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PROJECT DISCOVERY STUDY GUIDE
PREPARED BY CATHERINE BRAXTON, TENARA CALEM AND THE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT STAFF
201 Washington St. • Providence, RI • www.trinityrep.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Theater Audience Etiquette3
Using this Study Guide in Your Classroom 4
Unit One: Background Information
William Shakespeare5–6
Elizabethan Royalty & Society7–8
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men9
The Globe Theater10–13
Unit Two: About the Production
Interview with the Director – Tyler Dobrowsky
14
The Synopsis
15–16
The Characters
17
Exercise 1: The Language of Shakespeare
18–19
Exercise 2: Mob Mentality20
Exercise 3: Making Shakespeare Timeless
21
The Royal Shakespeare Company22
Exercise 4: Behind the Character23
Exercise 5: To Cast or Not to Cast23
Exercise 6: Living the Part24
THEATER AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE & DISCUSSION
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND GO OVER WITH YOUR CLASSES BEFORE THE SHOW
TEACHERS:
Speaking to your students about theater etiquette is
ESSENTIAL. Students should be aware that this is a live
performance and that they should not talk during the show.
If you do nothing else to prepare your students to see the
play, please take some time to talk to them about theater
etiquette in an effort to help the students better appreciate
their experience. It will enhance their enjoyment of the show
and allow other audience members to enjoy the experience.
The questions below can help guide the discussions. Thank
you for your help and enjoy the show!
Observation #2: Discuss the elements that go into producing
a live performance: The lights, set, props, costumes, and
stage direction. All the people involved in the “behind the
scenes” elements of the theater are working backstage as
the play unfolds before the students’ eyes. Tell them to be
aware of this as they watch the show. Observe the lighting
cues. How do special effects work? How do the actors
change costumes so fast?
Pay attention to when you’re excited about something on
stage. What excited you? Pay attention to when you’re
bored. Why were you bored? What would you have done
differently to make the play more interesting? Actors in a
live performance are very attuned to the audience and are
interested in the students’ reactions to the play. Ask the
students to write letters to the actors about the characters
they played and to ask questions of the actors. Send these
letters to: Trinity Repertory Company, c/o Education,
201 Washington St., Providence, RI 02903 or email to:
[email protected].
ETIQUETTE:
What is the role of the audience in a live performance? How
is it different from seeing a film? Why is it important not
to chew gum or eat popcorn at a live theater performance?
Why shouldn’t you talk? What can happen in live theater
that cannot happen in cinema?
Reiterate that students may not chew gum, eat, or talk
during the performance. Please make sure all cell phones
and pagers are turned off. Recording devices and cameras
are strictly prohibited. If there is a disturbance, they will
be asked to leave and the class will not be invited back to
the theater. Students may not leave the building during
intermission.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS BEFORE SEEING THE SHOW
AT TRINITY REP:
What are the differences between live theater and cinema?
(Two dimensional vs. three dimensional; larger than life on
the screen vs. life-size; recorded vs. live, etc.) Discuss the
nature of film as mass-produced, versus the one-time only
nature of live performances. Talk about original art works vs.
posters. Which do they feel is more valuable? Why? What
is the responsibility of an audience when watching a play?
What is the responsibility of an audience when watching a
Shakespeare play?
Observation #1: When you get into the theater, look around.
What do you see? Observe the lighting instruments around
the room and on the ceiling. Look at the set. Does it look
realistic or abstract? Try to guess how the set will be used
during the show.
Fred Sullivan Jr. as Casca, Brian McEleney as Cassius. Photos by Mark Turek.
3
USING THIS STUDY GUIDE IN YOUR CLASSROOM
A LETTER FROM SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER, MATT TIBBS
Welcome to Trinity Rep and the 49th season of Project
Discovery! The education staff at Trinity Rep had a lot of
fun preparing this study guide, and hope that the activities
included will help you incorporate the play into your
academic study. It is also structured to help you to introduce
performance into your classroom through the:
· Community Building in Your Classroom
Further, the Rhode Island Department of Education
has developed Grade Span Expectations for the fine
arts in content, knowledge and skills that will be used
to assess all students (available at www.ride.ri.gov/
instructionassessment/othersubjects.aspx). Trinity Rep’s
Project Discovery student matinees help high school
students in the following GSE and common core areas:
· Analyzing and evaluating a theatrical performance for its
effective use of music, dance, or visual arts (T1-3b)
· Inspiration and Background on the Artist
· Entering and Comprehending Text
· Evaluating major and minor themes and characters and
their symbolic representation (i.e., cultural references)
(T3-2a)
· Creating Text for Performance
· Performing in Your Class
· Evaluating techniques for their effectiveness and craft
(e.g., critiquing actor’s performance and the playwright’s
dialog) (T3-2b)
· Reflecting on Your Performance
· Evaluating a play or performances based on analysis of what
is seen, heard, and known to judge its value and contribution
to humanity (T4-1a)
· Evaluating character’s objectives and motivations based
on what is seen, heard, and known to explain character’s
behavior (T4-1b)
· Evaluating technical elements of theatrical production
(T4-1c)
· Evaluating dramatic elements of a plot for their
effectiveness and cohesiveness(T4-1d)
· Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple
or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a
text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot
or develop the theme (CCSS.RL.9-10.3)
· Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they
are used in the text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone (CCSS.RL.9-10.44)
Resident acting company member, Angela Brazil, leading an in-school workshop
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UNIT ONE:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
& SHAKESPEARE’S THEATER
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564 - 1616): THE MAN, THE MYTH THE LEGEND
William Shakespeare was born in a little town sixty miles
north of London called Stratford-upon-Avon in April of 1564,
(the exact date of his birth is unknown). He was baptized
on April 26th, and since the baptism was customarily held
three days after the child’s birth, historians speculate that
Shakespeare was born on April 23rd. By the time he passed
away in 1616, he had written 37 plays, two narrative poems,
and 154 sonnets. Besides what is recorded in various billings
and receipts, little is known of Shakespeare’s life. We can
assume that Shakespeare went to the local grammar school
in Stratford-upon-Avon when he was child. He did not
study at a university. In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway,
a woman eight years older than him, and had three children
with her: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. While still
married to Anne, he moved away to London where he would
work as an actor and playwright. He eventually became a
shareholder of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, who would
perform at the Blackfriars Theatre and the Globe. Historians
say that Shakespeare passed away on his birthday in 1616.
In his will, he left his wife Anne his “second best bed,” which
was the bed they shared together, since one’s “best bed” was
always saved for one’s guests. Seven years after his death,
two of Shakespeare’s dearest friends (and two of his best
actors) John Heminge and Henry Condell had his complete
works published in the First Folio. It is on the cover page of
this collection that Ben Jonson, the famous playwright and
Shakespeare’s contemporary, wrote, “He was not of an age,
but for all time.”
5
A COMPLETE LIST OF SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS:
TRAGEDIES
Antony and Cleopatra
Coriolanus
Hamlet
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Macbeth
Othello
Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
COMEDIES
All’s Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Cymbeline
Love’s Labours Lost
Measure for Measure
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merchant of Venice
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
The Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
Troilus and Cressida
Twelfth Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Winter’s Tale
HISTORIES
Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II
Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
King John
Richard II
Richard III
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UNIT ONE:
ELIZABETHAN ROYALTY & SOCIETY
Many of Shakespeare’s plays were inspired by the tempestuous
political climate of the era. During his lifetime there were
two monarchs: Elizabeth I and James I. Elizabeth was the
daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. After Henry’s death,
his son by his third wife, Jane Seymour, reigned as Edward
VI. Edward was succeeded by Mary Tudor (or “Bloody Mary”),
the daughter of Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
Mary was a Roman Catholic in a family of Protestants who
tried to erase religious dissension by persecution of both
Protestants and Catholics. She fell ill and died, leaving the
throne to the teenage Elizabeth I in 1558. During Elizabeth’s
forty-five year reign (1558-1603), England transformed
into a significant political power and enjoyed tremendous
cultural achievements, in no small part thanks to Elizabeth’s
incredible intellect, shrewd political cunning and personal
charisma. Elizabeth realized she could achieve great
personal political advantage if she remained unmarried,
and while her tenure as Queen was filled with many offers
of marriage (particularly from Spanish and French nobles),
none were accepted. In their zeal to become King, her suitors
often became overly competitive and aggressive; at times,
through deception and intrigue, they would kill each other
off in their attempts to woo Elizabeth. Still, “The Virgin
Queen” remained England’s solitary monarch.
Elizabeth was incredibly popular among her subjects – her
public appearances drew enormous crowds, and her taste
in fashion set the bar for the aristocracy and, by extension,
the rest of society. Her interests were broad and varied:
literature, philosophy, history, poetry, and theater. Her love
of art fostered an atmosphere where artists felt comfortable
and encouraged, and were much more likely to find financial
support.
During Elizabeth’s reign England achieved many victories,
both at home and abroad. The victory over the highly-lauded
and respected Spanish Armada in 1588 brought prestige and
respect to the country, and in 1599 England began to move
towards colonization and world trade with the conception
of the East India Trading Company. Elizabeth also chartered
and ordered the re-organization of Oxford and Cambridge
Universities (though both schools had been functioning in
some capacity since the twelfth century).
7
However, life in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth
century was far from pleasant. Thomas Hobbes, a
philosopher of the period, famously remarked that life was,
in fact, “nasty, brutish and short.” Disease and pestilence
was rampant, and the threat of lawlessness and rebellion
hovered over England throughout the sixteenth century. For
Elizabethans, death and violence was ubiquitous. When an
epidemic struck, bodies were carted off to common graves,
where they were unceremoniously dumped, one on top of
the other, and then buried.
The Elizabethans also lived through the Renaissance, an era
when beauty and grace were valued by all classes of people
as never before; where poetry, drama and language were
being pushed to incredible, imaginative heights by writers
such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. There were
advances in science as well; Sir Francis Bacon invented
what became the Scientific Method, which put an emphasis
on hypotheses based solely on natural observances and
experimentation, as opposed to supernatural factors.
English composers rivaled the finest composers in all of
Europe, and in England, music was cherished by all. Part
of the reason for this burst in popularity can be attributed
to lowered costs of most musical instruments, as well as
the quality of instruments. Music, singing and dancing were
suddenly commonplace in Elizabethan society. Wealthier
families would often dine while musicians played, while
larger towns and villages hired an official musician (known
as a “Wait”) for public concerts.
Londoners flocked to public executions to watch criminals
be hanged and, in the case of treason, disemboweled. In
fact, punishment for criminal behavior during Elizabeth’s
time often involved some kind of public display and
humiliation. For example, a drunk would be forced to don a
barrel – and nothing else – and walk about town, where he
would be ridiculed and laughed at. A loose-lipped woman (or
“gossiper”) would be forced into a “dunking chair”, where the
offending woman would be dunked innumerable times into
a large vat of water. The dunking chair would often sit in the
town square, for all to see, as a warning.
Elizabethan society held an impressive variety of beliefs
and ideas, ambitions and achievements. Among those
achievements were the masterpieces written by William
Shakespeare, which contain flights of linguistic wit and
genius that have never been matched. In fact, without
hyperbole, they are perhaps the most treasured pieces of
literature in the history of mankind.
Elizabethan literature often mirrored the violence, brutality
and death which were so prevalent in English society. Many
of Shakespeare’s tragedies often involved the murder or
suicide of leading characters: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth,
Othello, King Lear and Hamlet all conclude not only with the
death of the eponymous characters, but also nearly every
other major character in the play.
8
UNIT ONE:
THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S MEN (NO WOMEN ALLOWED)
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men was the acting troupe
that Shakespeare belonged to during Queen Elizabeth’s
reign. Actors were highly skilled: not only were they often
tumblers, jugglers and dancers, but because the actors
rarely had embellished sets or costumes, they were forced
to set the scene for the audience: Was it raining? Snowing?
Was it night or day? Where was the play located? All of these
factors were heaped on the actors’ shoulders.
If you wanted to be an actor (or “player”) in a theater, you
had to work for a nobleman who could give a company a
license to act. If you were caught acting without a license,
you were thrown in jail. Women were not allowed to perform
at this time, so young boys with higher voices played the
female roles. Shakespeare himself had wanted to be an
actor as a young boy. Once he entered puberty, and his voice
deepened, his career for acting in women’s roles was over,
though he continued to play men’s parts throughout his life.
When King James I inherited the crown, he adopted
Shakespeare’s company and it became known as The King’s
Men. By then, they were among the most popular theater
companies in all of London. Shakespeare made a decent
living, though not an especially lucrative one, working for the
company as an actor and playwright. It was for this specific
troupe of actors that he wrote his plays.
When Shakespeare wrote a new play, he never gave the
entire script out to his players. They received their “sides”
with their lines only, and they were given only a few days
to memorize them. Then they usually rehearsed for only a
few days and performed the piece once, before moving on
to another script. A company’s repertoire might include 30
plays at a time. Most actors had to keep at least 15 plays
memorized at all times because they would change the play
every day to keep people coming back for more.
9
UNIT ONE:
THE GLOBE THEATER
As one of the senior company members, Shakespeare was
also a part-time owner of the theater space called the Globe,
which opened in 1598 and burned down in 1613 during a
battle sequence in one of his plays (most believe it to be
Henry VIII). It was rebuilt immediately thereafter and
reopened to the public.
In 1576, James Burbage built the first theatre in London on
rented land, appropriately naming it “The Theatre.” Later,
when Richard and Cuthbert Burbage (who had inherited
the theatre and the land it was leased on from their father)
were unable to re-negotiate the rent of the land, the landlord
reclaimed his land and claimed that since “The Theatre” was
on his property, it was therefore legally his. Unwilling to hand
over their theatre without a fight, the actors proceeded one
evening to take the theatre apart piece by piece, float it over
the Thames, and rebuild it; they named the theatre “The
Globe.”
We are not sure what the Globe actually looked like, because
no building or construction records survived. What we do
know is brought to us by written descriptions in surviving
journals, the de Witt drawing, and various sketches of all of
London. We do know that the Globe had a circular shape,
because in Henry V the chorus states, “And shall this cockpit
hold within this vasty fields of France Or may we cram within
this wooden ‘O’…”
It is believed that the Globe was actually a twenty-sided
building, similar to that of the Rose Theatre which was
excavated in 1989.
10
INTERIOR
This sketch is commonly referred to as the “de Witt Drawing.”
In 1596 a student by the name of Johannes de Witt visited
the Swan Theatre, a theatre similar to that of the Globe.
While at the Swan he drew a sketch of the interior which his
friend Arend van Buchell copied; it is his friend’s sketch of de
Witt’s drawing that actually remains. It is the only remaining
drawing of the interior of a public theatre from Shakespeare’s
time, helping us to imagine what it was like inside.
2. If you were moderately well-off, you could sit in the Gallery.
Lining the walls of the theater, they provided benches and
some shelter from the elements.
3. If you were wealthy you could sit in the Lord’s Room. These
were box seats with private entrances (so you wouldn’t have
to run into the groundlings), and were located right near the
stage on the walls so that you could better hear the actors.
Additionally, these seats allowed you to be seen by all of the
spectators, making your seat a representation of your class.
DAYLIGHT
Plays were performed during the daylight hours, because
they didn’t have a lighting system to speak of! The Globe
Theatre had no roof so the light of the day could illuminate
the stage. That meant that the players could always see the
audience and vice versa. The players would speak right to the
people in the audience — who would often speak right back!
FROM HEAVEN TO HELL
While the players didn’t have much in the way of sets, they
did have their own vertical layout of the stage, which was
divided into four levels.
1. Hell. This was on the ground level below the stage (near the
groundlings) and was accessible from trapdoors. Characters
of low status or living in Hell would appear from below.
SCENERY
Shakespeare’s troupe didn’t use scenery. They had basic
chairs, a throne for the king, and any important props the
play called for (swords, scrolls, etc.) The focus of the play was
on the wording — scenery and props were a second priority.
2. The Stage. This was the platform on which most of the
action took place. There were usually two doors for character
entrances, one on either side, as well as a little alcove at
the back of the stage where a curtain was drawn. This little
alcove was used to reveal action going on inside a house (a
private scene), or to provide a hiding place for eavesdroppers
(i.e. Polonius eavesdropping on Hamlet and the Queen).
COSTUMES
Actors’ costumes were hand-me-downs from the nobility
of the time; therefore the actors always looked current and
fashionable!
SPECIAL EFFECTS
The Elizabethan audience was more interested in hearing
about the action rather than seeing of special effects. The
focus was on listening; often an event in the play would take
place offstage and a character would come onstage to inform
the audience of what had happened. [For example: In Hamlet,
the death of Ophelia is not seen on stage but rather the story
of her death is told to the audience by the Queen in Act IV:
Scene vii]. However, there were some special effects used in
his productions such as cannons, fireworks, trapdoors and a
rigging system from above.
3. The Upper Gallery. Directly above the stage was a little
balcony to provide a different level for playing. This was
often where a beautiful woman would appear (like Juliet
on her balcony), because these women were considered
slightly higher in status than the male-driven world below.
Often musicians were located in the top alcove to play
accompanying music.
4. The Heavens. This space literally represented Heaven, and
was located at the top of the theater, directly above the stage.
The roof, which would keep rain off the actors, was painted
with stars. This vertical architecture is a representation of the
class structure of the time; from the poor groundlings to the
elevated rich. The poor people stood in the yard and had to
look up to the players on the raised platform dressed as Kings
(remember, the costumes came from the nobles, so even if
they were playing a King from 300 years ago, they looked like
the King of the time). Standing on the same level as “Hell,”
the groundlings could look up and see the Heavens high
above them, behind the players. Their perspective showed
human nature reaching for the divine.
WHERE’S MY SEAT?
1. If you were poor then you didn’t get a seat; instead you had
to stand in the yard in front of the stage. These spectators
were called groundlings, due to the nature of their ‘seats.’
Here the audience members often yelled, talked directly to
the actors, pushed, shoved, ate and drank throughout the
performance.
11
On the other hand, the wealthy would look down from their
cushioned box seats and see poor players dressed in their
hand-me-down clothing. They sat on a similar level to the
Heavens where they could feel more superior. However, by
being close to the action, they were also reminded of how
close complex human experience and Hell were to their
own lives.
Did you know Shakespeare is given credit for introducing
nearly 3,000 words into the English language? These words
were created by using foreign words, making conjunctions
of two or three new words, using nouns as verbs, or simply
by invention.
The theater was an extraordinarily popular and rather
inexpensive form of entertainment. All kinds of people
frequented the theater. To see a show, they would look across
the Thames River to see if a flag was raised, which alerted
everyone that a show was planned for that afternoon. There
were three different colored flags: red, white, and black. A
black flag stood for a tragedy, a red flag for a history, and a
white flag for a comedy.
• Alligator
• Gloomy
• Luggage
• Puke
• Auspicious
• Gnarled
• Majestic
• Rancorous
• Critical
• Hoodwinked
• Manager
• Reinforcement
• Dauntiness
• Impede
• Divest
Here are some of the words attributed to Shakespeare:
Today, the Globe Theatre sits on a different spot of the
Thames River, just 200 meters away from the original site.
However, it was reconstructed to look like the original prints
of the famous theatre. The Globe produces Shakespeare,
Greek tragedies, contemporary playwrights, and new work.
They also offer tours and workshops for students and adults!
12
• Jaded
• Mountaineer
• Torture
• Eyeball
• Laughingstock
• Obscene
• Unmitigated
• Eyesore
• Leapfrog
• Pedant
• Worthless
• Frugal
• Lonely
• Petition
• Zany
George Olesky as Roman Soldier
Shakespeare also coined some of these famous phrases,
which we still use today:
Shakespeare’s lines are often referenced or parodied– here
are a few of Shakespeare’s more famous pieces of dialogue:
• “All that glitters is not gold”
•“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
(Julius Caesar)
• “Good riddance”
• “To be, or not to be, that is the question…” (Hamlet)
• “Dead as a doornail”
• “Heart of gold”
• “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are
merely players. (As You Like It)
• “Elbow room”
• “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” (Richard III)
• “Sorry sight”
• “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose by any other
name would smell as sweet;” (Romeo and Juliet)
• “Full circle”
• “Double double, toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron
bubble.” (Macbeth)
• “Too much of a good thing”
• “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some
achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon
them.” (Twelfth Night)
• “We are such stuff as dreams are made on…” (The Tempest)
13
UNIT TWO:
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR — TYLER DOBROWSKY
Why did you decide to do this play?
I think we decided to do the play for a couple of different
reasons. One was that Trinity hadn’t done Shakespeare in
a while. On top of that, we hadn’t done a tragedy in a good
while. Julius Caesar was looked at because even though it
isn’t currently an election year, the upcoming presidential
election is making waves in some ways and it was also a
good choice for our current company members.
Julius Caesar is usually a very male dominated show. What
made you choose to include a more female perspective?
Part of having Caesar as a woman felt more contemporary
but also made the story a bit more interesting and
accessible. It’s not just “another white dude” and that’s their
story. It feels more inclusive. I don’t think a female Caesar
is an element that many people have seen and brings out
more color in the story. The women are playing women, they
aren’t women pretending to be men. I wanted to complicate
the story so that it isn’t all men facing a woman. There is
a female conspirator. Very rarely are things very black and
white in life and I wanted to show that it is complicated and
not simple.
What do you believe this play is about?
I think it’s about politics. I think it’s about the way that politics
affects personal relationships and vice versa. I believe that
it’s about the private self versus the public mask that we
all put on in some way. It is about the fickle and arbitrary
nature that we as people can be swayed emotionally or
intellectually. Shakespeare is pointing out that there is some
hypocrisy in the way that people behave, and how easily
people can be led in some ways.
What do you want the audience to take away from the play?
Well, it’s my hope that they understand where Brutus is
coming from, that they have sympathy for him and don’t
hate him. I hope that they understand that even if people
have opposing points of view from themselves, that there
is a way to reach an understanding without coming to
violence. I think that it isn’t as simple as Caesar is wrong
and Brutus is right or vice versa. I hope that audiences think
about the idea of violence not being the answer with politics
and personal relationships. It is a very fun political thriller
and I hope they find the play both thought-provoking and
fun.
The ensemble is very important to the story of Julius
Caesar. How are you using the ensemble as a crowd or
mob in the show?
I feel that it’s important to talk about the function of the
“crowd” in rehearsal. They are a very important part of the
show. Crowd scenes are pages long in the script. We’re using
tech to amplify, but also using the audience in placing the
crowds with the audience. Also we’re using lots of recordings
to make the crowds seem a bit bigger and more of an event.
How are you using modern inventions to make this
production “timeless”?
I don’t want to box the story in too much by putting my
concept on it. I’m interested in telling the story as simply
as possible. I want to make it accessible and contemporary
without really ageing it. The set is relatively abstract, the
costume is a little bit more contemporary. We are using
cameras and microphones but no cell phones. Cell phones
are not our friends in this production. I’m not using guns. I
want it to exist in a slightly different universe that is similar
to ours. I wanted it to be a little post-apocalyptic. We are
using projections to have things on a screen, also recordings.
It’s my hope that it looks good and helps to amplify the story
in a helpful way.
Mauro Hantman as Calpurnius & Anne Scurria as Julius Caesar
14
UNIT TWO:
THE SYNOPSIS
Act One begins in Rome, Italy. Senator Julius Caesar is
returning from a victorious battle and a crowd has gathered
to watch the procession. The procession happens to be
taking place during the feast of Lupercal. (Lupercal was a
big holiday where people ran around in goatskin, ate, drank,
and made merry). Angry at the amount of crowds and the
revelry, Marullus and Flavius scold the crowd and begin to
take down the decorations devoted to Caesar. On the way to
the senate house, a Soothsayer yells at Caesar to “Beware
the Ides of March” (March 15th, the date in which Caesar
was assassinated). Caesar does not heed this advice and
instead continues on the senate house. All senators take
part in the procession and make their way to the senate
house as well, with the exception of Senators Brutus and
Cassius. Cassius feels that he has been denied the chance to
rise to a higher position in society because of Caesar. He feels
she is gaining too much power and is in danger of becoming
a tyrant. He then decides to plot her assassination with the
help of other senators who hold the same feelings towards
Caesar’s leadership. Slowly, Cassius convinces Brutus that
killing Caesar is an honorable thing to do for the survival of
the Republic as they know it. He also plants the idea that
Brutus would be a better leader than Caesar. During their
conversation, there is wild cheering and Caesar is being
offered a golden coronet signifying the crowd’s desire for her
to be the sole ruler of Rome. Although the coronet is offered
to her three times, she denies it each time and then has an
epileptic seizure in front of the senate.
someone great. (Hint: foreshadowing) Cicero leaves and
Casca is confronted by Cassius, who seems to be reveling
in the “destructive” weather. Cassius then attempts to sway
Casca to join the conspirators. He talks of Caesar being
a tyrant that must be stopped and Senator Cinna soon
joins the conversation and remarks the strange sights he
has seen. Cinna tells Cassius that all the conspirators are
together and ready to move to the house of Senator Brutus
to talk and plan more of the assassination attempt.
Act Two begins in the orchard of Senator Brutus, who is
trying to rationalize his need to kill Caesar. It is midnight
and he hasn’t slept or eaten for quite some time. His servant
Lucia comes in and brings him a note that mysteriously
arrived earlier in the night. The note incites Brutus to “Awake
and see thyself. Speak, strike, redress!” As he attempts to
decipher the contents of the note, he sends Lucia to check
the calendar, who then returns with the knowledge that it is
March 14th, the day before the Ides of March, when Caesar
is fated to be killed. As he grapples with all that is going
on, including the violent weather, the conspirators enter the
house, all in black cloaks with their faces hidden. Cassius
is the first to speak, followed by the de-cloaking of the
conspirators. Plans are finalized for Caesar’s assassination.
At the end of the planning session, all conspirators leave
Brutus’ house and his wife Portia enters the garden. She
suspects that something is going on and insists that Brutus
tell her what is weighing on him. When he continues to evade
her, she becomes desperate and resorts to giving herself a
wound in the leg to show her strength of trustworthiness.
They enter the house and continue to speak and many
dramaturgs presume that Brutus does share what is about
to take place at the Capitol the next day. Meanwhile, early
that morning, Calpurnius has a nightmare about Caesar
being killed at the Capitol. He wakes Caesar and they have
a dispute about Caesar going to the Capitol. Caesar relents
to Calpurnius and agrees to stay home for the day. Decius
Brutus enters and offers to go with Caesar to the Capitol
and Caesar says why she is not going to the Senate today,
Decius convinces her to go. The conspirators, as well as Marc
Antony, enter the scene, ready to head to the Capitol. Caesar
invites Marc Antony in for breakfast and the conspirators
ready themselves for the assassination. In front of Brutus’
home, Portia sends Lucia to the Senate to watch and see
As Brutus and Caesar continue talking and agree to
meet later in the day with other conspirators to plan the
assassination, the senate session ends. As everyone walks
out, Brutus pulls the sleeve of Senator Casca to hear more
details about what actually took place in the senate. Casca
tells both Brutus and Cassius all that transpired, including
the details of Senator Marc Antony offering Caesar the
coronet. In Casca’s re-telling, it seems that Caesar’s refusal
of the coronet has made the people of Rome love her even
more for her humility. Casca and Brutus leave, followed by
Cassius.
The next scene begins in the month of March with a violent
storm. Senators Casca and Cicero run into each other during
the storm and lament the terrible weather, but remark how
it seems that the world itself is preparing for the death of
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if anything is amiss. Portia and the Soothsayer debate
whether Caesar looks well and that the day is in fact the
Ides of March. (Hint: Caesar is quite possibly going to die)
over Cassius seemingly refusing to grant Brutus money to
pay his legions. The fight escalates very quickly and both get
extremely angry. However, not long after they calm down
and Brutus informs Cassius that Portia has committed
suicide. They have a drink together and the other generals
return to plan the next course of action for the war. Later,
when everyone is sleeping, Brutus sees a ghost approach.
The ghost relays the message that they will see each other
at Phillippi (where the next battle will take place).
The conspirators are all gathered on the Senate steps and
they finalize their positions for Caesar’s arrival. Caesar
comes and Metellus Cimber bends before him to beg for
his banished brother, Publius, to be given a chance to come
back to Rome. Caesar denies the appeal and suddenly
multiple conspirators are appealing for Publius Cimber.
This makes Caesar angry and she begins to berate each of
them for carelessness, reminding them that the law will not
change no matter how they beg. The first conspirator to stab
Caesar is Casca who, on the line “Speak hands for me”, stabs
Caesar in the back. At this point, chaos ensues as multiple
conspirators lunge for Caesar. Finally, Caesar stops in front
of Brutus, who lands yet another stab. Caesar falls and dies.
The conspirators then begin to rejoice over Caesar’s death,
bathing themselves in her blood. Marc Antony finds the
conspirators bathed in blood, shakes each of their hands
and gets a first look at the murder scene. The conspirators,
especially Brutus, decide to let him prepare the body and
allow him to speak at the funeral in an effort to keep him
quiet.
Act Five begins with the battle at Phillippi. Octavius and
Antony run Cassius and Brutus’ army mostly into the hills and
they are trapped. Cassius, despairing at their situation and
at his best friend Titinius’ capture, has his servant Pindarus
take his blade and kill him. Titinius comes back and finds his
body and while Messala goes to inform Brutus of Cassius’
death, Titinius kills himself next to Cassius. When Messala,
Brutus and another soldier find their bodies, they begin to
realize that their chances of surviving the battle unscathed
are slim to none. Brutus, in despair, asks his fellow comrades
to help him kill himself by holding his sword while he runs
on it. Everyone says no, with the exception of Strato. After
Brutus dies, Octavius and Antony find his body and exclaim
that he was in fact an honorable man. End of play.
At Caesar’s funeral, the crowd is confused and gets out of
hand. Brutus explains the conspirator’s reasons for killing
Caesar. He claims to have killed his friend for the good of
the Republic. The crowd quickly believes him and they
begin to question Caesar’s leadership. However, when Marc
Antony begins to speak, he reminds everyone what Caesar
did to better the Republic. The longer he speaks, the more
the crowd takes his side, and they soon rise up to kill the
conspirators and anyone loyal to the conspirators’ cause. In
walking through the streets of Rome, the mob comes across
Cinna the Poet, who knows that he is in a dangerous place.
When he tells the mob his name, they believe that he is the
conspirator Cinna and literally tear him to pieces.
Anne Scurria as Julius Caesar
Act Four begins with Antony and Octavius Caesar as
present rulers of Rome with Lepidus, an older soldier and
respected senator. Antony and Octavius are deciding who
needs to die in order for the Republic to be restored. Since
Caesar’s death, a civil war has broken out, with Brutus,
Cassius and other conspirators on one side and Octavius,
Antony, and other senators on the other side. Antony and
Octavius decide that they must be careful but swift in the
restoration of the Republic. On the other side of the war,
Brutus is in his camp with other generals, when Cassius
storms in. They dismiss their attendants and begin to argue
16
UNIT TWO:
THE CHARACTERS
Julius Caesar: A senator in Rome who is rapidly rising to
become the sole Emperor of the Republic. She is assassinated
by a group of other senators who perceive her to be a threat.
Octavius Caesar: Julius Caesar’s adopted son and later the
first Emperor of Rome. He is a military general and works
closely on the side of Marc Antony after Caesar’s death.
Marc Antony: A senator in Rome who is a close friend of
Julius Caesar. He is the most angered by Caesar’s death and
vows to avenge her.
Trebonia: A senator in Rome, who is also a conspirator in the
assassination of Julius Caesar.
Decius Brutus: A senator in Rome who goes to Caesar to
bring her to the Senate steps on the Ides of March. Also a
conspirator in the assassination of Caesar.
Flavius: A public official (police officer) in Rome who scolds
the crowd that emerges during the Lupercal in support of
Caesar’s rise to power.
Murellus: Another public official, akin to Flavius who also
scolds the crowd and takes down decorations and statues
devoted to Caesar.
Marcus Brutus: A senator in Rome who is also close
to Caesar but later betrays her by orchestrating the
assassination. He allows Marc Antony to speak at Caesar’s
funeral, an act which later causes an uprising. Also a military
general, but perceived as being very noble and kind.
Metellus Cimber: A senator who also takes part in the
assassination of Caesar. He appeals for his banished brother
Publius Cimber to no avail.
Cassius: A senator in Rome who is known for being
intelligent, fearless, and ruthless. He is one of the main
orchestrators of Caesar’s assassination and plans in some
ways to take the Republic for himself. He is a skilled fighter
and military general.
Cinna: A senator who also takes part in the assassination of
Caesar. He is eventually killed by Antony and Octavius.
Cinna the Poet: A poet who is killed by the angry mob for
having the same name as the aforementioned senator. He
was believed to have taken part in the death of Caesar.
Casca: The first senator to stab Caesar. He is brash and not
very well liked by the others.
Cato: A Roman senator
Calpurnius: The husband of senator Julius Caesar. He has
a dream the Caesar will be killed on the Ides of March and
begs Caesar to stay home.
Portia: The wife of senator Marcus Brutus who feels that
something is wrong and attempts to figure out what
her husband is planning. She later commits suicide by
swallowing hot coals.
Lepidus: A Roman senator who rules Rome beside Octavius
and Marc Antony after the death of Caesar
Soothsayer: A man who can see the future and warns
Caesar to “Beware the Ides of March”
Titinius: Cassius’ close friend and fellow soldier
Cicero: A senior senator in Rome, who is also a conspirator
in the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Messala: A Roman general
Lucilius: A Roman soldier
Publius: Another Senator and conspirator in the death of Caesar
Clitus: A Roman soldier
Pindarus: The servant of Cassius
Volumnius: A Roman soldier
Lucia: Brutus and Portia’s servant who is treated as family
and is often asked to sing.
Strato: A Roman soldier
17
UNIT TWO:
SHAKESPEARETH! A GAME WITH THE LANGUAGE OF SHAKESPEARE
ACT I, SCENE II
Some Shakespeare language can be hard to understand.
Try doing the following scenes with the original language
and then rewrite the scene using modern language and
perform it again. Next, add some tactics-otherwise known
as active verbs-with your choice of old or new language.
What changed about the scene? What was found? What
was lost?
• To accuse
• To manipulate
• To deceive
• To warn
• To please
CASSIUS
Will you go see the order of the course?
BRUTUS
Not I.
CASSIUS
I pray you, do.
BRUTUS
I am not gamesome: I do lack some part
Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;
I’ll leave you.
CASSIUS
Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness
And show of love as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.
BRUTUS
Cassius,
Be not deceived: if I have veil’d my look,
I turn the trouble of my countenance
Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
Of late with passions of some difference,
Conceptions only proper to myself,
Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors;
But let not therefore my good friends be grieved-Among which number, Cassius, be you one-Nor construe any further my neglect,
Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
Forgets the shows of love to other men.
CASSIUS
Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;
By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?
BRUTUS
No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things.
• To beg
• To tease
• To prosecute
• To soothe
• To supplicate
Example:
CASSIUS
Original: Will you go see the order of the course?
Modern: Are you going to see what’s happening in the senate?
BRUTUS
Original: Not I.
Modern: Nope.
CASSIUS
Original: I pray you do.
Modern: I think you should go.
Brian McEleney as Cassius & Stephen Thorne as Brutus
18
ACT II, SCENE I
ACT II, SCENE II
PORTIA
Brutus, my lord!
BRUTUS
Portia, what mean you? wherefore rise you now?
It is not for your health thus to commit
Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.
PORTIA
Nor for yours neither. You’ve ungently, Brutus,
Stole from my bed: and yesternight, at supper,
You suddenly arose, and walk’d about,
Musing and sighing, with your arms across,
And when I ask’d you what the matter was,
You stared upon me with ungentle looks;
I urged you further; then you scratch’d your head,
And too impatiently stamp’d with your foot;
Yet I insisted, yet you answer’d not,
But, with an angry wafture of your hand,
Gave sign for me to leave you: so I did;
Fearing to strengthen that impatience
Which seem’d too much enkindled, and withal
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep,
And could it work so much upon your shape
As it hath much prevail’d on your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.
BRUTUS
I am not well in health, and that is all.
PORTIA
Brutus is wise, and, were he not in health,
He would embrace the means to come by it.
BRUTUS
Why, so I do. Good Portia, go to bed.
PORTIA
Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
To walk unbraced and suck up the humours
Of the dank morning? What, is Brutus sick,
And will he steal out of his wholesome bed,
To dare the vile contagion of the night
And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air
To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus;
You have some sick offence within your mind,
Which, by the right and virtue of my place,
I ought to know of.
CALPURNIUS
Help, ho! Help! They murder Caesar! Murder!
CAESAR
Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:
CALPURNIUS
What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth?
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.
CAESAR
Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten’d me
Ne’er look’d but on my back; when they shall see
The face of Caesar, they are vanished.
CALPURNIUS
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelped in the streets;
And graves have yawn’d, and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
O Caesar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.
CAESAR
What can be avoided
Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?
Yet Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Caesar.
CALPURNIUS
When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
CAESAR
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
19
UNIT TWO:
MOB MENTALITY
In Julius Caesar, moments between crowds of people
escalate very quickly. So quickly in fact, that people are often
killed! Some think that Shakespeare incorporated these
examples of crowds into his plays to show human nature
and how groups of people are likely to behave under great
stress. Can you think of a time/place in today’s world where
under great stress, crowds of people-also known as a mobhave attempted to come together for a positive effect and
have instead caused havoc that may or may not have helped
their cause? What part would you play in that mob? Have
you ever been to a protest? What was that like? Split into
small groups and come up with two scenarios:
1. At a large gathering for “insert a reason”. (ie. presidential
debate, neighborhood shooting, environment protest, etc.)
The crowd behaves badly, no one listens to anyone and
havoc ensues.
2. At that same large gathering, instead of things escalating,
there is a clear leader and various voices and opinions are
expressed. There is a clear and unified want from the crowd
and the event continues with passion and vigor.
REFLECTVE QUESTIONS
What was the hardest part of the exercise?
What worked really well? What didn’t work very well?
Was it possible to come to a consensus?
Did any ideas have to be put to the side to achieve a main goal?
What do you think Shakespeare is trying to say with so
many crowds of people in the story?
The crowds allegiance is swayed very easily, do you think
that was true of real life?
20
UNIT TWO:
MAKING SHAKESPEARE TIMELESS
Shakespeare died hundreds of years ago, yet his work is still
being performed and modernized for today’s audiences.
How do you think this is possible? In Trinity Rep’s production
of Julius Caesar, set design, costume, sound and screen are
being used to create a world similar to ours, but not exactly
the same. In this exercise, pretend that you are the director
of Julius Caesar!
If you were the director:
1. Discuss why the director may have chosen this setting
for this production. How does the play change when you
put it in a different time period? Are any particular themes
highlighted? Is anything lost?
2. If you were directing this show, where would you set it
and why?
3. Activity: Create your own mood board for your own
concept for Julius Caesar! You can include drawings of the
set or costumes, pictures of props, taglines, music, etc.
Get creative! Include a description of why you chose your
interpretation and how your original concept will best serve
to tell the story.
Anne Scurria as Julius Caesar
21
UNIT TWO:
THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: JULIUS CAESAR
QUESTIONS:
In 2012, the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK
performed Julius Caesar with an African influence, featuring
a cast and creative team of African descent. Not only
did they record it, they created a Shakespeare Unlocked
documentary based on how the scenes were acted out and
workshopped. Here’s a link!
Why do you think the director had the actors name the
emotions they felt during the scene? Did it help your
understanding of the scene at all?
Whose speech did you find yourself more drawn to? Antony
or Brutus? Why?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7XV-cAGcPo
What was one thing that the director said that made you
think differently about the play, if at all? If not, why?
22
UNIT TWO:
BEHIND THE CHARACTER: AN IN-DEPTH LOOK
AT THE CHARACTERS OF JULIUS CAESAR
Assign each student (or you can put them in groups/pairs)
a character from the play. They must take an in-depth look
at that character.
1. Have them identify the lines that the character says about
themselves and lines that other characters say to describe
them.
2. Each student/group/pair, makes a presentation as to why
their character is “not so bad after all.” Whether or not they
actually believe it, encourage students to think about their
character’s motivations for their actions in the play.
3. Discuss with your students how actors, writers, and
directors must always ask why people behave the way they do.
TO CAST OR NOT TO CAST: AN EXERCISE
IN CASTING CHARACTERS
In this production of Julius Caesar, many changes were
made according to casting. Originally, the show would have
been performed by a group of white males. In reflection of
the world we live in today, Trinity Rep’s Julius Caesar includes
a woman playing the role of Shakespeare as well as people of
color and women playing other roles in the cast. Here is your
task, should you choose to accept it!
1. Create a cast of characters based on the actors that the
students in your class are familiar with, they can be living or
dead.
Stephen Thorne as Brutus, Fred Sullivan Jr. as Casca
& Brian McEleney as Cassius
2. Play around with casting. Welcome any gender, sex, race,
and sexual orientation.
3. Who would you cast where and why? Discuss your
choices and how or why your casting choices might bring
out different themes in the play.
23
UNIT TWO:
LIVING THE PART: A CHANCE TO ACT
Here are two monologues from the play. Pick two students, they will be Brutus and Marc Antony. These speeches take place
after Caesar’s death and both characters are attempting to sway the crowd. Take turns seeing how the students act out the
characters differently and also who the class is most likely to follow. Order of the speeches is not important.
MARC ANTONY
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come
to bury Caesar, not to praise her. The evil that men do lives
after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let
it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was
ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously
hath Caesar answer’d it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the
rest--For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all
honourable men--Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. She
was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says she
was ambitious; and Brutus is an honourable man. She hath
brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms did
the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition
should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says she was
ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man.
BRUTUS
Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers!
hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear:
believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine
honour, that you may believe: censure me in your wisdom,
and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If
there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to
him I say, that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his.
If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar,
this is my answer: --Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I
loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die
all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men?
As Caesar loved me, I weep for her; as she was fortunate, I
rejoice at it; as she was valiant, I honour her: but, as she was
ambitious, I slew her. There is tears for her love; joy for her
fortune; honour for her valour; and death for her ambition.
Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak;
for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not
be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is
here so vile that will not love his country?
Joe Wilson Jr. as Marc Antony & Anne Scurria as Julius Caesar
24
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alchin, Linda. “Life in Elizabethan Stratford Upon Avon.” William Shakespeare Info. Siteseen Ltd., 24 June
2014. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.
“A Brief Explanation of the Poor Law in Respect of Rural Communities 1601 – 1834.” Rossbret Institutions
Website. Rossbret, 18 Aug. 2007. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.
“Frequently Asked Questions / Shakespeare’s Globe.” Frequently Asked Questions / Shakespeare’s Globe.
The Shakespeare Globe Trust, 01 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Sept. 2015.
Shakespeare, William. William Shakespeare Complete Works. Ed. Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen. New
York: Random House, 2007. Print.
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