The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

1. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar William Shakespeare

2. Shakespeare’s Tragedies • Plays that tell of a reversal of fortune, from good to bad, experienced by a man or woman, usually of noble birth • Sometimes based on historical characters (people who existed in real life) • Hero displays a “tragic flaw,” a characteristic that brings about his downfall • Emphasizes the hero’s internal conflict • Commoners play supporting roles and provide comic relief in humorous scenes that serve as a break from intense emotions of the play

3. Tragedy structure • Always in five Acts • The crisis, the turning point that determines how the play will end, occurs in Act III • The climax, point of greatest emotional tension, often occurs in Act V, when the catastrophe, or disaster, happens to the hero

4. Text aids • Called Glosses, or side notes, vcfor a play, are located on the side bars of the play, provide the definitions of unfamiliar words or phrases, background information, and/or explanation of references within the play • Stage directions, explain setting, when characters exit or enter, directions for actors (in Shakespeare’s plays—confined to when actors enter or exit—other directions are from editors of the play to help modern directors)

5. Language of Shakespeare • Uses blank verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter (5 stressed syllables and 5 unstressed syllables—alternating), used for those of noble birth • Uses prose: ordinary form of written language, used for those of common birth

6. Pun • A play on words that involves two words that sound alike but have different meanings or a word that has several meanings • Often called the lowest form of humor • Elizabethan audiences loved puns

7. anachronisms • Chronologically misplaced events, time, words, or details that help make the play more accessible to audiences the play was written for

8. Shakespeare alive (pg 889) • Shakespeare and his audience viewed nature and society as a unified whole • “the Great Chain of Being” from the lowliest creature in the natural world all the way to God, connects these worlds to each other, and “the hierarchy of one is mirrored in the others” • “since all living things were linked by the Great Chain of Being, violations of order in society were thought to set off violent disturbances in the heavens or the world of nature”

9. Elizabethan England • Intellectual world of the Renaissance (rebirth of intellect) • Religious world of the reformation • World expansion • Rank, social status, and rules of propriety(how to act), were extremely important to people of this society • “clothing acts” laws that specified the clothing to be worn by different classes of people (largely ignored, but reflected the beliefs of the times)

10. Shakespeare’s life • Born April 23, 1564 • Stratford-on-Avon • Father was middle class—glove maker • Received education—classics—solid foundation • 1582 marries Anne Hathaway • 1583 has daughter, Susanna • 1585 has twins, Judith and Hamnet • May have been a school master for a short time • During 1580’s found the theater • By 1594, part owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, an acting company • Wrote plays for company and acted as well • 1603, Queen Elizabeth dies, James I is King, renames company “King’s Men” • 1610—prosperous now—retires to Stratford-on-Avon • Dies on April 23, 1616 (birthday) • During lifetime wrote 37 plays, numerous sonnets

11. ACT I: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar • Introduction to conflict between people in Rome: • Some are happy with Caesar as a leader • Others are not happy with Caesar and fear he will try to take too much power

12. Act I: Nobles vs. Commoners • Nobles/ Commoners: • Nobles are dressed per their station • Reprimand commoners for not wearing their work clothes (clothing laws of Elizabethan times) and taking a holiday (for Caesar’s return from defeating Pompey’s sons) • Commoners wearing their “dress” clothes, not their work clothes—breaking the clothing laws of Elizabethan England—anachronism • Commoners speak in prose/ nobles in blank verse • Commoners having fun at noble’s expense—using puns—providing comic relief and sharp contrast with anger of nobles

13. Conflict • Conflict: struggle between two opposing forces 1. Internal Conflict: • Man verses self: character in conflict with himself/herself 2. External Conflict: character in conflict with some outside force • Man verses man: character(s) struggle with other character(s) • Man verses nature: character struggles with some natural element (storm, desert, etc.) • Man verses society: character in struggle against society norms (government, laws, other societies, ideals, etc.)

14. Act I: Conflict • Conflict between those who support Caesar and those who don’t is introduced on small scale between two tribunes and several commoners • “commoners” represent the “mob” or most of the common people of Rome; they are like a character together— • Not concerned overly with politics/ more concerned with holidays and day to day events of their world • Can be made to change their beliefs easily by listening to the words of others • Are fickle when it comes to supporting ideas (did support Pompey when he was ruler of Rome, but now that Caesar is ruler, they support him as well, even though he conquered Pompey and his forces and killed Pompey’s sons)

15. Act I: conflict, continued • The small scale conflict introduced in Act I, scene I, between the supporters and non-supporters of Caesar is foreshadowing a larger conflict of these two groups in later Acts

16. Motif • a recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. • A motif is important because it allows one to see main points and themes that the author is trying to express, in order that one might be able to interpret the work more accurately.

17. Act I: Motifs introduced • Blood—”life-giving” or “life-ending” can be associated with a sacrifice (like a religious ceremony)/ or a purging of the “bad” blood in order to heal; can also be associated with death • “mob-mentality”—the mob is easily swayed into believing different things; they are not constant in their beliefs or behavior and are able to be changed in their beliefs or behavior by others’ words or deeds

18. Symbols/ motifs in Act I • “Pompey’s blood” –killing of Pompey’s sons, which Caesar has just done (pg 895) • “blood”—symbolizing “life-giving” or “life-ending” (pg 896)—becomes a motif throughout the play • “feast of Lupercal”—a religious ceremony—celebrating two Gods: Luperus and Faunas—gods of Fertility and Purgation—purging/ symbolizing the purging of the “old” Rome under Pompey’s rule to the “new” Rome under Caesar; merged with a celebration of the Founders of Rome—Romulus and Remus, two brothers/ symbolizing the old rule is over for Rome and Caesar brings the “new” order for Rome—the symbolism is that of a religious and political celebration, one where Caesar is “god-like” and the head of the new political leader of Rome (pg 896)

19. Symbols, continued • “Caesar’s wing”—(pg 896) the reference is made to Caesar being a “hawk,” which is a predator. This reference indicates that he is grown more powerful than the “ordinary” birds or people in power; by “clipping” his wings, the nobles may strip him of that power which he claims and therefore keep him from “soaring” in power above the “us” the other political leaders—for if he does, they fear he would make all of them slaves in fear of their lives • Shakespeare uses a synecdoche: a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole; or the whole for a part

20. Characters—Act I: Scene i

21. Theme • Theme: The central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work (a common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work. A theme is a thought or idea the author presents to the reader that may be deep, difficult to understand, or even moralistic. Generally, a theme has to be extracted as the reader explores the passages of a work. The author utilizes the characters, plot, and other literary devices to assist the reader in this endeavor. ) • Universal theme: a message or insight into life that can be understood by almost any culture.

22. Act I: themes introduced • Class system is flawed; power is not equal among the commoners and nobles—people are treated differently and this causes conflict that will not end up well—will lead to unstable society. • “Blood begets blood”—the spilling of blood will only end up with more blood spilling • Conflict brings more conflict: between nobles and commoners progresses—feelings about Caesar are completely different (some like Caesar/others do not) –this small conflict will be played out in a large conflict concerning the same concept later in the play • Politics are more important for nobles than for commoners; nobles are political makers and commoners are political followers/ they have no say in politics—will lead to unstable society.