..I weep (PATHOS)
was fortunate………I rejoice (ETHOS)
was valiant…………I honor (ETHOS)
Was ambitious……..I slew (LOGOS)
Act II,
III, Scene
Scene ii i
Act
Rhetorical devices in MA’s speech
Repetition- Honorable, ambitious
Antony emphasizes that Caesar was not
ambitious- at least in the negative way the
conspirators suggest- and that the
conspirators are not honorable
Did in this Caesar seem ambitious?.....(had
denied crown 3x during Feast of Lupercal)
More
speech
ActonII,MA’s
Scene
i
Rhetorical questions- (several times)
He wants his listeners to think they have a
say in what he is doing or even that they are
controlling him. The crowd is reacting in
exactly the way Antony wants them to: he is
manipulating them, but they do not seem to
realize it…..
More on MA’s speech
Act
II,
Scene
i
Paralepsis- emphasizing a point by seeming
to pass over it (the reading of the will).
Notice that he wants the audience to hear
about Caesar’s will. Why?....
Verbal irony- “Brutus is an honorable
man”…I am no orator”
What is the effect of the presence of
Caesar’s body upon the audience? (Notice
how MA shows them the wounds and uses
the conspirators names as he does so).
More on MA’s speech…
Act
II,
Scene
i
Ethos- I can be trusted!- Notice how he
defers, speaks ‘respectfully’ to Brutus. He
uses Brutus’ own words to begin his speech.
Pathos- this is perhaps his most cleverly
used rhetorical appeal!- ‘He was my
friend, faithful, and just to me…My heart is
in the coffin…’- use of the body!
Logos- apparent in his use of the will: If
Caesar was so ‘ambitious’ then why would
he have been so generous and gracious?!
Act III, Scene ii
Act
II,
Scene
i
MA persuades the crowd into believing that
Caesar’s murder was unjust and that the
people should rise up. (Remember his vows
during the soliloquy).
‘We’ll mutiny….“We’ll burn the house of
Brutus!” (plebeians)
Lepidus joins forces w/ MA and Octavius
Brutus and Cassius have fled Rome b/c they
are scared of the plebeians, who have turned
against them.
Act III, Scene iii
Act
II,
Scene
i
Cinna the poet is torn to death because the
crowd has gone wild. At first, they think he
is Cinna, one of the conspirators, but when
they realize he is Cinna the poet, they shrug
it off and murder him anyway. (They’re all
riled up, want revenge, acting like lunatics).
Cinna the poet is used to emphasize how
effective MA’s speech was in ‘turning’ the
plebeians against the conspirators….
1. “These growing feathers plucked from
Act
II,make
Scene
Caesar’s wing/
Will
him flyi an ordinary
pitch….”
2. “Beware the ides of March…”
3. “I love/ the name of honor more than I fear
than death….I would not Cassius, yet I love
him well.”
4. “Help ho, they murder Caesar!” …..When
beggars die there are no comets seen…”
5. “if Caesar has stabbed their mothers they
would have done no less…”
6. “This dream is all amiss interpreted./ It is a
Act
II, Scene i
vision fair and
fortunate.”
7. “Can I bear that with patience,/Not my
husband’s secrets?”
8. For Antony is but a limb of Caesar..”
9. “And Caesar’s spirit with Ate by his side
come hot from hell,…shall cry Havoc! and let
slip the dogs of war.”
10. Who here is so vile that will not love his
country?
11. “Did in this Caesar seem ambitious?...