1 / 6

Caesar slides 1

AIM: What is the main problem in the Roman Empire of Julius Caesar and how does I,I of the play illustrate the root of this tragedy?

caia
Download Presentation

Caesar slides 1

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. AIM: What is the main problem in the Roman Empire of Julius Caesar and how does I,I of the play illustrate the root of this tragedy? • DO NOW: What do you think the relationship is (as a principle) between the quality of citizens and the quality of successive rulers of a society? Why do you think think this relationship exists?

  2. 1. Note the opening tone / mood of confrontation between the cobbler and the tribunes Marullus and Flavius. The tribunes are the more serious and focused of the two sides, seemingly unaware of why a ‘smith’ is not working on this normal day. • 2. Use of puns to start the play = theme that things appearing the same, or as one thing, may be something entirely different and must be discerned carefully = theme of sophistry in Julius Caesar.

  3. 3. Note the cobbler’s response of irreverence, disrespect and a lack of seriousness about legitimate questions posed to him. This is our first / initial view of a ‘commoner’ of Rome ( a cross-section of the random population ) in the play. What first impression can we draw from this observation and what can this first example illustrate about the society at large?

  4. 3. From lines 38-80, Marullus (primarily) and interspersed by Flavius, in effect deliver an indictment in the form of a ‘chorus’ to the audience, explaining in anger towards the populace that they, the citizens, were cheering Pompey for the longest time, and now have taken the excuse of cheering for Caesar’s victory over Pompey to take a holiday. They are dispersed in shame as the scene ends. Note that Flavius and Marullus appear to be acting out of bias (for Pompey) as well = can anyone be trusted to act on principle in Rome and what are the consequences of this if the answer is “no” ?

  5. 4. Consider the main problem illustrated in I,I: that the citizens are easily manipulated, easily controlled and can be ‘bought’ easily. What danger does this type of behavior among the citizens (if in fact this characterization is standard) foreshadow, especially in a society where power is changing hands and power is taken ruthlessly?

More Related