The Tragedy of Julius by William Shakespeare Caesar

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Everything you need to know before reading the play!

Who was Julius Caesar? Julius Caesar was a Roman dictator and general who died a violent death over two thousand years ago

So, where does The Tragedy of Julius Caesar begin? In order to understand the story of Julius Caesar, you must first understand his role in Roman government • Julius Caesar began his career as a general -- a position that brought him both power and affluence • He became involved in politics when he was appointed as a Roman consul (our version of a Senator or Representative) by his friend, Pompey the Great

How did Caesar become so powerful? • Even though Rome was a republic at the time, Caesar gained a great deal of power when he formed a strategic alliance with two fellow consuls l In 66 B. C. , he, along with Pompey and Crassus, developed the First Triumvirate – a three-person government that ruled Rome through the military l This Triumvirate was quite successful because it restored order to a government weakened by in-fighting amongst Roman leaders

Well, then what went wrong? • As a part of the Triumvirate, Caesar continued to make successful military conquests around world – thereby increasing his power and popularity Pompey the Great l Pompey soon became jealous and convinced the Roman Senate to remove Caesar from office l This started a battle between the two men, in which Caesar came out triumphant – defeating both Pompey and his sons

What was Caesar like? • As a general, Caesar was extraordinarily successful – executing brilliant military campaigns l He was charismatic, extravagant, and beloved by the people of Rome (particularly, the lower class – or plebeians) l The main reason the Romans loved Caesar was because he wooed them with gifts and money from his conquests l However, he was also arrogant – a tragic quality that many feel directly led to his death

What happened next…? • Once Pompey was gone, Caesar named himself “Dictator for Life” l While the people continued to love him, the Roman Senate hated the fact that he had gained so much power l He was eventually assassinated by his closest confidants on March 15, 44 B. C.

How does William Shakespeare fit in? • It is believed that Shakespeare wrote The Tragedy of Julius Caesar in 1599 l He wrote it based on the events leading up to and following Caesar’s assassination

• It was the first play to be performed at Shakespeare’s theater, the Globe

The Globe Theater – an interior shot

Where did Shakespeare get the information to write this play? • Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar based on a biography from Plutarch, a Greek writer who lived during Caesar’s time l While Shakespeare embellished history for the sake of theatrics, this play, for the most part, is historically sound Plutarch

Get Ready… … to read about one of history’s most influential leaders, and decide for yourself who the true tragic hero is in this play Tragic Hero: a person with mostly good qualities whose tragic character flaw leads to his/her demise Caesar or Brutus? ?

You also need to know some literary terms • Imagery • Is used to describe characters, create mood, or suggest an idea. • Imagery is essential in Shakespearean plays because there was little visual representation.

Blank Verse • Unrhymed iambic pentameter • Used to represent conversation • Breaks in iambic pentameter can suggest important action

Dramatic Speeches • Each type serves a different dramatic purpose • We’ll examine each of these individually. • What the characters reveal in speeches made either to themselves or directly to the audience can be dramatically different from what they say to other characters.

Soliloquy • soliloquy is a speech in which a character, alone on stage, speaks directly to the audience and reveals or examines his thoughts and feelings.

Monologue • A monologue is a lengthy, uninterrupted speech addressed to other characters, rather than to the audience. It may or may not reveal what the speaker really thinks or feels.

Aside • An aside is a brief remark to the audience, uttered while other characters are nearby but unable to hear. Often the character is speaking to him or herself. In Act III, however, two characters speak asides not overheard by the others, and they reveal their true feelings.

Dramatic/ Verbal Irony • • Dramatic Irony is a device whereby an audience’s understanding of a character’s words or actions is different from the character’s understanding. The audience’s special knowledge enables it to view the characters with superior understanding. Verbal Irony is when one character intentionally says something with a meaning that another character is not aware of.

Metaphorical Language involves a comparison of unlike things For example, Cassius says that the shadow of the birds of prey is a canopy, suggesting how dark and dense the shadow is. Such metaphorical language deepens meaning and expresses feelings and emotions in a way that ordinary, plain language often cannot.

Finally, the MLA • To cite a play correctly: (Act One, Scene Two, lines 57 -58) • Or in MLA: I. ii, 57 -58