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Julius Caesar
Elements of Fiction/Shakespearean Tragedy
Exposition:
Characters & Setting
Act I
Rising Action:
Introduction of Conflicts
Act II
Climax:
Turning Point
Act III
In a tragedy, things usually go from bad to
worse in Act III
Falling Action:
Conflict resolution begins to fall into place
Result of the climax
Act IV
Denouement:
Main conflicts are resolved
Act V
This act includes a catastrophe, which is
another climactic turning point in the story
line.
Julius Caesar
 Physically weak: Caesar has several infirmities
 A tyrant: Caesar has had Marullus and Flavius arrested
 Superstitious: Caesar believes in portents and dreams
 Indecisive: Caesar cannot make up his mind whether or not
to go to the senate
 Inflexible: Caesar thinks himself perfect and decisive
Protagonist: Julius Caesar is an arrogant soldier and ambitious politician, who
believes that he is infallible. After his great victory over the sons of Pompey, he
believes that he is worthy of more power than just being the head of Rome; he
wants to be crowned the leader of the entire Roman Empire.
Brutus
* Of Noble Heritage Brutus is a Roman nobleman, as was his
father
 Sincere: Brutus truly believes that his role in the assassination
is for the good of Rome
 Honest: He refuses to take bribes
 Naive: He believes in the essential goodness of those around
him
 Philosophical: His philosophies guide his actions and decisions.
Cassius
· Envious: Cassius has contempt for Caesar and envies Caesar's position ·
Fearful: Cassius is afraid that Caesar has ambitions to be king. He fears
what might become of Rome in such an instance.
· Politically Astute: He advises Brutus to assassinate Antony along with
Caesar. Understanding what can happen, he advises Brutus not to allow
Antony to speak at Caesar's funeral.
· Corrupt: Prior to the battle at Philippi, he is accused by Brutus of taking
bribes
· Military Strategist: His battle plan for Philippi is well thought out and
based on sound military principles
Marc Antony
Loyal to Caesar: Antony loved and admired Caesar
· Clever: Antony pretends to befriend the conspirators and
asks that he be allowed to speak at Caesar's funeral
A skilled orator: Antony's speech at Caesar's funeral sways
the crowd
Hard: Antony's role in condemning men to death shows he
can be as cold hearted as he is passionate
· A skilled military leader: Antony has an equal voice in
planning the war against the legions of Brutus and Cassius
THEMES
Major Theme
The major theme of Julius Caesar is that misused power is a
corruptive force. This is seen in the fact that Caesar is a dictator
suspected of being tyrannous, that Cassius is so power hungry that
he assassinates Caesar, hoping to become more powerful himself,
and that Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus become a dictatorial and
tyrannical Triumvirate, worse than Caesar ever hinted at being.
Minor Themes
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goodness of loyalty, honor, and friendship;
the evil of pride, conspiracy, and anarchy;
the logic of political order;
and the viability of republicanism as a form
of government.
MOOD
The mood of Julius Caesar is one of impending doom and catastrophe.
From the beginning, danger lurks in every corner. Friends can no longer
be trusted, as they turn to manipulation and conspiracy and plot their next
moves.
Images of violence, blood, and death dominate the visual texture of the
play.
The weighty political intrigue is always present throughout the drama.
The latter half of the play even assumes an eerie mood with the
appearance of Caesar's ghost, returning to seek revenge.
The closing phase of the play is dominated by the sinister image of the
sword.
Antagonists
• Caesar's antagonists are Brutus, Cassius, and the other
conspirators who do not want him to become the head of
the Roman Empire.
• They plot to overthrow Caesar and assassinate him outside
the Capitol; he is an easy target because of his fatal flaw his extreme "hubris" or pride.
• Many times, Caesar is nearly saved by omens and
warnings, but he disregards them, thinking himself
infallible.
• He is so proud that he is easily flattered, leading him to
think less strategically and placing himself in grave danger.
SETTING
• Julius Caesar is largely set in Rome, in February of the
year 44 B.C.
• In later scenes, the action moves to Sardis and the
battlefield at Philippi.
• The physical landmarks of ancient Rome, such as the Tiber
River, the Capitol, and the house of the Senate, are referred
to with great frequency.
• The Forum is also the setting for an important scene.
Roman political institutions and officials, such as tribunes,
Senators, Patricians, and priests, are always present.
Shakespeare’s Globe Theater
•The Globe Theater was a perhaps the most famous and
interesting theater in the Elizabethan era.
•The theater was built just outside of London, (in
Southwark to be exact.) after the triumphant reign of
Queen Elizabeth I.
•The main reason the Globe Theater is especially famous
is the fact that many of William Shakespeare's plays were
written and preformed there.
•The idea of creating plays and theaters to perform them
in was a strange new concept for the Europeans of the
Elizabethan Era (aka the sixteenth century.)
Today’s Globe Theater
The Globe Theatre is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse
designed in 1599, where Shakespeare worked and for which he wrote
many of his greatest plays. The theatre season runs from May to September
with productions of the work of Shakespeare, his contemporaries and
modern authors.
Each year the Globe Theatre Company rediscovers the dynamic
relationship between the audience and the actor in this unique building.
The Globe also welcomes international theatre companies to share the
impact Shakespeare’s plays have had worldwide. Today, audiences of this
‘wooden O’ sit in a gallery or stand informally as a groundling in the yard,
just as they would have done 400 years ago.
The End
Julius Caesar is
the COOLEST!