William Shakespeare  Baptized April 26, 1564 (birth assumed April 23; believed—we don’t know! He was baptized on the 26 th, so if his family followed tradition, he was baptized at about three days of age).  Lived:  1582—married Anne Hathaway, 26, he was 18, they had to get married!  1594 – 1610 William wrote plays. He never earned a dime off a play. He made his $$ by being part owner of the theatre and the performing company. He bought several properties.

How is Shakespeare a still genius to us today?  The English language owes a great debt to Shakespeare. He invented over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and devising words wholly original.

The Written Word  Wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets.  Shakespeare’s plays were performed at the courts of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I more frequently than those of any other dramatist of that time.  He is considered the Greatest English writer and master of characterization.  Plays are still produced, read, and studied, etc. 400 years later.

Julius Caesar

 Julius Caesar was born on July 13, 100 BC and he was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC by a group of Roman Senators who thought he was becoming too powerful.  The family believed they were descended from the Roman Goddess Venus. (Venus is considered to be the ancestor of the Roman people.) Caesar, thought he was related exactly to a god.  What does this do to someone’s ego? Julius Caesar, the history

Morte di Giulio Cesare ("Death of Julius Caesar”) By: Vincenzo Camuccini, 1798

Julius Caesar, the play  AKA The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare  Written approximately 1599  Based of true historical Roman events in 44 B.C.  Shakespeare deviated from some historical facts in order to detour from time and compress facts, so that the play could be staged more easily.  Themes of the play: conflicts between honor, patriotism, and friendship

Modern interpretations of Caesar’s death.

Julius Caesar, the play  A great Roman general who has recently returned to Rome after a victory in Spain.  If Caesar were to become king, it would mean the end of Rome’s republican gov’t.  For other characters, this means that Caesar would rule solely by himself… there would be no representatives of the citizens.  Caesar never actually says he doesn’t want to be king, but does deny the crown 3 times.  In his own mind, it’s almost like he already believes he’s the sole ruler of the land.

Brutus, the Roman nobleman  High-ranking, well-regarded nobleman  Actively participates in a conspiracy to assassinate Caesar  Extremely honorable  puts the interests of Rome above his own  so much so that he sees Caesar’s death as a graciousness towards the Rome Republic  Brutus truly believes Caesar’s death with benefit Rome.  Easily manipulated by others involved with the conspiracy (because he believes them to also be looking out for Rome)

Antony & Cassius  Mark Antony  Loyal friend of Caesar, but a contrast of Brutus  Driven by impulse and passion  Dangerous enemy of Brutus and the other conspirators  Cassius  Talented general and acquaintance of Caesar  Hates the fact that the majority of Romans think Caesar as a god  Slyly manipulates Brutus into killing him  Has no integrity

Octavius and Casca  Octavius  Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor  Later joins with Antony and sets off to fight Cassius and Brutus  Follows the way of his father’s example as an strong authoritative figure  Casca  One of the conspirators; also an official to represent the citizens of Rome  Hates Caesar’s ambitions  Plays a major role in taking the first violent action against Caesar**

The Women  Calphurnia  Caesar’s wife  She strongly believes in omens & even warns Caesar of them  Portia  Brutus’s wife and daughter of a noble Roman  Accustomed to being Brutus’s confidante

Minor Characters  Flavius & Murellus  Cicero  Lepidus  Decius

 When was Shakespeare born? April 23, 1564  April 26 is the date of his baptism!  The Elizabethan Era is named after what queen? Queen Elizabeth  Where were Shakespeare’s plays performed? The Globe Theatre  When did the real Julius Caesar live? 100 BC to 44 BC  This play was first performed in what year? 1599

 When Caesar returns to Rome after his great win in Spain, what kind of government is currently ruling? A Roman Republic  How many times with Caesar deny the crown? 3 times  Why does Brutus believe killing Caesar is a good idea? It’s what’s best for Rome  Who is Mark Antony? Loyal friend of Caesar

 Who convinces Brutus that it’s okay to kill Caesar? Cassius  Who is Octavius? Caesar’s adopted son  Who will be the first man to stab Caesar? Casca  Who warns Caesar of the bad omen of his death to come? Calpurnia and the Soothsayer  What is a Soothsayer? A fortune teller

The Triumvirs of Ancient Rome  A group of three rulers who share equal authority  These will also be the men that are out to avenge Caesar’s death  Octavius, Marc Antony and Lepidus

The Conspirators  These will be the men who decide to assassinate Caesar.  Three most important characters: Brutus, Cassius, and Casca

 What is a Shakespearean Tragedy?  It is defined as: a reversal of fortune, from something good to something bad, usually of noble birth  What is a tragic hero?  It is defined as: a hero that is (or will) face their downfall  What is a tragic flaw?  It is defined as: a characteristic that brings about their downfall

Plot Structure of a Shakespearean Tragedy Shakespeare’s plays are structured in 5 acts. In his tragedies, the crisis – turning point that determines how the play will end – occurs in Act 3. The climax, or point of greatest emotional intensity, often occurs in Act 5, when the catastrophe, or disaster, befalls the hero.

ExpositionRising ActionThe CrisisFalling ActionThe Catastrophe Setting and characters are introduced The disaster The turning point