1. Julius Caesar

2. Biography Gaius Julius Caesar  Politician, dictator, military leader, orator, writer  1oo B.C.- 44 B.C. (assassinated)  Married 3 times.  Cornelia  Pompeia  Calpurnia (wife in Julius Caesar )  Named pontifex at Rome in 73 B.C.  Wanted change  Continued to gain power and popularity

3. Biography Cont.  Established first Triumvirate along with Crassus and Pompey  Success in Gallic War solidified his strength  Caesar’s daughter Julia married Pompey in 59 B.C.  Julia died in 54 B.C.  Pompey and Caesar grew apart  Pompey and Caesar engaged in a civil war---Caesar won (47 B.C.)  Veni, vidi, vici, (I came, I saw, I conquered)  Caesar was awarded dictatorship for life in 44 B.C.  Assassinated in the Senate at the foot of Pompey’s statue  Caesar was succeeded by his adopted son Octavius who became Emperor Augustus Caesar.

4. Fun Caesar Facts  The name Caesar lead to the terms  Kaiser  German  Tsar  Russian  Caesarean birth  supposedly the way Caesar was born  There were six rulers in in the Julio-Claudian dynasty that used the title “Caesar”

5. Tragedy & Theatre Greek and Shakespearean  Similarities  Exposition: actors to give description of setting and background  Both provide gaps between scenes in order to create breaks or comic relief within a tragedy.  Both question the nature of man’s destiny in the universe.  Both show that heroism means to accept the pain and hostility of life with dignity.  Both use external forces to control or manipulate the characters

6. Theatre & Tragedy Greek  Uses chorus to introduce exposition.  Single theme and plot  Fewer characters (and actors). Characters had to be individuals of “great” importance.  Performed at religious festivals in outdoor amphitheaters  Used masks and elaborate costumes  Playwrights were well-respected public officials Shakespearean  Uses the actors to introduce exposition.  Multiple storylines and themes  Much larger cast of characters; more actors were on stage at time. Shakespeare used characters from all walks of life.  Performed on smaller stages and courtyards. Commercial entertainment.  Rarely used masks; mostly used wigs and costumes.  Playwrights’ reputations and status among high society was precarious. Seen as anti-establishment.

7. Tragic Hero Greek  The tragic hero’s fate is determined by the gods. Man is helpless against the divine power of the gods.  Tragic flaw: pride or arrogance  In order to reach catharsis, tragic heroes can be exiled, die, or accept a life of eternal misery. Shakespearean  The tragic hero takes responsibility for the choices that lead to his fate/ruin Sometimes supernatural forces are at play.  Macbeth  Julius Caesar  Othello  Tragic flaw: various possibilities  Jealousy  Vengeance  Ambition  The only acceptable way a Shakespearean tragic hero can reach catharsis is through death.