A Tragedy in 5 Acts By William Shakespeare

 Characters

  Not the main character  Characters are preoccupied with him  Wants to become emperor (king) Julius Caesar

  High-ranking, well-respected nobleman  Motivated by his sense of honor  Places Rome above his own personal interests  His honor is his weakness Brutus

  Loyal friend of Caesar  Impulsive, pleasure-seeking, passionate  Lives life in the moment Mark Antony

  Talented general  Acquaintance of Caesar  Resents that Roman populace revere’s Caesar as a god  Shrewd opportunist  Lacks integrity Cassius

  Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor  Authoritative figure  Later changes his name to Augustus Octavius

  Conspirator  Tribune  elected official that represents the common people  Rough, blunt Casca

  Caesar’s wife  Invests in the authority of omens and portents Calphurina or Calpurnia

  Brutus’s wife  Daughter of Cato (Roman Noble)  Brutus’s confidante Portia

  Tribunes who condemn the plebeians for cheering for Caesar, when they use to cheer for his enemy— Pompey  Remove decorations from Caesar’s statures during his triumphal parade. Flavius and Murellus

  Senator  Known for his oratorical skill  Speaks at Caesar’s triumphal parade Cicero

 Go Team! Team Caesar  Julius Caesar  Mark Antony  Octavius  Lepidus  Calphurnia Team Pompey  Brutus  Cassius  Flavius  Murellus  Casca  Portia

 Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

  A central idea or statement  Unifies and controls an entire literary work  Author’s way of communicating:  Ideas  Perceptions  Feelings  Stated or implied Theme

  Brief and meaningful insight; comprehensive vision of life  Progress: Victorian works  Order and duty: early Roman works  Carpe diem (Seize-the –day ): late Roman works  Jealousy: Shakespeare’s Othello Theme examples

  Complicated doctrine  Milton’s theme in Paradise Lost  justify the ways of God to men  Upton Sinclair, The Jungle  Socialism is the only sane reaction to the labor abuses in Chicago meat-packing plants Theme examples

  Fate vs. Free Will  Public Self vs. Private Self  Misinterpretations vs. Misreadings  Inflexibility vs. Compromise  Rhetoric and Power Theme of Play

  Recurring structures, contrasts; or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes Motifs

  Omens and Portents  Letters  The power of a written letter depends on the addressee  Orators must read the emotions of the crowd, they can adjust their speech and intonations as needed Motifs in Play

  Objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts Symbols

  Women and Wives  Represent the private/domestic realm Symbols in Play

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