The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
By William
Shakespeare
Shakespearean drama
• 3 classifications of
Shakespearean drama
• Tragedy
• Comedy
• History
Tragedy
•
•
•
•
•
•
II. Tragedy and tragic hero.
III. Qualities of a tragic hero:
A. importance or high rank
B. Extraordinary talents
C. Tragic flaw; leads to downfall
D. Courage dignity
IV
• Verse dramas; poetry
• A. blank verse
• B. iambic pentameter; five
unstressed; stressed
• C. Upper-class; lower-born
Blank verse example
• U
S U S
U S
U S U S
• In sooth, / I know / not why / I am / so sad;
• So, the rhythm of blank verse in iambic
pentameter is usually pronounced
• da dum / da dum / da dum / da dum / da
dum
V.
• Stage devices
• A. Soliloquy
• B. Aside
• C. Monologue
VI- VII
• Rhetorical devices; language;
sound
• A. Repetition
• B. Parallelism
• C. Rhetorical questions
• VII- Dramatic irony
VIII- IX
•VIII- Fourth wall
•IX- Foil
The Theater of Shakespeare’s
plays
• 1) public theater, Globe
Theater
• 2) roofless courtyards; artificial
light; daylight hours
• 3) galleries; wealthier
• 4) Poorer; courtyard; pit
The Theater of Shakespeare’s
plays
• 5) scenery; references;
dialogue
• 6) elaborate costumes;
props
• 7) women; men; boys
• 8) boys; female
The Globe Theatre
The stage at The Globe
Side view of the stage
The Gallery during performance
Parts of the Globe Theatre cont.
• Flag- a white flag hoisted
above the theatre meant a
show would be performed
that day.
• White-comedy, Blacktragedy, Red-history
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
• Written in England in 1599;
setting Rome 45 BC
• Based upon the assassination of
Julius Caesar by his close friends
and confidants.
• Based on Plutarch’s book about
the Romans.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
• Rome was constantly at war.
• The ruling power of Rome was in the
hands of its generals.
• These generals would contract
“private armies” and subdue other
countries that were weaker than
Rome.
Julius Caesar
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• Julius Caesar –
• born in 100 B.C. in Rome;
• Rose to power through the use of
his oratory/speaking skill; was
• A member of the democratic or
popular party.
Pompey the Great
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• Caesar and Pompey agreed that one
would leave to fight every three years.
• Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus form
the First Triumvirate. They took over
the Senate and the rulings of Rome
for a while.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• The First Triumvirate would
not last long due to the
jealousy that erupted between
Caesar and Pompey.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• Pompey returned early from his
sieges and told Caesar that it was
his turn to leave again. While
Caesar is gone, Pompey uses
this opportunity to rally people
behind him by claiming that
Caesar is too powerful and
selfish.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• Pompey declares a war with
Caesar.
• Caesar had the backings of
the Legions (army) and
Pompey only had the
backing of the Senate.
Roman Legionnaire
Roman Helmets
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• Caesar easily makes his
way into Rome and forces
Pompey to flee.
• Caesar was now in total
control of Rome.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• Shakespeare’s play
begins after Caesar
defeats Pompey’s
sons.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
cont.
• German took the name and turned it into
Kaiser. The Russian word Czar as well
traces its roots back to “Caesar.”
• The term “caesarian sections,” or “Csections” can trace its origins back to
Julius Caesar because the popular belief
was that Caesar did have not a natural
childbirth, but instead was “cut from the
womb.”
Connection to
Shakespeare’s time
 In 1599, Queen Elizabeth was
getting old and had no heirs.
 There was concern that a civil war
could start after her death.
Shakespeare may have written The
Tragedy of Julius Caesar as a
warning.
Important Points to Consider
• Do the ends ( the outcome) justify
the means (what you did)?
• What is the difference between
persuasion and manipulation?
• Who is the tragic hero?
• Is Brutus an honorable man?
Summarizer- On the index card
• Identify and define the
three types of drama
• Provide 2 facts about
Shakespeare
• Provide 1 fact about
Caesar
Activator
• Four sentences- Write
about a time you had to
persuade someone,
teacher, parent, friend.
How did you do it?
: Rewrite these statements so that
they are true:
• Caesar is emperor of Rome.
• Calpurnia is Brutus’s wife.
• Brutus is trying to persuade
Antony to join the conspiracy.
• Brutus is the head of the
conspirators now.
Activator
• Four sentences- At the end
of Scene Two, what does
Cassius plan to do to
persuade Brutus? What
does this tell us about him?
Activator
•Four sentences- Did
Brutus make the right
decision? Why or why
not?
Correct these sentences-
• Brutus was the first to stab
Julius Caesar.
• Antony begged the
conspirators not to kill him.
• Antony asked to speak at
Caesar’s wedding.
Activator
•Four sentences- Write
a summary of Act III.
Be sure to include
Caesar’s death and
funeral.
Correct these statements
• Antony considers Octavius to be
an errand boy.
• Cassius accuses Brutus of taking
bribes.
• Brutus takes Cassius’ advice to
not go to Philippi.
• Brutus is visited by Portia’s ghost.
Activator
• Four sentences- How do
you think the play should
end? Which side should
win? Who should die, and
how should they die?