Shakespeare and Julius Caesar

u “Not of an age, but for all time”

The Life of William Shakespeare u Born in Stratford-on-Avon, England on April 23, 1564 v 1st born son v Total of 8 children

... continued u Parents: Mary Arden and John Shakespeare. v Mary: family of successful farmers.

... continued v John: u A glover and whittawer (dresser of white or light colored leather). u In 1568, he was a mayor. u Apparently illiterate.

... continued u William Shakespeare v At the age of 14 became apprenticed to a butcher. v Never attended a university or college. v Voracious reader and very observant.

... continued v At the age of 18, married Anne Hathaway, 8 years his elder. v Had 3 children: Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith.

v Briefly a rural school master. u At the age of 23, left Stratford for London v By 1592 became a flourishing actor and playwright. v Was part owner of a successful theater known as the Globe.

... continued u In his forties, Shakespeare retired in Stratford on Avon. u Popular success in his time and invested his money wisely. u Died on April 23, 1616.

u His plays were praised as “the mirror of life.” u Jonson stated Shakespeare was, “Soul of the Age! The applause, delight, the wonder of the stage.”

The Globe u Built in u 3 stories high u Octagonal shaped v The eight sides of the theater housed covered tiers of seats

...continued v Middle and upper-class viewers sat in these seats. u Open-air courtyard in the center. v Lower class viewers sat in the courtyard.

... continued u It burned down when cannons fired during a performance of Henry VIII.

Shakespeare’s Plays u All classes of people attended. u Audiences played an active role in the performance by hissing, cheering, and throwing vegetables.

...continued u Plays were staged w/o sets. u Costumes and props were elaborate. u Women were not allowed to act. v Juliet was played by a young male actor

Tragedy u Definition: v a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character.

... continued u Main Character: v always a significant person, a king or a hero. v Possesses a tragic flaw or weakness

...continued u Purpose is to not only to arouse fear and pity in the audience, but also, in some cases to convey a sense of the nobility of the human spirit.

The Security of the Throne u Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of England during the time that Shakespeare wrote.

...continued u Faced threats to her security. u By 1599, when Julius Caesar premiered at the Globe, the situation was comparable to that of Rome and its ruler Julius Caesar.

... continued u The people worried about Queen Elizabeth’s successor. u In 1586, Mary, Queen of Scots, was accused of plotting to murder Queen Elizabeth I.

...continued u Conspirators were tried and executed. u Mary was beheaded the following year.

After reading Julius Caesar you will be able to answer these questions! u What sort of lesson or warning may Shakespeare have been trying to send the people of England? u To the Queen? u To present day society?

Julius Caesar, the ruler of Rome. u Born a patrician. u Caesar first shared the rule of Rome with two others. v Triumvirate: Caesar, Gnaeus Pompey, Marcus Crassus.

... continued u Pompey murdered by a former officer. u Crassus died in battle. u Thus, Caesar began to rule alone.

...continued u Won battles in Greece, Asia Minor, Africa, Egypt, Spain, and Gaul. u Common people saw him as a great warrior and strong leader.

... continued u Senate feared he would become too powerful and rule like a king. u On the 15th of March 44 BC, the so called Ides of March, Caesar was murdered.

u “The spirit of an assassinated leader is larger in death than in life.” Arthur Naftalin

u What character traits should a leader possess?

u Can power corrupt those that possess it?