MRS. WEST

In today’s society, who calls the shots when it comes to war? You’re right – it’s the president.

2000 years ago in Rome, war was kind of a free-for-all. Rome did not have a king and war generals did basically whatever they wanted to do!

When a general and his army gained land through war, Roman government took over and ruled the land and its people.

All this power led to Roman generals turning on one another, which is where Julius Caesar comes in.

Some HistoryFor centuries, Romans debated and even

fought civil wars while trying to decide whether a monarchy, a republic or a dictatorship was the best form of government. 

Until 509 B.C., Rome was a monarchy, but, in that year, Rome was established as a republic

By 100 B.C., Rome was a moderate democracy in form; in actual practice, the Senate was ruling Rome. 

In 60 B.C., a triumvirate (a 3-man rule) of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey was formed to govern Rome.

Life for the PeopleThere were 2 classes of people in Rome.  The people were either rich or poor.  The

rich were called Patricians and the poor were called Plebeians.

It is easy to distinguish these two classes within the play and Shakespeare has interesting commentary and puns about this distinction throughout the play.

Caesar and Pompey, both Roman generals, were buddies at first. They worked together to strengthen the Roman government. Pompey even married Caesar’s daughter!

Caesar took his armies around Europe and gained even more land for Rome. All the money he won went right back to the Roman people.

49 B.C. – Pompey became jealous of Caesar. He teamed up with the Roman Senate, who ordered Caesar to give up his armies and return to Rome immediately.

The order from the Senate enraged Caesar. He refused, of course, and decided to march his army back to Rome and take over the country himself.

Pompey fled to Egypt and was killed before Caesar could capture him.

Caesar spent a little extra time in Egypt, canoodling with the lovely Cleopatra before returning to Rome.

Caesar was eventually declared dictator of Rome when he invaded and took over (which you will see in the play.)

He took full advantage of his power, giving leadership positions to his supporters.

While common people seemed to love him, many critics believe he kept support by bribing people.

Caesar became power-obsessed, even having a statue of himself, with the inscription “The Unconquerable God,” created.

This is where the idea of power and its abuse comes into play, within the play…: )

After about five years of Caesar’s power trip, many Romans were fed up with Caesar’s dictatorship.

60 men (sixteen of them senators whom Caesar had appointed himself) planned Caesar’s assassination for March 15, 44 B.C.

This “fall” is the main idea behind Shakespeare’s famous play, written and performed for the first time in 1600.

Politics of CaesarJulius Caesar is a political play, and political

issues are the root of the tragic conflict in the play. 

It is a play about a general, who because of his own pride and ambition, meets an untimely death.

This play focuses on those men who were responsible for the assassination of Caesar and their ill-fated attempt to control Rome

SettingAs if you hadn’t guessed…The play takes place in Rome, Italy.It is based on some historical accuracy of the

real Julius Caesar, but of course Shakespeare put his own spin on the story.

Timeline: Shakespeare compresses the actual historical time of 3 years into a period of 6 days.

Shakespeare wrote three types of plays. What are they?

A. Comedies, tragedies, and dramas.B. Tragedies, histories, and dramas.C. Comedies, tragedies, and histories.

Terms to KnowSoliloquy-A dramatic or literary form of discourse

in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener.

Aside-An actor’s speech, directed to the audience, that is not supposed to be heard by other actors on stage. An aside is usually used to let the audience know what a character is about to do or what he or she is thinking

Prose-The term applies to all expressions in language that do not have a regular rhythmic pattern. It is usually grouped into paragraphs.

Shakespeare writes almost completely in blank verse. Blank verse is

A. Unrhymed iambic pentameterB. Invisible inkC. Two lines that rhyme

The term dramatic irony refers to the idea that the audience or reader knows something

A. That one or more of the characters onstage does not know.

B. That will cause the play to end dramatically.C. Really scary is about to happen.

Baptized on April 26, 1564(born a few days before) in Stratford-on-Avon

Father was a merchant-equivalent to a mayorMarried to Anne HathawayBecame an actor and a playwrightBecame a member of theatrical group called

the Lord Chamberlain’s MenRetired to Stratford in 1612 and had written

37 playsDied in 1616 at the age of 52

Shakespeare’s plays were performed at the Globe Theatre in London.

*Original burned down but a replica was built close by and still exists today

He used imagination instead of elaborate settingAll male actorsMore than 3,000 people attended this theatre at

a timeActors walked around and stayed on the move to

keep audience interested and so they could see from different views in the theatre