Download Julius Caesar - Spring Branch ISD

Quick Write
Julius Caesar tells a story about the hunger
for power
Story based on real people and events from
days when Rome ruled much of the world.
Think of stories- fictional or true- that
you’ve read or seen about people who
hunger for power.
Write 5-7 sentences about them on a sheet
of notebook paper.
Stories about ambitious folks:
Julius Caesar:
The Journey of a Leader
•
1600: William Shakespeare
completes The Tragedy of Julius
Caesar.
• Why is the play (and for that
matter Shakespeare himself)
STILL popular?
• Shakespeare = huge
commercial success:
• Books, films, TV, stage
presentations, and
souvenirs generate an
enormous profit.
Julius Caesar
Born July 13, 100 B.C.
Helped transform Rome into an
empire
Elected military tribune in 72 B.C.
Elected Proconsul: An
official, usually a former consul, who
acted as governor or military comman
der of a province, and
who had powers similar to those of a
consul.
Responsible for first invasion of
Britain in 55 B.C.
The GallicWars
Commentarii de Bello
Gallico
Book Caesar wrote about the
war
This book represents a
masterwork of political
propaganda as Caesar was
keenly interested in
manipulating his readers in
Rome.
Caesar
The Civil War
Pompey
Crassus
The First
Triumvirate
In 50 B.C., the Senate, led by Pompey,
ordered Caesar to return to Rome and
disband his army because his term as
Proconsul finished. Moreover, the
Senate forbade Caesar to stand for a
second consulship in absentia.
Caesar thought he would be prosecuted
and politically marginalized if he
entered Rome without the immunity
enjoyed by a Consul or without the
power of his army.
Pompey accused Caesar of
insubordination and treason.
Crossed the Rubicon and marched on
Rome
Pompey led Legions of the Republic
into battle
Battle of Pharsalus
Although outnumbered by
25%, Caesar figured out
Pompey’s battle plan.
On August 9, 48 B.C.,
Caesar defeated Pompey’s
army, and Pompey fled to
Egypt.
On Sept. 28, 48 B.C.,
Pompey was assassinated
by ministers of Pharaoh
Ptolemy XIII.
Caesar:
Destiny of Rome?
Reorganized distribution
of grain
Founded military colonies
for the poor
Granted citizenship to
doctors & teachers
Stepped up criminal
penalties and laws against
extortion
Created 1st news sheet
Never lost a war
Caesar:
Destroyer of the Republic?
Statue erected
with inscription:
“To the
unconquerable
god.”
Named dictator for 10
years
Given most lavish honors
ever showered on a
Roman
Victories = national
holidays
Coins minted with his
image
Why Kill Caesar?
Enemies within Caesar’s small circle of
advisors actively plotted against him
Fear of 1 ruler and wanted to keep old form
of government
Caesar’s Assassination Chart
Victim
Assassins
Problem
Julius
Brutus,
Caesar was
Caesar
Cassius,
becoming
(44 B.C.)
and others
too popular.
Rome
Some
Romans
feared he
would
become a
tyrant.
Goal
Result
To remove the
political
threat of
Caesar
becoming
King.
Civil war –
at the
end,
Octavius
Augustus
became
not king
but
emperor.
Shakespeare’s Choice
Shakespeare certainly had good reason to write
about Julius Caesar.
Well known in the Elizabethan public's mind
Led the first Roman ships to Britain's shores in
55 B.C.
Paved the way for the Roman occupation of
Britain.
As dictator, arguably most powerful ruler the
world had ever known.
Died in spectacular fashion.
Shakespeare’s Intentions
To research Caesar, Shakespeare read Sir Thomas
North's translation of the ancient text, Plutarch's Lives.
Compares famous Greeks with famous Romans and
their influences, successes and failures
Written to show Greek success could measure up to
that of Roman success
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is not a history book, nor
was it Shakespeare’s intention to write historical text.
It is a play, based on:
Events of Caesar's murder
Pressures on the characters around him
Consequences for the conspirators and Rome in
general.
Shakespeare’s Purpose
He is not so much interested
in the facts, but uses them to:
Present something from his own imagination
that would entertain his audiences (the first
thing to think about, obviously)
Make audiences think: challenge them to look
beyond the story and look at the way human
beings act towards each other.
Shakespearean Conventions
Blank Verse: unrhymed lines of iambic
pentameter
Soliloquy : long speech given by a character
while alone on stage to reveal private
thoughts
Aside: short speech given onstage while
other characters are present, but not
necessarily to those characters.
Themes in Julius Caesar
1. An idealistic person can be manipulated by a clever and
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
perhaps unscrupulous person.
If the rightful ruler is deposed or killed, chaos will
result without a suitable replacement.
Ordinary people are swayed by effective oratory; thus,
they can be changed into a dangerous mob.
Ambitions can change a man’s character so that he no
longer seeks the good for all men but, rather, seeks
more power for himself.
Power tends to corrupt those who hold it.
People can easily delude themselves into thinking the
end justifies the means.
A person can control his or her own fate.
THE END
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