Download Julius Caesar Background

Julius Caesar
Background
Iacta alea est
“The die has already
been cast”
The Play
• The play is about the assassination of a
Roman general and dictator who lived
and died more than 2000 years ago.
• Shakespeare drew his material from the
ancient biographical text The Lives of
Noble Grecians and Romans written by
Plutarch
War & Individual Power
• The Roman empire was
constantly at war during
Caesar’s time
• Generals like Caesar had
enormous power
• These generals moved
with their armies over the
entire Mediterranean
World, conquering
country after country
The Roman Empire during the
life of Caesar
Private Armies and Betrayal
• These powerful armies would rule the
territory with Roman governors
who heavily taxed citizens to make
money
• Sometimes the generals turned on
one another, battling for power
Caesar and Pompey:
jealousy and murder
Crassus
• First Triumvirate: made up of the three Caesar
most powerful generals: Caesar, Pompey,
and Crassus
• Caesar and Pompey were friends
• In 60 B.C. the two generals
helped to bring order to a
weakened government
Pompey
Jealousy!
• When Crassus was killed in
Syria, Caesar left Rome in
search of more power
• He conquered the Gauls in
Europe, sending back loads
of money to the people,
who gave him their devotion
Jealousy!
• Jealous of Caesar’s military triumphs in the Gallic
wars, Pompey looked towards success in the Senate
Caesar’s
standard
(i.e. his
symbol)
• The Senate was wary of Caesar’s ambition and feared
that with the love of the people Caesar might declare
himself king
Views of Caesar…
• Caesar saw himself as a
defender of the people
• Critics said he bought support
with bribes and handouts
• Enemies said he deprived
Romans of their liberty
Unconquerable God
• Caesar declared himself
dictator for 10 years and
saw to it that his supporters,
including Brutus, became
senators
• Built a statue to himself with
the inscription “To the
Unconquerable God”
Caesar’s arrogance
• Common people loved him
• The month of Quintilis is renamed “July” in his honor
• Later he was declared dictator for life (Feb. 15, 44
B.C.)
• Offered the crown 3 times but refused
• Why? Looked down upon to be a king – not
democratic, the Roman’s had killed their previous
king for being a tyrant
Caesar was the first to print his own image
on a Roman minted coin (Denarius)
Caesar’s arrogance
• He became increasingly arrogant and hungry
for power, which frustrated the Senate
• Members of the Roman Senate created plans to
assassinate him on March 15, 44 B.C. because
of his threat to the traditions of the Republic
(too much power)
• They succeeded.
“Sic semper tyrannis”
-thus always to tyrants-
Shakespeare’s Play
• Shakespeare’s play starts with events that
happened a month before the murder.
• The play condenses 3 years of history into
one play in which 6 days are acted out.
Characters
Julius Caesar
• Ruler of the Roman
state.
• Has just returned from
a series of wars in
which he defeated
Pompey’s sons
• Adoring crowds greet
him when he returns
• Wife is Calpurnia
Mark Antony

Loyal friend of Caesar,
shocked at Caesar’s murder
 Vows to avenge Caesar’s death
 Gives an emotional speech at Caesar’s funeral,
leading the crowd to desire revenge
 Becomes one of the three rulers of Rome and
gathers an army to fight the killers.
Brutus

Respected,
intelligent, and
honorable
 Friends with Caesar
but worries about his
arrogance
 Convinced to join
the conspirators in
killing Caesar
 Portia is his wife
Cassius
• Leader of the conspiracy
• Suspicious of Caesar from
the beginning,
• He and Brutus flee Rome
after the killing, each
gathers an army, and they try
to conquer Mark Antony’s
army.
Octavius and Lepidus are the other two who join with
Mark Antony after Caesar’s death to rule Rome as a
triumvirate.
Casca, Trebonious, Decius, Cinna and Metallus Cimber are
the other members of the conspiracy, each of whom
participates by stabbing Caesar.
Julius Caesar : Background
Shakespeare uses Roman
customs and superstition to
create spooky conditions to
mirror the dangerous plot
being planned.
Julius Caesar : Background
The Romans believed
that omens could reveal
the future.
These omens could
take the form of
unusual weather,
flights of birds, or
other natural
phenomena.
• Anachronism: person, place, or thing placed in the wrong
time period.
• Apostrophe: An address to the absent or dead are spoken to
as if present or the inanimate, as if alive.
• Aside: remarks unheard by other actors on stage when an
actor turns his head toward the audience to speak.
Julius Caesar Literary & Drama
Terms
• Pun: a humorous play on words indicating different meanings
• Comic Relief: humor inserted into the play to break a serious
mood
• Foreshadowing: the dropping of important hints by the
author to prepare the reader for what is to come
• Soliloquy: speech delivered while the actor is alone on stage.
It informs the audience of what is happening in the character’s
mind or gives needed information about other characters.
Julius Caesar Literary & Drama
Terms
• Hyperbole: the conscious use of overstatement or
exaggeration by a writer for effect
• Oxymoron: a figure of speech which combines two terms that
in ordinary usage are contraries or opposites
• Blank Verse: Unrhymed lines written in iambic pentameter,
each line has 5 sets of unstressed syllables – 10 syllables total
Julius Caesar Literary & Drama
Terms