Bellringer Respond to the following: What do you think is Brutus’s frame of mind at this point in the plot (the end of Act II)? How would you feel in his position? Explain your response using evidence from the text.

Objective! I can infer personality traits about a character based on the text. I can use text evidence to support my answers. I can apply concepts of a tragic hero to a text.

BUT FIRST…

POP Quiz! Time to test if you’ve been paying attention. Last grade before progress reports so… ya know… try.

TRAGEDY A serious play that depicts the fall and/or death of a noble character Character in conflict with forces beyond his/her control

Tragic Hero Traits Of noble birth (highly regarded) Acts nobly or honorably Makes choices that lead to a situation from which there is no escape Has a tragic flaw that leads to his destruction

Characteristics of a Tragic Hero According to Aristotle: Usually of noble birth Hamartia – a.k.a. the tragic flaw that eventually leads to his downfall; often this leads to a mistake in judgment. Peripeteia – a reversal of fortune brought about by the hero’s tragic flaw; this is often also influenced by “fate” or the gods. His actions result in an increase of self- awareness and self-knowledge…though he may not choose to act on this! The audience must feel pity and fear for this character.

The “tragic flaw” The “flaw” in the character is a defect which keeps him/her from being aware of the situation around him/her. The character does not understand (for much of the story) his/her part of creating the situation. Ex: Pride Skywalker thinks he is so good, he can take on an experienced Jedi all by himself.

Common Examples of Tragic Flaws Greed Obsession with one thing Mistrust Uncertainty Lack of patience Easily influenced Hesitation Selfishness Ambition

Tragedy 1. Tragedy is meant to remind us that life is worth living despite all the pain and suffering. 2. Tragedies are about people in conflict with the universe. Tragedies are always about spiritual conflicts, never about every day events.

Tragedy 3. Tragic actions arise from a character's inner conflict. A tragic protagonist must have magnitude; his struggles are great because he is important to society. 4. The tragic protagonist must fall from high to low; they will have a noble soul. The audience must care about the tragic protagonist.

Tragedy 5. The tragic protagonist is a decent person, but not perfect (not completely virtuous or villainous). Once the transgression is realized, the character enters the stage of anagnorisis  (recognition) and will undergo a peripeteia (reversal of fortune or fall from high to low). In other words, the character grows and gains self-knowledge.

Tragedy 6. The protagonist's actions should arouse feelings of both pity, fear, and compassion in the audience. However much the audience may feel for the character, it does not leave with depression.

Tragedy 7. By the end of the play, the audience should be purged of pity and fear, so they go through a catharsis (purgation of pity and fear). 8.The tragic protagonist must ask the first and last of all questions: What does it mean to be? He must face the world alone, unaided, and kick against his fate. He can never escape his fate, but he will insist upon accepting fate on his own terms.

Who is a tragic hero?

Actors! Caesar Brutus Soothsayer Cinna Artimedorus Metellus Decius Casca Publius Trebonius Cassius Antony’s servant Popillius Antony

Question 1: Why doesn’t Caesar read Artemidorus’ letter first? What does this moment tell us about him?

Question 2: In lines 16-17, how do we begin to see a change in Cassius? What type of character changes over the course of the text?

Question 3: How is Caesar characterized in lines 36-48? Does this fit what the conspirators have been saying about him in the past? Why or why not?

Question 4: Caesar uses a simile to describe himself on page 105. Explain what it is and what it tells us about him.

Question 5: How do you think people would respond if they saw this scene? Why do you think these men did this? Remember there can be varying purposes because there are many men and each man could have more than one reason.