Download Background on Roman Politics PP

Roman and
Elizabethan
Politics
Why do we have to know this?
How does it relate to Julius Caesar?
Why do we have to know this?

When discussing Julius Caesar, you must
know a little about the politics of Ancient
Rome and Shakespeare’s Elizabethan
England in order to understand the point
behind the plot.
“Why do we have to know this?”
-–Roman Politics—



In the time of Ancient Rome (which is when Julius
Caesar takes place), Rome was known as a
republic.
A republic is a form of government that is largely
ruled by a Senate: 300 politicians (known as
patricians) that are wealthy landowners elected by
the people.
The Senate in a republic is like the supreme court
of our own society: the patricians serve for life and
have the power to decree and interpret laws.
“Why do we have to know this?”
-–Roman Politics—




The people who weren’t patricians were referred to
as plebians: the merchants, artisans, and farmers
who made up most of the population.
The patricians and plebians of the republic were
fearful of a “king” figure since the government’s
purpose was to embody the wants and needs of
the people.
The patricians were most scared of a king or
dictator because they would lose their influence on
the state.
Can you predict why there is a plot to kill Caesar?
“Why do we have to know this?”
-–Elizabethan Politics—



In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan England, the
government was quite different from Republic
Rome: it was a monarchy, or a government
ruled by a king and/or queen.
The most important thing about this form of
government was the belief in primogeniture.
Primogeniture is the right of the eldest child,
especially the eldest son, to inherit the entire
estate, or country in the state of royalty, of one
or both parents.
“Why do we have to know this?”
-–Elizabethan Politics—


Elizabeth I was the queen at this time. She
was the most popular and arguably the best
monarch England ever had.
She was a monarch in almost every sense of
the term; she controlled Parliament, made
the Protestant religion (her religion) the
national religion, and reformed how the lower
class and middle class were treated by the
upper class.
How does this all relate to
Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar is about the assassination of
a ruler and the chaos that follows when
there is no known heir to take over.

What ends up happening is that an evil,
power-hungry triumvirate (three-person
ruling class) comes into power by election
of the people.
“How does this all relate to
Julius Caesar?”


In England during Shakespeare’s time,
Elizabeth I was known as the Virgin Queen
because she had no husband or children.
Many people in England were afraid that
once Elizabeth died, the country would be
in chaos because there was no known heir
to the throne and bad rulers would rise to
power, just like in Julius Caesar.