JULIUS CAESAR INTRODUCTION Historical Overview and Characters

Agenda 5/5  Shakespeare Biography Practice Quiz  Julius Caesar Introduction Notes  Independent Reading Time

Quick Historical Background  The Roman Empire is in full effect stretching from England to the Middle East. Despite these military conquests the city of Rome is collapsing economically.  The Roman government had been a Republic with two counsels (similar to our two houses of Congress), but many citizens are frustrated with this system.

Quick Historical Background  A new idea for a “balanced” government emerges: The Triumvirate. It included three men who would rule together: Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Crassus.  Crassus loses a major battle and his power.  Pompey begins to drift further away from Caesar and aligns with the Senate who names him commander in chief of the army.  An army loyal to Caesar defeats Pompey’s army leaving Caesar as the most powerful man in Rome.

Julius Caesar  The dictator of Rome and title character.  Powerful and cunning, but misses numerous signs about his assianation.  Caesar loves the adoration of Rome’s citizens, but it cause him to feel invincible.  Suffers from epileptic seizures which the Romans called “the falling sickness.”

Calpurnia  Caesar’s loving and devoted wife is deeply concerned with his safety.  Superstitious, she believes in bad omens. She has a foreboding dream an begs her husband to stay away from the capital.  Unable to have children with Caesar leaving him without a rightful heir.

Mark Antony  One of Caesar’s close friends who the conspirators strongly consider murdering as well.  He is a masterful speaker and has a strong command of rhetoric. He is able to inspire Roman crowds to follow him.  Two of his famous speeches begin, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears… and “This was the noblest Roman of them all…”

Octavious  Caesar’s adopted son who has been traveling to foreign lands.  He returns to Rome to avenge Caesar’s death.  There is a potential power struggle between Octavious and Mark Antony in the wake of Caesar’s death.

Brutus  A Roman senator who strongly believes in a government guided by votes of senators.  Personally torn between his loyalty to Caesar and his hatred of dictators.  The central character in the play and considered the play’s tragic hero.

Portia  Portia is the strong and devoted wife of Brutus. She is willing to go to extremes.  She is deeply troubled when her husband suddenly seems disturbed and secretive.

Cassius Talented general frustrated that Caesar is now adored by the Roman people and treated like a god. He thinks Caesar is weak and incompetent. He is shrewd and a master manipulator.

Minor Characters from Early in the Play

Flavius and Murellus  Tribune (elected officials) who begin the play by criticizing the Roman citizens for cheering Caesar when recently they had cheered Caesar’s enemy, Pompey.  They remove decorations from Caesar’s statues in the opening parade to show their anger toward Caesar and his people.

Casca  Another well-known Roman who opposes Caesar’s rise to power.  Casca tells Cassius and Brutus that when Caesar refuses a crown (that would make him king of Rome.  Casca distrusts Caesar’s ambition and thinks the refusal of the crown is just an act.

Soothsayer  Classical Greek and Roman plays often featured blind men who could see the future.  Soothsayer means “Truth- speaker.”  The famous warning “Beware the Ides of March” is too cryptic for Caesar to take seriously.