Download Guide - Clemens Center

Tour 67
TEACHER TOOL KIT
2015–16
List of
TOOLS
Credit: C. Stanley Photography, National Players Tour 67: (back) James Sheahan, Rosie O'Leary, Colin Hovde
(director of Julius Caesar), Beau Harris, Mitchell Martin, Andrew Garrett, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Caleb Cedrone,
(front) Libby Barnard, Mackenzie Devlin
Section 1: Introduction................................................................................4
Section 2: Shakespeare’s World............................................................9
Section 3: The World of the Play..........................................................18
Section 4: Before the Show.....................................................................40
Section 5: During the Show....................................................................50
Section 6: After the Show.........................................................................52
Compiled by Susanna Pretzer and Brittney Biddle
Editors: Kevin Hasser and Jason King Jones
Lesson Plans: Brittney Biddle and Andy Germuga
Dramaturgy: Susanna Pretzer and Maegan Clearwood
2
1. INTRODUCTION
Credit: C. Stanley Photography. The Conspirators stab Julius Caesar in the Senate. James Sheahan, Rosie O'Leary, Beau
Harris, Andrew Garrent (hidden), Tina Muñoz Pandya, Mackenzie Devlin, Libby Barnard
How to Use this Guide.......................................4
Who are National Players?...............................5
Life on the Road..................................................6
3
HOWto use this guide
1. Introduction
What you have in front of you may seem like the largest study guide of all time. In
fact, it’s not a traditional study guide at all! We wanted to blow up any notion of what
a study guide should be and instead give you the power to choose what you want to
teach—we’ve merely assembled the tools you need to teach the subjects you find
most relevant.
This Teacher Tool Kit includes six unique sections. Each section includes context
information, activities, and further reading—all arranged by specific areas of focus. If
Facebook: View archival you want your students to learn about the art of Rhetoric, go to Section 3: The World
photos and share your own of the Play; if you want a simple guide to theater etiquette, you’ll find it in Section 5:
work.
During the Show. Utilize any or all of these tools as you see fit for your students.
Twitter @NationalPlayers: Whether your school employs Common Core standards or other standards specific to
Follow the Players across the your state, within these pages you’ll find a wealth of resources, sample lessons, and
country and use #NPTour67 to substantial historical and literary support material.
engage with other audiences.
With this National Players Teacher Tool Kit, we invite you to build the lessons you
Tumblr: For behind-the- choose. Please contact me at [email protected] with any feedback, questions,
scenes photos and videos of or ideas for other tools we can include in future Tool Kits. Enjoy!
life on the road.
YouTube: Find trailers and
video clips of shows.
- Jason King Jones, Artistic Director of National Players
Instagram: For fun photos This Tool Kit includes:
• Essential background on Shakespeare in performance including a playwright
of life on the road and the
biography, language guide, and Early Modern theatre practices.
venues we visit.
• Historical context, with insight into the political, social, and cultural atmosphere
Email: Contact the Players
of the world of the play. This section prepares students to thematically engage with
using their individual email
the play and make connections between Shakespeare’s world and their own.
addresses, found at www.
• Selected excerpts from the play that relate to its primary sources and historical
NationalPlayers.org.
Send
context.
general educational questions
to
NationalPlayers@
• An in-depth character study, integrating theatre-making, text analysis, and
olneytheatre.org.
historical context to help students actively engage with the play.
• Post-show questions and activities used in conjunction with or separate from
National Player workshops.
• Additional resources referencing production of the show and the creation of
this guide.
• Photos, illustrations, and other images providing nuanced, visual insight into
different interpretations of the play.
ENGAGE WITH THE
PLAYERS
National Players has a 67-year legacy of making the classics relevant and exciting for
new audiences; we are always looking for the latest ways to engage with students and
audiences. We make our educational and artistic work as accessible and relevant as
possible, from the thematic underpinnings of our texts to the creation of each year’s
national tour. We invite you to engage with us in any way.
Your students are welcome to contact the Players before or after their visits: track the
Players’ travels, share classroom materials, post questions and comments. Also, chat
with the Players about their performances and life on the road! To engage with the
Players via Facebook, Twitter, video and more, contact Education Coordinators, Libby
Barnard ([email protected]) and Andrew Garrett (Andrew@NationalPlayers.
org).
4
WHOare National Players?
1. Introduction
HISTORY
“The sup​​​​​​​​​reme reward is in
the powerful storytelling.
Attention
to
clarity
of word and action,
as well as passionate
characterizations,
reaps the benefit of
capturing the audience’s
imagination and uniting
them in story.​"
—Carole Lehan, Glenelg
Country School, Ellicott
Celebrating its 67th season, National Players is a unique ensemble bringing innovative
theatre to communities large and small across the United States. Founded in 1949,
National Players stimulates youthful imagination and critical thinking by presenting
classic plays in contemporary and accessible ways.
National Players is the hallmark
outreach program of Olney Theatre
Center in Olney, Maryland. A model
for artistic collaboration and national
education
outreach,
National
Players embodies the Olney Theatre
Center educational pedagogy: to
unleash the creative potential in
our audiences and artists, and to
stimulate individual empowerment.
National Players exemplifies these
goals by presenting self-sustained
productions of Shakespeare and
other classics to learners of all ages
and in all environments. Through
performances
and
integrated
educational programs, National
Players empowers these learners to
build stronger communities through
artistic collaboration.
National Players has performed in
41 states; in the White House; and
for American military in Europe, Asia,
and the Arctic Circle. Committed to
artistic excellence and community
engagement, National Players has
brought literature to life for more
than 2.9 million people.
TOUR 67
National Players in Tour 51's production
of Julius Caesar, featuring John Slattery.
National Players offers an exemplary lesson in collaboration and teamwork-inaction: the actors not only play multiple roles onstage, they also serve as stage
managers, teaching artists, and technicians. This year, the Players consist of 10
actors, traveling across the country and visiting schools and art centers.
A self-contained company, National Players carries its own sets, lights, costumes,
and sound, meaning that the actors rebuild the set and hang lights for more than 90
performances a year.
They also memorize lines for three different plays—this year, A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Julius Caesar, and A Tale of Two Cities—often performing more than one
each day. It is a lot of work, but the Players are dedicated to celebrating and teaching
literature and performance to as many audiences as possible.
5
ROAD
Life on the
1. Introduction
Rosie O’Leary is returning to National Players for Tour 67 after going on the road with Tour 66. In Julius
Caesar, she plays Cassius. In this interview, Rosie reflects on the entire experience of life as a Player—from
rehearsals and meeting fellow company members to taking each show on the road. Along with a general
timeline of the production process, this section includes jobs descriptions of each offstage role that the Players
fill while on the road.
COMPANY
MANAGER
Schedules regular company
meetings, handles
emergencies on the road,
serves as the point of
contact for venues, and
relays information to
the company’s General
Manager.
Tour 67: James Sheahan
STAGE MANAGER
Runs read-throughs and
rehearsals, maintains the
script and blocking notes,
and calls many of the lighting
and sound cues during
performance.
Tour 67 for Julius Caesar:
Caleb Cedrone
PROPERTIES
COORDINATOR
Sets up properties tables
at each venue, oversees
handling and storage
for properties, reports
damages to the stage
manager.
Tour 67: Mackenzie Devlin
TREASURER
Distributes housing
stipends, maintains
possession of Players bank
card, logs incidental costs,
submits weekly petty cash
reports.
Tour 67: Libby Barnard
AUDITIONS
Auditions for National Players were
held January through March. More
than 1,000 young actors vyed for a
place in the company, auditioning in
Maryland, Washington DC, Tennessee,
Boston, Georgia, Chicago, and New
York City.
“In an audition, it is important that I am
not only prepared and relaxed, but in an
environment that feels welcoming, open,
and collaborative. This is exactly what our
Credit: Brittney Biddle, Rosie
artistic director and general manager create
O’Leary in rehearsal
in the National Players’ audition space. They
create a space that allows you to play. They as Hermia in A Midsummer Night's
Dream.
not only want to see your work as an actor but
also get to know what type of person you are, and
if this is the type of lifestyle you want for year. It is
not an in-and-out audition process; you share yourself as a human.”
MEETING THE GROUP
For the first half of their contract, all ten players live in residency at
the Olney Theatre Center, where they rehearse, learn about each
other, and prepare for life on the road.
“The first month is a big honeymoon phase. Everyone is excited, get to
know each other, rehearse the shows, and collaborate with a new ensemble. It’s exciting and exhilarating because you are essentially meeting
your new family for a year. We hardly know each other, but in a year we
will learn the ins and outs of each others souls.”
REHEARSALS
Players spend approximately three to four weeks with each director,
analyzing the text, staging scenes, and incorporating design elements on the Olney stage.
“It’s the beginning of the collaborative process and ensemble-building
that we will be doing throughout the year on the road. We dig deep and
discover these stories together and discover how we can tell them across
the country.”
6
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
VEHICLES
COORDINATOR
Organizes a driving
schedule throughout the
tour and maintains general
vehicle upkeep.
Tour 67: Beau Harris
EDUCATION
COORDINATORS
Prepares curricula,
coordinates workshop
schedules, communicates
with teachers and
educators prior to arrival.
Tour 67: Libby Barnard & Andrew Garret
WARDROBE
MANAGER
Builds and maintains the
costume inventory, creates
a laundry and maintenance
schedule, oversees repairs.
Tour 67: Rosie O’Leary
STRIKE COORDINATOR
Conducts the proper order
of striking the set and
loading the truck, maintains
equipment inventory.
Tour 67: Libby Barnard
1. Introduction
OFFSTAGE
ROLES
In addition to
acting roles, each
Player takes on at
least one offstage
job in support
of the company,
based on his or
her skill sets and
interests.
“As a theatre artist,
I think it essential to
have a well-rounded
knowledge of all the
details that make theatre happen. It’s not
just about performing.”
Credit: Players’ Achive, The Players’ truck needs to be reloaded
after each production. It contains all of their sets, wardrobe
pieces, and lighting and sound equipment.
TRAVELING
The Players take turns driving the company’s three vehicles: a
truck for their stage equipment, a van, and a car. Last year, they
visited 19 states and 44 cities. Once, they performed five shows
in four days in three different states.
“If you’re in the passenger seat, it’s a chance to get some sleep! But to
pass the time, I color and listen to audiobooks.”
LIVING ON THE ROAD
Each Player is allowed to bring one large bag and one small bag
for their personal belongings. Without regular access to a refrigerator or gym, taking care of themselves on the road is especially
challenging.
“It’s an exciting ‘vagabondy’ lifestyle. You get to see so many random
towns you didn’t even know existed and perform for the community
members. In terms of self care, you get creative with making healthy
meals and do your best to find time to workout. But cooking and access
to a gym is definitely what I miss the most while on the road.”
7
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7)
1. Introduction
BEING A TEAM
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Supervises load-in of scenery at each venue and performs upkeep of the set
while on the road.
Tour 67: Tina Muñoz Pandya
Assistant: Mitchell Martin
Scenic Crew: Marion Grew
TRUCK LOADER
Is responsible for the stability
of items while traveling in the
in truck and how best to ensure their security.
Tour 67: Andrew Garrett
MASTER
ELECTRICIAN
Installs and maintains
all lighting equipment,
determines position for
lighting equipment and
cables, executes focusing.
Tour 67: Beau Harris
Assistant: Andrew Garrett
ACCOMODATIONS
MANAGER
Books hotel rooms for the
company based on preferred accomodations, optimal pricing, and check-in
dates.
Tour 67: Mackenzie Devlin
Working together for an
entire year means that,
despite long hours and
challenging load-ins, all
ten Players need to work
as a cohesive team.
“It’s
about
staying
optimistic and open. You
have to put your own
personal agenda and ego
aside and do what is best
for the group, because being
a functioning ensemble is
what matters the most.”
WORKSHOPS
Credit: Brittney Biddle, The Players work together to load in the sets and equipment before performances. Here, James Sheahan (left)
and Caleb Cedrone (right) set up the speakers and sound equipment for A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
Along with performing, the Players host educational workshops
for many audiences. Workshops include improvisation, text
analysis, stage combat, and more.
“They are a great way for us to get to know the community for whom
we are performing. It is also incredibly rewarding to get feedback from
these community members. It helps remind us that what we do can
make an impact.”
KEEPING IT “FRESH”
After presenting three plays dozens of times for dozens of
audiences, the Players work hard to keep their performances
exciting and authentic.
“I try to allow myself to play, to be open, and to be surprised in every
performance. A lot of that requires breathing in my surroundings and
scene partners so that I can be present. If I am honestly present, no
performance will be the same, which keeps it exciting.”
SOUND ENGINEER
Ensures proper placement,
upkeep, and maintenance
of sound equipment, sets
and checks sound levels
and microphone cues.
Tour 67: Caleb Cedrone
Credit: C. Stanley Photography,
Rosie O’Leary, in a performance of
Julius Caesar, as Cassius with the
blood of Caesar on her hands.
8
2. SHAKESPEARE’S
WORLD
Credit: C. Stanley Photography, Mark Antony mourns Caesar while the Conspirators look on. Libby Barnard, Tina
Muñoz Pandya, Marion Grey, Beau Harris, Mitchell Martin, Andrew Garrett.
Early Modern Theatre..................................................................................10
Shakespeare’s Life
The Globe Theatre
Performance Practices
Activities..................................................................................................12
Performing with Distractions
Discovering Shakespeare’s Stage
Exploring Costuming
Shakespeare’s Language..............................................................................15
Prose and Verse
Scansion
Activities...................................................................................................17
Explore Prose vs. Verse
Idenfying Your Speech Patterns
9
Early Modern
2. Shakespeare’s World
THEATRE
SHAKESPEARE’S
LIFE
“He was not of an age,
but for all time!”
—Ben Jonson, Preface to
the First Folio
THE GLOBE
THEATRE
Despite being history’s most produced and
studied English playwright, little is known of
William Shakespeare’s life. One of six siblings,
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon
on or about April 23, 1564. He married Anne
Hathaway in 1582 and had three children. For
the seven years after, Shakespeare fell off all
record. Eventually, he arose in London and
joined The Lord Chamberlain’s Men acting
troupe. When James I took over the throne
following Queen Elizabeth’s death in 1604, the
troupe officially became The King’s Men.
Shakespeare’s professional days are a
mixture of fact and legend. He and his
business partners purchased property on
the south bank of London’s Thames River,
where they established The Globe Theatre.
There, the acting company performed
many of Shakespeare’s 37 plays. Famed for A copper engraving of Shakespeare by
using the iambic pentameter writing style, Martin Droeshout, published on the
Shakespeare’s works are deep in metaphor, title page of the First Folio in 1623.
illusion, and character, sometimes even taking
precedence over plot. He began his career writing historical plays, bawdy comedies,
and the occasional tragedy. Later in life, his plays became more structurally complex,
featuring his iconic Hamlet and Macbeth and the curious tragicomedies Cymbeline
and The Tempest.
William Shakespeare died on or about April 23, 1616, and is interred at a chapel in
Stratford-upon-Avon. Most early modern playwrights did not publish their work, but 18
of Shakespeare’s plays were printed before he died. Luckily, nearly his full collection of
plays survived because friends and colleagues commemorated his life in a publication
known as the First Folio.
A century after his death, questions began to arise; his birthdate, deathdate, and
even the spelling of his name are in question. No definitive portrait exists of the man,
and no government record lists his theatric profession.
Many scholars have questioned the ability of a minimally educated man to create
such challenging writing. Some theorists have long held that “Shakespeare” was a nom
de plume for another playwright, nobleman, or even collection of writers. However,
the vast majority of scholars believe that unofficial documentation provides proof of
Shakespeare’s existence and prolific abilities. Regardless, Shakespeare’s plays have
been translated to 118 languages and are in constant production around the world.
Live theatre was an integral part of popular culture in 16th- and 17th-century England,
drawing citizens from every social and economic level together in an otherwise strictly
hierarchal world. The Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare’s company produced many
of their famous plays, was constructed around 1599 alongside the Thames River on
the Bankside of London. The Bankside provided an escape from the strict, regulated
life by which so many Londoners abided; along with patronizing theatres, Londoners
could participate in bear-baiting, cock fighting, bowling, and many other forms of
entertainment.
The Globe Theatre was a circular wooden structure constructed of three stories of
galleries (seats) surrounding an open courtyard. It was an open-air building, and a
rectangular stage projected into the courtyard. The performance space was backed
by a large wall with doors out of which actors entered and exited. In front of the wall
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 11)
10
2. Shakespeare’s World
a roofed structure supported by two large
providing a backstage for when not
THE GLOBE pillars,
in a scene. The roof of this structure was
to as the “Heavens” and could be
THEATRE (CON’T) referred
used for actor entrances.
The theatre housed up to 3,000
spectators, mainly because a great number
had to stand. The seats in the galleries
were reserved for the upper social classes
who primarily attended the theatre to be
prominently seen. Sometimes, wealthy
patrons were even allowed to sit on or
above the stage itself. These seats, known
as the “Lord’s Rooms,” were considered the
best in the house despite the poor view
of the back of the actors. The lower-class
spectators stood in the open courtyard
and watched the play on their feet.
These audience members were known as
groundlings and gained admission to the
playhouse for prices as low as one penny.
The groundlings were often very loud and
rambunctious during the performances
and would eat, drink, shout at the actors,
and socialize during the performance. To
keep the audience’s attention, playwrights
incorporated lots of action and bawdy
humor in their plays.
PERFORMANCE
PRACTICES
Although there are no surviving illustrations
of the original Globe Theatre, historians
think it looked something like this
description of the Swan Theatre, located
down the road from the Globe.
In Early Modern England, new plays were written and performed continuously. Each
week, a company of actors might receive, prepare, and perform a new play. Each actor
had a specific type of role he played which he could perform with little rehearsal. This
role was known as a “stock character.” Such characters included romantic lovers, soldiers,
clowns, and women characters. Because women were not allowed to perform, young
boys whose voices had yet to change played the female characters.
Other than a few pieces of stock scenery, set pieces were minimal. Artificial lighting coud
not convey time and place, so it was the audience’s responsibility to imagine. Because of
this, the playwright described the setting in great detail. For example, in order to establish
weather in Julius Caesar, in order to establish the weather in Rome before Caesar is killed,
Casca mentions to Cicero:
" Are not you moved when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests when the scolding winds
Have rived the knotty oaks, and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam
To be exalted with the threatening clouds,
But never till tonight, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction..."
The costumes of this period, by contrast, were far from minimal. Rich and luxurious,
Elizabethan costumes were a source of great pride for the performers who personally
provided them. However, they were rarely historically accurate, which again forced the
audience to use its imagination to envision the play’s time and place.
11
ACTIVITIES
2. Shakespeare’s World
PERFORM WITH DISTRACTIONS
OBJECTIVE:
• Students understand audience etiquette for live performance.
• Students examine the influences that inspired Shakespeare’s choices.
• Students make adjustments to scene work to better connect to their
audience.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 5 – 8
SUPPLIES NEEDED: Performance space
1. Talk with students about:
• Shakespeare’s audiences (groundlings and members of the upper
class)
• Elizabethan performance style (see “Performances Practices” and
“The Globe Theatre” on pages 10 and 11).
2. As a class, devise a short dialogue of three exchanges (e.g. “Hello,”
“How are you?” “I am well”). Incorporate movement into the scenes.
3. Divide the students into rehearsal groups. Ask each group to imagine they are performing at an Early Modern theatre, while the rest of
the class plays the groundlings.
4. As each group performs their dialogue, encourage the rest of the
class to (as if bored/unengaged) talk to each other, interact with the
performers, etc.
5. After each group performs, ask for feedback, and encourage them
to think of ways to hold the audience’s attention:
Is it worth changing your
play to improve your
audience’s engagement?
• Should they alter the scene to include things that would hold
everyone’s attention better?
• Should they perform for one social class of the audience, rather than another? The upper class are more likely
to fund you, but the groundlings can be more responsive.
• How might they alter their performance style?
• What do they think the audience wants to see?
6. After soliciting suggestions, try incorporating changes. Ask both performers and audience how the performances
differed.
7. Ask students how Shakespeare’s audience shaped his plays’ content.
• What references does Shakespeare make to audience conduct? How does he respond to audience pressures?
• What are audience expectations now? What do audiences gain in modern viewing practice?
• Ask students how live theatre has evolved since that time.
12
ACTIVITIES
2. Shakespeare’s World
DISCOVER SHAKESPEARE’S STAGE
OBJECTIVES:
• Students understand Shakespearian theatrical practices.
• Students explore acting techniques.
• Students describe different theater spaces.
• Students relate theatre-going to social class.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 5 - 8
SUPPLIES NEEDED: One line from Julius Caesar,
ample space to speak and perform.
1. Ask students where and when they have seen live performances.
• What did those spaces look and sound like?
• What strategies did the performers employ to make sure they
were seen and heard?
2. Pick a line from Julius Caesar. Some recommendations:
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Beware the Ides of March” (I.ii)
“Et tu, Brute?" (III.i)
“I am constant as the northern star” (III.i)
“Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war” (III.i)
"Think you I am no stronger than my sex?" (II.i)
“It was Greek to me." (I.ii)
Shakespeare’s Globe in London,
re-creaded in 1997.
3. Have the students say all lines in unison with no emphasis or inflection, as if they were just saying it to a friend. Have them
note natural emphasis on word and syllables and which moments are most clearly heard.
4. Ask students to imagine they are in a theater, standing on stage to deliver this line to a sold-out crowd. Have them close
their eyes and picture the space.
• Which direction do they have to face?
• How do they have to talk to make sure they are heard?
5. Talk about the theater structure in which Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed (see The Globe Theatre, page 11).
• What might Shakespeare’s company have considered while performing?
• How were the actors heard?
• How were they seen?
6. Have students picture The Globe Theatre and its various audience members in different locations. Picture the open air
theatre and the acoustics. Have them say the line again, communicating meaning (not just shouting) to as many audience
members as possible.
7. Ask students what has changed.
• Do they hold their head differently?
• Do they use their voice in a different way?
• Do they stand differently?
8. After, arrange students similarly to The Globe, with some students (the upper class) at a higher level and others (the
groundlings and lower class) down below and in the middle of the space. Ask one student at a time to deliver the line and
note the different techniques seen amongst the students.
9. Ask students to think about the theater in which they will be seeing Julius Caesar (show pictures or visit the theater, if
possible).
• How do they think the Players will have to adapt to this new space?
• What do they think their performance style will be like?
13
ACTIVITIES
2. Shakespeare’s World
EXPLORE COSTUMING
OBJECTIVES:
• Students differentiate between period-specific and non-period-specific costumes.
• Students shall think critically about the costume designing process.
• Students make connections between different time periods.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 6 - 12
SUPPLIES NEEDED: Photos of various Shakespeare productions or ability to research said photos, costume templates
(see Appendix)
1. Talk with students about costuming practices of Shakespeare’s theater (See Performance Practices on page 10). The most
important thing to call attention to is that costumes were not true to the period they were portraying.
2. Have students research other Shakespearian productions, focusing on Julius Caesar, or other Shakespeare plays, calling
attention to the differing costumes.
• What place and time do these costumes seem to be evoking?
• What costume elements are similar?
• Where are costumes distinctly different? For what purpose?
3. Have students identify a few costume pieces in their research, and have them answer the following questions:
• Does this costume match the time period in which the play is set?
• Does this costume match the time period in which the play was originally produced?
• What would the equivalent of this costume piece be if the show were performed today?
4. Have students choose a character and then decide modern equivalent costumes. Make a sketch of that costume. The
template in the Appendix can serve as a basis.
5. Share these sketches with the rest of the class. Ask students what they expect from costumes. Revisit these questions on
the day of the show, before, and after.
• Would they expect a lot of costume changes?
• Do they expect it to be traditional Elizabethan dress?
• What relationships and character traits are established with costume pieces?
Tour 67’s production of
Julius Caesar. Credit: C.
Stanley Photography
Tour 51’s production of Julius Caesar.
Credit: National Players Archive.
Tour 6’s production of Julius Caesar.
Credit: National Players archive.
14
Shakespeare’s
2. Shakespeare’s World
LANGUAGE
PROSE AND VERSE
Image 6: The title page
of Julius Caesar in the
Second Folio, published
in 1632.
SCANSION
A poet and storyteller, Shakespeare had an astute grasp of language and sound, and
along with writing 154 sonnets, he moved interchangeably between verse and prose
in each of his plays. Prose, the unmetered language of everyday speech, is employed
more heavily in Shakespeare’s comedies; it is often used to distinguish class, indicate a
character’s disconnect from reality, or identify moments of comedic relief.
In Julius Caesar, most of the lines are spoken
in blank verse; this technique is associated with
members of the higher class and moments of deep
emotion or wisdom that require elevated language.
Prose is used in distinct ways in Julius Caesar: in the
speech of common people, and to convey serious
information. The latter is most notable in Brutus'
funeral speech, where it emphasizes his honesty.
Pronouns were also used to distinguish
class and status. “Thou” and “thee” indicated a
closeness among characters. “You,” on the other
hand, was more formal or distant. It was used to
address superiors—children to parents, servants to
masters. Shakespeare uses these words to establish
character, status, and sometimes physical proximity.
When a form of address shifts in dialogue, it conveys
an altered relationship.
Blank verse is Shakespeare’s standard poetic form, also known as unrhymed iambic
pentameter— a line of poetry containing five iambic “feet”; a foot, in turn, is comprised of two syllables, unstressed and stressed, making each line ten syllables long.
The most common meter in English poetry, iambic pentameter follows the same pattern as the human heartbeat. A complete line can be written as the following:
de DUM | de DUM | de DUM | de DUM| de DUM
The following is an example of Brutus using iambic pentameter in Act II, Scene i:
To cut the head off and then hack the limbs
Scanned, it looks like this:
to CUT | the HEAD | off AND | then HACK | the LIMBS
However, Shakespeare often breaks from iambic pentameter, changing rhythmic patterns and marking variations in tone and structure. Actors use scansion to trace these metrical patterns throughout the text as they search for clues about meaning and character.
15
2. Shakespeare’s World
CONTINUED—
SCANSION
Some of the most common pattern rhythmic and metrical variations include:
SHARED AND SPLIT LINES
Shakespeare sometimes splits a line of verse, so that two characters share the ten
syllables. This is called a shared line or a split line, and it marks quick thinking or strong
emotion, and also creates a sense of movement and speed. Have a look at this line
shared by the soothsayer and Caesar in Act I, scene ii:
SOOTHSAYER
Beware the Ides of March.
CAESAR
What man is that?
Together, the line scans as:
Be-WARE| the IDES|of MARCH| what MAN| is THAT?
FEMININE ENDINGS
A feminine ending is a line of verse that ends with an unstressed extra syllable. The
result is that the rhythm of the verse is thrown off just enough to indicate that the
characters feel unsettled about something. The following is an example — spoken by
Antony in Act III, scene ii — of an iambic pentameter line with an additional feminine
ending, indicating that Antony is being deceptive:
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
Scanned, it looks like this:
I COME | to BU- | ry CAE- | sar NOT | to PRAISE| him
TROCHEES AND METRICAL VARIATION
A trochee is another type of poetic foot. Its pattern of a stressed syllable followed by
an unstressed syllable is the exact opposite of an iamb: DUM da. Compared to an iamb,
this feels unnatural or unresolved to speakers of the English language, so Shakespeare
often uses trochees for his supernatural characters. In the case of Julius Caesar, characters do not use full trochaic lines, but incorporate them into their speech. In the beginning of Antony’s funeral oration, he uses a monosyllabic (one-syllable) foot followed
by a trochee to draw attention and demonstrate the weight of his grief. It also starts
slowly, one syllable, the two, and builds as it goes. The result is one of Shakespeare’s
most famous lines:
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
Scanned, it looks like this:
FRIENDS RO - mans COUNT-ry- MEN LEND me your EARS
Despite its fame, scholars do not always agree on the division of feet in this line.
Because it breaks so many metrical “rules,” there are many interpretations of how it
was meant to be said and how it should be divided for the purpose of scansion.
16
ACTIVITIES
2. Shakespeare’s World
EXPLORE PROSE VS. VERSE
OBJECTIVES:
• Students understand some of the stylistic variations within Shakespeare’s writing.
• Students connect Shakespearian writing with the present day.
• Students can articulate Shakespeare’s writing style.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 6 - 12
SUPPLIES NEEDED: “Prose vs. Verse” worksheet (see appendix), writing utensils, extra paper (optional)
1. Ask students differences between poetry and other kinds of writing.
2. Explain the difference between prose and verse in Shakespeare’s writing, noting that both are used throughout all of his
plays and can provide insight into what is happening on a structural and character-based level.
3. Distribute “Prose vs. Verse” worksheet handout and have students work independently or in small groups to decide what
type of writing each scenario calls for.
• Students will likely choose prose for the first scenario because of the informal setting and abundance of friends, as
well as the antics suggested by the phrase “life of the party” that echoes some of the storylines of Shakespeare’s
clowns. Those who choose verse for this scenario will likely center on the fact that there are people with whom they are
unfamiliar at the party, so they want to make a good impression.
• Students will likely select verse for the second scenario, because attempting to make a good impression with “higher
class” people like teachers and new students is when one wants to be on one’s “best behavior.” Students who choose
prose will likely emphasize the “fish out of water” elements of the new location.
• The third scenario will likely be more evenly split, possibly with a shift between the more formal first section (which
would be likely chosen as verse because of the formal religious aspects) and the more informal second section (prose
for the easygoing conversation).
4. Have students share and explain their answers. If there is time, have them come up with some rough dialogue that falls
under the category they have chosen and expresses their intended style.
5. Follow up questions:
• Can you think of any similar differences in style within contemporary TV, movies, books, or theatre?
• What about the way you use social media? What causes you to use Twitter over Facebook, or Instagram over Tumblr?
• The medium used is part of the message. When you contact someone, how does the message change when you receive
it by letter, phone call, email, or text message, even if the exact same words are used?
• If you were performing Shakespeare, do you think you would prefer to work with verse or prose? Why?
17
ACTIVITIES
2. Shakespeare’s World
IDENTIFY YOUR SPEECH PATTERNS
OBJECTIVES:
• Students identify patterns in Shakespeare’s verse.
• Students recognize formal versus informal writing styles.
• Students connect Shakespearian dialogue to their own style of speech.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 7 - 12
SUPPLIES NEEDED: “Identifying Your Speech Patterns” worksheet (see appendix), writing utensils, sound recorder
(optional)
1. Explain the difference between stressed and unstressed when it comes to Shakespearian language; identify the different
patterns of speech and emphasize that Shakespeare’s verse was meant to imitate real speech patterns.
2. One of the tools many actors use when preparing to perform Shakespeare is scansion, or analyzing the text using symbols
to identify stressed and unstressed syllables. One pair of symbols that can be used is a slash (\) for stressed along with a
u (U) for unstressed.
• Demonstrate these marks on a simple two-syllable word, like “Hello,” “Skylight,” or “Complete.”
• Indicate what that word would sound like if the markings were reversed.
3. Distribute the “ID-’ing Your Own Speech Patterns” worksheet to students. Read the sentence at the top of the page
naturally, and have students mark the syllable-divided version with which are stressed and which are unstressed.
4. Either distribute recording devices to students or divide them into pairs. Have them answer one of the four suggested
questions (or another one of your choosing), either into the recording device, or with the partner transcribing their answer.
5. Have students mark up the transcript with their pattern of speech, noting where they stress syllables and where they do
not.
6. Students can trade transcriptions and attempt to mimic each other’s speech patterns, noting where individual idiosyncrasies
differ from what comes naturally to them.
7. Repeat with other questions, while introducing other elements, such as speaking with an accent, whispering, or speaking
to someone far away or over the phone, or in a whisper. Identify where the stresses fall throughout these speeches.
8. Ask if any student’s speech is falling into more formalized patterns.
• Do any of them have a lot of iambs or trochees?
• Who is the most rhythmic in their speaking?
• Who is the most erratic?
9. Ask students:
• What is the effect of writing in a formal style with rules for stressed and unstressed?
• What would this do to the style of dialogue?
• What does that do to the sound of the lines?
• How would it affect the actors’ process?
18
3. THE WORLD OF THE PLAY
Rome: From History to the Stage.................................................................20
The Republic & Caesar
"Parallel Lives"
"Et Tu, Brute?"
Ancient Rome, Elizabethan Style
Further Reading........................................................................................22
Excerpts from Will Durant's The Story of Civilization, Vol. III
Plutarch v. Shakespeare
Companion Scene: Sejanus His Fall by Ben Jonson, Act I, scene i
Activities......................................................................................................25
Discuss Caesar's Death
Writing Your Own Adaptation
Conspiracy, Assassination, and Civil Unrest .............................................27
Activities.......................................................................................................29
Make an Argument with Theatre
Effect of Rebellion
Make a Good Ruler
Further Reading........................................................................................31
Companion Scene: Richard II, Act IV, scene i
Companion Scene: Julius Caesar, Act II, scene i
The Art of Rhetoric............................................................................................34
Rhetoric in Ancient Rome
Rhetorical Devices
Elizabethan Oratory
Further Reading.......................................................................................36
Excerpt from The Arte of Rhetorique by Thomas Wilson
Companion Scene: Julius Caesar, Act III, scene i
American Oratory: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech
Activites........................................................................................................41
The Power of Rhetoric
Omens & Divination .........................................................................................42
Roman Omens
Ancient Types of Divination
Omens in Shakespeare
Further Reading..........................................................................................44
Companion Scene: Julius Caesar, Act II, scene ii
Companion Scene: Antony and Cleopatra, Act II, scene iii
Activities..........................................................................................................46
Omens
19
ROME:
3. The World of the Play
From History to the Stage
THE REPUBLIC
& CAESAR
Forms of Roman
Government
MONARCHY
753-509 BCE
REPUBLIC
509-27 BCE
EMPIRE
27 BCE-476 CE
"PARALLEL
LIVES"
The Roman Republic was led by two elected consuls, who served for a year
and were advised by the Senate. This period of Roman history included vast military
conquests, expanding Rome's control from central Italy to an area including all the
Italian peninsula, North Africa, Spain, Greece, modern France, and much of the
eastern Mediterranean. Over the Republican period, class conflict arose frequently
between the aristocratic patricians and the common-man majority, the plebeians.
New political offices and legal reforms were created throughout the Republic to
give the plebeians more power and to prevent them from seceeding from Rome.
The power of the Senate also decreased as the plebeian populares party
exercised more power, but that changed with Catiline's conspiracy in 66 BCE.
Catiline, an aristocrat, planned to use plebeian unrest to advance on Rome, kill
the consuls and most of the Senate, then make his own reforms. Cicero, consul
at the time, caught wind of the plot and executed its leaders, restoring the image
of the Senate. This weakened the position of politicians who made deals with the
populares, including Pompey the Great. When Julius Caesar returned to Rome
after governing Spain, he made an alliance with Pompey and Crassus called the
First Triumvirate. Caesar became a consul in 59 BCE and fought to pass the laws
Pompey had advocated for. However, they turned against each other, after Crassus'
military death and the death of Caesar's daughter—Pompey's wife—in childbirth.
The Senate sided with Pompey. When Caesar brought his army across the Rubicon
into Rome in 49 BCE, he was officially an enemy of the Republic.
Upon this victorious return to Rome, Caesar had unrivaled power,
appointing his supporters as senators and magistrates. The Senate gave him the
absolute authority of the title "dictator," first for just eleven days, then a year, and
months before his death, indefinitely. Caesar sought to maintain centralized control
over land that was increasingly spread out. He also passed a wide range of reforms,
which favored the landless classes, further alienating the patricians.
Shakespeare's main source for Julius Caesar was Plutarch, a Greek historian
born two years before Caesar's death. He is best known for writing Lives of the Noble
Greeks and Romans, a series of biographies of famous men. They are also known as
"Parallel Lives" because Plutarch paired them up, each Greek with a Roman,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
509 BCE
Romans
led by Lucius Junius
Brutus revolt against
the monarchy and
establish the Roman
Republic.
451-449 BCE
A board of ten
men (decemviri)
drew up the Twelve
Tables, a code of
law to establish the
rights of Roman
citizens and reduce
class conflict.
59-53 BCE
Julius Caesar
joins Pompey
and Crassus to
form the First
Triumvirate.
49 BCE
Caesar wins
a civil war against
Pompey and is
elected dictator
for eleven days.
He
held
the
position on and
off for the rest of
his life.
44 BCE
Julius Caesar is
assassinated.
20
3. The World of the Play
to emphasize a shared virtue or flaw. "Parallel Lives" includes, among many
others, biographies of Julius Caesar, Brutus, and Mark Antony, which influenced
Shakespeare's characterization.
The most popular translation of Plutarch's Lives in Shakespeare's time was
that of Thomas North, published in 1579. North translated Plutarch indirectly,
working from a French translation by James Amyot to create his English version.
North's influence can be traced in Shakespeare because there are phrases and
ideas that occur in North's translation but not in Plutarch's original or in other
sources on the topic. Shakespeare also drew on North's translation of Lives on
writing Coriolanus and especially Antony and Cleopatra. In Antony and Cleopatra,
monologues are taken from North wholecloth.
"ET TU, BRUTE?"
ANCIENT ROME,
ELIZABETHAN STYLE
Image: Players from Tour
51’s production of Julius
Caesar.
This famous line was not original to Shakespeare, nor can it be traced to
Plutarch or other historical accounts of Caesar's death. The phrase appeared in 1582
in Richard Eedes' Latin play Caesar Interfectus, as well as in Shakespeare's earlier
play, Henry VI, Part 3 in 1591. Its use in Henry VI, Part 3 applies the specific historical
situation to a different betrayal, much like "Et tu, Brute" is used today, implying that
the phrase was known at the time.
The Latin phrase has been traced to a similar one in Greek that appears in
Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars, although Suetonius did not believe Caesar spoke it.
He wrote that some believe Caesar to have said "καὶ σὺ, τέκνον;" before his death,
meaning "you too, child?" This phrasing has also led to speculation that Brutus may
have been Caesar's son. However, Suetonius argues that, upon recognizing Brutus
among the assassins, Caesar said nothing. Plutarch agrees, but adds that Caesar
pulled his toga over his head.
In the Elizabethan theater, plays were set in an array of times and places, but
mostly performed in contemporary clothes. The most notable exception, according
to art and theatre historian Thomas Wood Stevens, is that "Roman plays were marked
by the wearing of togas over the contemporary dress." Elizabethan settings were
often "created in large part through patterns of imagery ... with no direct reference
to the scene at all," Shakespearean scholar Robert C. Jones writes. The worlds of
each play, whether based in history or not, were influenced by the place and time in
which it was set, but the "world of the play" didn't fear anachronism, incorporating
contemporary references as well.
As the Renaissance brought attention back to Greece and Rome in a wide
range of arts and sciences, Roman history and mythology became popular topics
for playwrights of the time. Shakespeare's "Roman plays" are most commonly listed
as Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, and Antony and Cleopatra — the ones
based on Plutarch —but he set Titus Andronicus in Rome as well.
Ben Jonson, Thomas Kyd, William Rankins, Richard Hathway, Thomas
Heywood, Samuel Daniel, and Philip Massinger are just a few of
the writers who set plays in ancient Rome. These plays were most
commonly tragedies, centering around the rise and fall of Roman
political movements and figures. These themes resonated with the
anxieties of the time, as Renaissance thinkers questioned government
structures and wondered what the future — after Queen Elizabeth I,
who had no apparent heir — would hold.
21
Further
READING
3. The World of the Play
Excerpts from
The Story of Civilization, Vol. III
by Will Durant, 1944
"Like Alexander, [Julius Caesar] did not know where to stop. Contemplating his reordered realm, he resented its exposure to attack at the Euphrates, the Danube, and the Rhine. He dreamed of a great expedition to
capture Parthia and avenge his old pocketbook Crassus; of a march around the Black Sea and the pacification of Scythia; of the exploration of the Danube and the conquest of Germany. Then, having made the Empire secure, he would return to Rome laden with honor and spoils, rich enough to end economic depression,
powerful enough to ignore all opposition, free at last to name his successor, and to die with the pax Romana
[Roman peace] as his supreme legacy to the world.
When news of this plan trickled through Rome the common people, who love glory, applauded; the
business classes, smelling war orders and provincial loot, licked their chops; the aristocracy, foreseeing its
extinction on Caesar's return, resolved to kill him before he could go."
"Rumors persisted that he would make himself king, marry [Cleopatra], and place the capital of their united
empires in the East. Had he not ordered his satatue to be erected on the Capitol next to those of Rome's
ancient kings? Had he not stamped his own image upon Roman coins — an unprecedented insolence? Did
he not wear robes of purple, usually reserved for kings? At the Lupercalia, on February 15, 44 [BCE] the consul Antony ... tried thrice to place a royal crown upon Caesar's head. Thrice Caesar refused; but was it nost
because the crowd murmured disapproval? Did he not dismiss from office the tribunes who removed from
his statue the royal diadem placed upon it by his friends?"
"Brutus was needed as the front of the conspiracy, for he had won a wide reputation as the most virtuous
of men. He was supposedly descended from the Brutus who had expelled the kings 464 years before. His
mother Servilia was Cato's half sister; his wife Portia was Cato's daughter and the widow of Caesar's enemy
Bibulus. 'It was thought,' says Appian, 'that Brutus was Caesar's son, as Caesar was the lover of Servilia about
the time of Brutus' birth.'"
22
Further READING
3. The World of the Play
Plutarch v. Shakespeare
from The Life of Julius Caesar
by Plutarch
translated by Thomas North
“And when some of his friends did counsel him
to have a guard for the safety of his person, and
some also did offer themselves to serve him, he
would never consent to it, but said, it was better
to die once than always to be afraid of death.”
"That day being come, Caesar going unto the
Senate-house, and speaking merrily to the
soothsayer, told him, 'The Ides of March be come.'
'So they be,' softly answered the soothsayer, 'but
yet are they not past.'"
When he came thither, one of mean sort
asked him what his name was? He was
straight called by his name. The first man told
it to another, and that other unto another,
so that it ran straight through them all, that
he was one of them that murthered Caesar
(for indeed one of the traitors to Caesar
was also called Cinna as himself), wherefore
taking him for Cinna the murtherer, they fell
upon him with such fury that they presently
despatched him in the market-place.
Julius Caesar
Act II, scene ii
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.
Act III, scene i
CAESAR. The ides of March are come
SOOTHSAYER. Ay, Caesar; but not gone.
Act III, scene iii
CITIZEN 3. Your name, sir, truly.
CINNA THE POET. Truly, my name is Cinna.
CITIZEN 1. Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator.
CINNA THE POET. I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.
CITIZEN 4. Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.
CINNA THE POET. I am not Cinna the conspirator.
CITIZEN 4. It is no matter, his name's Cinna; pluck but his
name out of his heart, and turn him going.
CITIZEN 3. Tear him, tear him! Come, brands ho! fire-brands:
to Brutus', to Cassius'; burn all: some to Decius'
house, and some to Casca's; some to Ligarius': away, go!
23
Further READING
3. The World of the Play
Sejanus His Fall
by Ben Jonson, 1603
Act I, scene i
Jonson’s play is set during the reign of Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome, and follows Sejanus, a favorite of Tiberius’
who was ultimately executed for supposedly plotting to overthrow him. In this excerpt, Arruntius and Sabinus reflect on
the differences between their time and the past, specifically the time surrounding the events of Julius Caesar.
SABINUS. But these our times
Are not the same, Arruntius.
ARRUNTIUS. Times! the men,
The men are not the same: 'tis we are base,
Poor, and degenerate from the exalted strain
Of our great fathers. Where is now the soul
Of god-like Cato? he, that durst be good,
When Caesar durst be evil; and had power,
As not to live his slave, to die his master?
Or where's the constant Brutus, that being proof
Against all charm of benefits, did strike
So brave a blow into the monster's heart
That sought unkindly to captive his country?
O, they are fled the light! Those mighty spirits
Lie raked up with their ashes in their urns,
And not a spark of their eternal fire
Glows in a present bosom. All's but blaze,
Flashes and smoke, wherewith we labour so,
There's nothing Roman in us; nothing good,
Gallant, or great: 'tis true that Cordus says,
"Brave Cassius was the last of all that race."
24
ACTIVITIES
3. The World of the Play
DISCUSS CAESAR'S DEATH
OBJECTIVES:
• Students compare and contrast characters' motives within dramatic work.
• Students apply literature to their own life.
• Students form arguments clearly and succinctly.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 6 - 12
What do you do when
one person becomes
greater than
one's nation?
UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
25
ACTIVITIES
3. The World of the Play
WRITE YOUR OWN ADAPTATION
"Why should Caesar just get to stomp around like a
OBJECTIVES:
giant while the rest of us try not to get smushed under his
• Students partake in the process of adaptation.
• Students understand the origins of Shakespeare’s plays. big feet? Brutus is just as cute as Caesar, right? Brutus is
just as smart as Caesar, people totally like Brutus just as
• Students compare and contrast artistic work.
much as they like Caesar, and when did it become okay for
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 6 - 12
one person to be the boss of everybody because that's not
what Rome is about! We should totally just STAB CAESAR!"
SUPPLIES NEEDED: writing utensils, paper
1. Discuss the idea of adaptation with students:
• What do they know about it?
• What sorts of things have they seen adapted from one form to another?
• What tends to happen to things when they are adapted?
—Gretchen Weiners, Mean Girls (2004)
2. Share information about Shakespeare’s influences and sources, how Shakespeare often freely and loosely adapted existing stories, real and fictional, for his own plays and how Julius Caesar was largely based on Plutarch’s account of Roman
history in Lives of Noble Romans (pg. 20-21). Highlight how Shakespeare altered that account, and call attention to the fact
that this was not a strict adaptation but served as more of an inspiration.
3. Select an event from history for students to adapt as a class. Work with students to understand and interpret essence of
the historical event:
• Who is present?
• What happens?
• What is the sequence of events?
• What is the tone or mood?
4. Once students answer these questions, tell them that they are going to form their own fictionalized adaptation of the
historical story. To do this, they must select which facts are essential to telling the story and what can be altered or removed
for the purpose of adaptation.
5. Divide students into groups or work as a class. They can rewrite the original work in a totally different format, make it into
a performance piece, or adapt it into a new artistic medium. Encourage students to be creative and loose with their adaptations, adding characters or changing the style of speech.
6. If students are working in groups, they can share their concepts with each other and exchange feedback. Ask students to
identify commonalities among their adaptations and observe which elements have been adjusted and which tend to stay
the same.
7. Follow through on the concepts and create a first draft of the adaptation, in part or in full, and revisit the issue of commonalities and changes.
8. BONUS ACTIVITY: While not an adaptation of history, compare Julius Caesar to the film Mean Girls (2004).
• Does this work as an adaptation? How can we judge that? Do they share the same message?
• What are the major differences seen between Mean Girls and the orignal? What are the benefits to adaptations?
• Who do these stories relate to or reach that the original may not?
• As this is a film, and not a play, how does its maker use that to their advantage?
26
CONSPIRACY,
ASSASSINATION,
& CIVIL UNREST
3. The World of the Play
THE VIRGIN
QUEEN
"Spymaster"
Sir
Francis
Walsingham, in a portrait c. 1587.
AN AGE OF
CONSPIRACY
Over the course of her 44-year reign, Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603) defied
various societal conventions of gender. A lifetime of hardships prepared her for the
political and social challenges specific to a woman governing a patriarchal society.
The youngest daughter of King Henry VIII, Elizabeth was declared illigitimate after
her mother’s beheading in 1533. During her half-sister Queen Mary’s five-year
reign, Elizabeth was forced to convert to Catholicism, and because her popularity
with the public was deemed a threat to the monarchy, she was imprisoned in the
Tower of London briefly.
After Mary’s death and her coronation, Elizabeth was constantly bombarded
with advice from noblemen hoping to impart their own ideas on this member of
the “weaker sex.” Most notably, members of Parliament were determined to marry
the Queen and secure an heir to the throne. Parliament even threatened to cut
government funds until she agreed to wed. Elizabeth, in response, declared that
“In my end, this shall be for me sufficient, that a marble stone shall declare that a
queen, having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin.”
Although her gender certainly presented challenges, Elizabeth also
recognized the power that such a unique situation offered. Crowned at the age of
25, the young queen had a variety of suitors during her monarchy—a position that
she used to her full advantage. She regularly dangled the prospect of marriage in
the face of domestic and foreign nobles, never committing to an agreement, but
often using these relationships to foster and break political alliances.
By the second half of her reign, when she was beyond the age of
childbearing, Elizabeth fostered the image of herself as the Virgin Queen. In
contrast to this pristine, feminine representation, Elizabeth was often compared
to an Amazon warrior by her subjects. As a society of warrior women from Greek
mythology who used men solely for procreation, they completely refuted societal
notions of femininity and were regarded with a mixture of fascination and disdain.
These two contradictory images of Elizabeth I—the delicate, maternal virgin and
the brutish, masculine warrior—exemplify the careful balance that Elizabeth
struck between conforming to and diverging from patriarchal gender norms.
In Shakespeare's time, a range of conspiracies tried to overthrow the
reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Tensions between Protestants and
Catholics caused many attempts to assassinate the Protestant Elizabeth I and
replace her on the throne with Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic. High officials
in Spain, France, and Italy, Catholic countries, were involved in many of the plots
to "recover" Britain as a Catholic nation. From 1570's Ridolfi Plot to the bestremembered conspiracy of the time, the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, none of these
rebellions were successful. Many were thwarted by Elizabeth I's "spymaster," Sir
Francis Walsingham. Walsingham succeeded in proving that Mary, Queen of
Scots was herself involved in the 1586 Babington Plot, leading to her execution.
27
3. The World of the Play
REBELLION IN
THEATRE
Julius Caesar, first performed circa1599, was written in the midst of this
age of conspiracy. After Mary's execution, there were also questions about
who would succeed Elizabeth and how much unrest her death might cause.
Theatre, an artform central to Elizabethan culture, reflected the intrigue and
anxieties of its time. In 1611, Ben Jonson's Catiline His Conspiracy shared its
Roman setting and exploration of rebellion and conspiracy—this one against
the Republic—with Julius Caesar. The 1594 execution of a Jewish-Portuguese
doctor Roderigo Lopez, accused of attempting to poison Elizabeth, spurred a
series of stage portrayals of Jewish villains, perhaps including Shakespeare's
The Merchant of Venice.
Beyond Julius Caesar, Shakespeare's history plays reflect the political
atmosphere of his time in general, but also specific parallels between
historical drama and contemporary reality. Henry IV Part I tells the story of
a rebellion led by the Percies; the descendants of the Percies were behind
the Northern Rising conspiracy in 1569. This rebellion, as the one in Henry
IV Part I, marked a divide between the north and the south, and involved
demands to ransom a pretender to the throne.
Shakespeare's work played an important role in 1601's Essex
Rebellion. Some scholars suspect that the Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux,
THEATRE IN
saw Shakespeare's Richard II and drew from it a comparison between the
REBELLION
aging Elizabeth I and Richard II, a weak king who is desposed. In a popular
but questionable anecdote, Elizabeth herself allegedly said to her archivist, "I
am Richard II, know ye not that?" This comparison led Essex to commission
In Julius Caesar II.i, when
historian Thomas Hayward to write a history of Henry IV and the overthrow
Portia says she knows she's just
of Richard II. Its dedication presumed that Essex would succeed Elizabeth.
"a woman" but she also thinks
Around the same time, Essex's military failures against Irish rebels lost him
she's "stronger" and more conhis political and financial stability. Discontented citizens began gathering at
stant (i.e., steady and masculine) Essex House and Elizabeth began looking for evidence of treason.
than most, she sounds a lot like
Whether or not Richard II sparked Essex's idea of deposing Elizabeth,
Queen Elizabeth I, who famously it figured into his plan. The conspiracy leaders met without Devereux, to
said "I know I have the body but reduce suspicion, to discuss the plan to seize the court and force Elizabeth
of a weak and feeble woman; but to get rid of the government leaders to whom they objected. Three
I have the heart and stomach of days later, Essex's followers paid a visit to the Lord Chamberlain's Men at
a king" ("Speech to the Troops
the Globe Theatre. They paid 40 shillings, an unusually high price, for a
at Tilbury", 1588). Elizabeth, like special performance of Richard II. Essex had lost the element of surprise,
Portia, bought into the idea that but hoped—like Mark Antony—that he could turn public opinion against
women are weaker than men but his enemies. With 200 followers and four messengers held hostage, Essex
also presents herself as the excep- marched on London, but once he was declared a traitor, the public turned
tion to the rule.
against him. He was arrested and ultimately executed for treason, although
many co-conspirators came away with temporary imprisonment or fines.
Elizabeth I did not punish the Lord Chamberlain's Men or Shakespeare
for the group's association with Essex's plot, although Thomas Hayward was
imprisoned for his history. They were, however, ordered to perform Richard
II again, the day before Essex's execution, this time for Elizabeth herself.
28
ACTIVITIES
3. The World of the Play
MAKE AN ARGUMENT WITH THEATRE
ACTIVITIES
3. The World of the Play
EFFECT OF REBELLION
OBJECTIVES:
• Students connect Shakespeare’s writing to present-day cultural and societal issues.
• Students understand the effect of different mediums.
• Students write their own adaptations.
• Students argue their own opinion through storytelling.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 - 12
SUPPLIES NEEDED: "Conspiracy, Assassination & Civil Unrest" section (pg. 27-8), and the ability to research current
events
1. Have students read the “Conspiracy, Assassination & Civil Unrest" section of the Tool Kit (pg. 27-8), while considering
these questions:
• How was Julius Caesar relevant to the events occuring in Elizabethan society?
• What happens when there is a rebellion in society? To the losers? To the winners?
2. Compare and contrast the events of Julius Caesar with the Protestant and Catholic debate in Queen Elizabeth's day.
• What specific events might have inspired Shakespeare to write this play?
• Could he have been making a statement favoring one side or another?
• Where is this seen in the text of the play?
• Can you consider what Shakespeare did to be propoganda?
3. Divide the students into small groups to create small plays. Have each group choose a current event in which they have
a polarized opinion to one side of the argument. This could be something from the news, a local event that has happened
in the school, or even a retelling of Julius Caesar from one character's point of view. The groups are given time to choose a
news story and rehearse their performance of it, as if this was an actor portraying that event on the news.
UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
4. Bring the class back together as audience, and give each group a turn to perform their play. After each performance, discuss the effectiveness of the group, and also talk about what we know about the performers' personal opinions or prejudices
from the way the news story was presented.
• What techniques were used to convince their audience?
• How was the opposing side to the group's argument potrayed?
5. Have the students return to their groups to create a new play. This time, like Shakespeare did with Julius Caesar, they must
create a story commenting on their same event, but they must now not refer to the event directly. Instead, students should
create a new story that alludes to the same argument and lessons that they wish to impart.
6. Bring the class back together as audience again, and give each group a turn to perform their play.
• Who was succesful in imparting their message? How did they do that?
• Did using theatre as a medium, rather than as an actor portrayal of the event on the news, give your argument more or
less credibility?
• What is it about theatre that was helpful in making your argument?
• If this was a fully rehearsed performance, what could groups have added (lighting, sound, costumes, etc.) to help their
point?
Credit: C. Stanley Photography. The
armies battle over the fate of Rome.
29
Credit: C. Stanley Photography. Octavius (left) taunts Brutus and followers before the battle at Philippi.
30
Further
READING
3. The World of the Play
Shakespeare's Richard II
Act IV, scene i
This controversial deposition scene features Henry Bolingbroke taking the throne from King Richard II and becoming
King Henry IV. In the first three quartos published of this play, the scene did not appear at all. In the fourth quarto, it
appeared in a shorter version than the one in 1623's First Folio. It is traditionally assumed that the scene was censored
out of early publications, but there is no evidence to explain the difference.
RICHARD II. Alack, why am I sent for to a king,
Before I have shook off the regal thoughts
Wherewith I reign'd? I hardly yet have learn'd
To insinuate, flatter, bow, and bend my limbs:
Give sorrow leave awhile to tutor me
To this submission. Yet I well remember
The favours of these men: were they not mine?
Did they not sometime cry, 'all hail!' to me?
So Judas did to Christ: but he, in twelve,
Found truth in all but one: I, in twelve thousand, none.
God save the king! Will no man say amen?
Am I both priest and clerk? well then, amen.
God save the king! although I be not he;
And yet, amen, if heaven do think him me.
To do what service am I sent for hither?
DUKE OF YORK. To do that office of thine own good will
Which tired majesty did make thee offer,
The resignation of thy state and crown
To Henry Bolingbroke.
RICHARD II. Give me the crown. Here, cousin, seize the
crown;
Here cousin:
On this side my hand, and on that side yours.
Now is this golden crown like a deep well
That owes two buckets, filling one another,
The emptier ever dancing in the air,
The other down, unseen and full of water:
That bucket down and full of tears am I,
Drinking my griefs, whilst you mount up on high.
RICHARD II. Your cares set up do not pluck my cares
down.
My care is loss of care, by old care done;
Your care is gain of care, by new care won:
The cares I give I have, though given away;
They tend the crown, yet still with me they stay.
BOLINGBROKE. Are you contented to resign the crown?
RICHARD II. Ay, no; no, ay; for I must nothing be;
Therefore no no, for I resign to thee.
Now mark me, how I will undo myself;
I give this heavy weight from off my head
And this unwieldy sceptre from my hand,
The pride of kingly sway from out my heart;
With mine own tears I wash away my balm,
With mine own hands I give away my crown,
With mine own tongue deny my sacred state,
With mine own breath release all duty's rites:
All pomp and majesty I do forswear;
My manors, rents, revenues I forego;
My acts, decrees, and statutes I deny:
God pardon all oaths that are broke to me!
God keep all vows unbroke that swear to thee!
Make me, that nothing have, with nothing grieved,
And thou with all pleased, that hast all achieved!
Long mayst thou live in Richard's seat to sit,
And soon lie Richard in an earthly pit!
God save King Harry, unking'd Richard says,
And send him many years of sunshine days!
BOLINGBROKE. I thought you had been willing to resign.
RICHARD II. My crown I am; but still my griefs are mine:
You may my glories and my state depose,
But not my griefs; still am I king of those.
BOLINGBROKE. Part of your cares you give me with your
crown.
31
Further
READING
3. The World of the Play
Julius Caesar
Act II, scene i
Brutus has refused to tell his wife, Portia, that he has joined in the conspiracy to kill Caesar. Portia realizes something
is amiss and convinces him to reveal it to her by cutting herself in the thigh without flinching and demanding that her
husband treat her with more respect. Doing so, she talks about women as though they are weaker than men, with
herself as the exception.
PORTIA. Brutus, my lord!
Which, by the right and virtue of my place,
I ought to know of: and, upon my knees,
BRUTUS. Portia, what mean you? wherefore rise you I charm you, by my once-commended beauty,
now?
By all your vows of love and that great vow
It is not for your health thus to commit
Which did incorporate and make us one,
Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.
That you unfold to me, yourself, your half,
Why you are heavy, and what men tonight
PORTIA. Nor for yours neither. You've ungently, Brutus, Have had to resort to you: for here have been
Stole from my bed: and yesternight, at supper,
Some six or seven, who did hide their faces
You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,
Even from darkness.
Musing and sighing, with your arms across,
And when I ask'd you what the matter was,
BRUTUS. Kneel not, gentle Portia.
You stared upon me with ungentle looks;
I urged you further; then you scratch'd your head,
PORTIA. I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus.
And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot;
Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,
Yet I insisted, yet you answer'd not,
Is it excepted I should know no secrets
But, with an angry wafture of your hand,
That appertain to you? Am I yourself
Gave sign for me to leave you: so I did;
But, as it were, in sort or limitation,
Fearing to strengthen that impatience
To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed,
Which seem'd too much enkindled, and withal
And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the suburbs
Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.
Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.
It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep,
And could it work so much upon your shape
BRUTUS. You are my true and honourable wife,
As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,
That visit my sad heart
Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.
PORTIA. If this were true, then should I know this secret.
BRUTUS. I am not well in health, and that is all.
I grant I am a woman; but withal
A woman that Lord Brutus took to wife:
PORTIA. Brutus is wise, and, were he not in health,
I grant I am a woman; but withal
He would embrace the means to come by it.
A woman well-reputed, Cato's daughter.
Think you I am no stronger than my sex,
BRUTUS. Why, so I do. Good Portia, go to bed.
Being so father'd and so husbanded?
Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose 'em:
PORTIA. Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
I have made strong proof of my constancy,
To walk unbraced and suck up the humours
Giving myself a voluntary wound
Of the dank morning? What, is Brutus sick,
Here, in the thigh: can I bear that with patience.
And will he steal out of his wholesome bed,
And not my husband's secrets?
To dare the vile contagion of the night
And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air
BRUTUS. O ye gods,
To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus;
Render me worthy of this noble wife!
32
You have some sick offence within your mind,
ACTIVITIES
3. The World of the Play
MAKE A GOOD RULER
OBJECTIVES:
• Students connect Shakespeare’s writing to present-day cultural and societal issues.
• Students understand Elizabethan royal history.
• Students write their own adaptations.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 - 12
SUPPLIES NEEDED: "Conspiracy, Assination & Civil Unrest" section (pg. 27-8), Richard II Act IV, scene i, Julius Caesar
scenes, and the ability to research instances of oppression/subversion.
1. Talk with students about Elizabethan gender roles and Queen Elizabeth's precarious position as a ruler using information
found in “Conspiracy, Assination & Civil Unrest" section of the Tool Kit (pg. 27-8).
2. After reading Richard II Act IV, scene i (pg. 31) and/or Julius Caesar Act I, scene ii (pg. 53-4) have students list two sets of
and guidelines for makes a good ruler: one from Elizabethan or Roman history, one for today.
3. Ask students where they see parallels throughout history and the play, Julius Caesar:
• How and when have people been treated as objects and not individuals? Where does this still persist today?
• What sorts of actions are being taken by people to stop or circumvent these injustices?
• Who proves to be a good leader in Julius Caesar? What traits on your list do they fail to meet?
4. Distribute Julius Caesar Act II, scene i (pg. 32), and read it as a class with the overall questions in mind:
• How does Portia attempt to overcome her status as a woman and gain control over her future?
• How does she conform to and reject Elizabethan gender roles?
• Think about Calpurnia. Would her answers be the same to these questions?
• What happens when an individual in power considers oneself the exception to the rule? Can social change be made?
5. Instruct students to draft their own rewritten version of the scene in a new context.
• Who is the Queen Elizabeth equivalent?
• How is that person dealing with the rules that have been placed upon her?
• What makes that person a good ruler?
6. Share, read, or perform the new scenes. Have a discussion about how possible these sorts of subversions are in the real
world. What are the alternatives to create change in society?
Portia
Calpurnia
Jack Kirby's
Costume Designs
33
The Art of
RHETORIC IN
ROME
Image: Bronze sculpture
of a Roman orator, from
the first century BCE.
ELIZABETHAN
ORATORY
3. The World of the Play
RHETORIC
Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speaking, particularly through public speeches.
Rhetoric was an important part of education for upper-class men in ancient Rome,
based on the Greek tradition. Aristotle is credited with developing the basics of Greek
rhetoric, especially in his fourth-century BCE treatise, Rhetoric. In Rome, rhetoric gave
educated men the tools to influence the political process. Speeches in the legislative
assemblies and judicial courts allowed ordinary citizens
to propose or advocate for or against new legislation
or existing policy. With the rise of the Empire—first
led by Octavius, after the end of the play—the popular
assembly lost power and the focus of rhetoric shifted
to the courts. Both logic and emotional appeals were
considered essential to Roman rhetoric, emphasizing
emotionality more than their Greek predecessors did.
The most famous orator of ancient Rome was
Marcus Tullius Cicero, who was known for his eloquent
speeches and writings on rhetoric as well as for his
political career. In his De Oratore, he identified five
key elements of speechwriting: invention (coming up
with arguments), arrangement (putting them in order),
style (using rhetorical techniques and examples),
memorization, and delivery (including annunciation and
gesture). Cicero advocated for a return to the Roman
Republic during Julius Caesar’s time as dictator. Earlier
in his career, Caesar invited Cicero to be part of what
became the First Triumvirate, but Cicero refused because
he feared its affect on the republic. While not involved
in the conspiracy, Cicero supported Caesar’s assassins
and spoke against Mark Antony. Cicero was ultimately
executed by soldiers of the Second Triumvirate (as formed at the end of the play). He
is remembered as the master of Latin prose and had great influence not only on later
Roman rhetoric and writings, but on medieval and Renaissance studies and writings.
In Julius Caesar, there are battles, but the height of the conflict is in Brutus’
and Antony’s battle of words. In his speech, Antony turns the tide of public opinion and
plants the seeds for military victory. Shakespeare demonstrates the power of language
to change the minds of people—and thus the course of events that shape history.
With the Renaissance came the rediscovery of the Classics, including a renewed
interest in rhetoric and logic. The 16th and 17th centuries have been called the “Age
of Eloquence,” and rhetoric was applied not only to politics and social interactions, but
to Renaissance explorations of the mysteries of nature. The concepts that were central
to rhetoric were applied to other kinds of writing, especially to persuade readers of the
writer’s expertise and authority.
Rhetoric was part of a typical grammar school education in Shakespeare’s
England, both as a means for learning Latin and as an end in itself. In addition to Aristotle
and Cicero, Elizabethan students studied later works on rhetoric, including later Roman
orators like Quintilian and Renaissance writers like Desiderius Erasmus. These works were
read in Latin, but Renaissance English handbooks of rhetoric—such as those by Thomas
Wilson, Abraham Fraunce, Henry Peacham, and George Puttenham—were studied in
English. In grammar schools, the study of rhetoric was often combined with the study of
ethics, as teachers emphasized the moral lessons in the speeches they read as well as the
structures and techniques. Understanding the moral positions of society is essential for
persuasive appeals through rhetoric, and these teachings shaped the ethics of the next
generation as well as speakers’ skill at appealing to them.
In Julius Caesar, there are battles, but the height of the conflict is in Brutus’
and Antony’s battle of words. In his speech, Antony turns the tide of public opinion and
plants the seeds for military victory. Shakespeare demonstrates the power of language
to change the minds of people — and thus the course of events that shape history. 34
3. The World of the Play
RHETORICAL
DEVICES
Members of Shakespeare’s audience could appreciate the speeches on multiple
levels. As listeners, they could be affected much like the Roman people are in the play,
moved and persuaded by the characters’ words. As students of rhetoric, they could
identify the elements and techniques in use in the speeches, and assess the characters’
skill at oratory.
The three elements considered essential in classical rhetoric, dating back to
Aristotle, are ethos (speaker’s image of authority and expertise), logos (reason), and
pathos (emotional appeal). Here are some of the rhetorical devices that Brutus, Antony,
and others use in their speeches:
Antithesis
juxtaposition or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction
Asyndeton
Omission of conjunctions in lists or other contexts where they would
normally appear
Metonymy substitution of a symbolic word for what is meant (e.g. “crown” for
royalty)
Paralepsis
emphasizing a point by pretending to pass over it
Anaphora
repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of neighboring clauses
Aposiopesis A break in which the speaker comes to an abrupt halt, seemingly
overcome
Apostrophe Addressing a portion of the speech to people who are not present, or
to a personified object or idea
Rhetorical
question
A question asked to make a point rather than for an answer
Image: As part of
his 1620s series
of painting (each
depicting one of
seven independent
arts) Pieter Isaacz
illustrates the art
of rhetoric.
35
Further READING
3. The World of the Play
The Arte of Rhetorique
By Thomas Wilson, 1553
Thomas Wilson (1524–81) was a diplomat, judge,
and privy councillor for Elizabeth I’s government. His
Logique and The Arte of Rhetorique are considered
among the first complete writings on logic and rhetoric
in the English language. He was affiliated with the
Dudley family and fled to the Continent when they
fell from power in 1553. Queen Mary ordered him
to return to England to be tried as a heretic, but
he refused. He was then arrested by the Roman
Inquisition and tortured. He ultimately escaped and
returned to England, where he entered parliament,
became a diplomat, and eventually secretary of state
under Elizabeth I.
There are seven parts in every Oration.
{i. The Entrance or beginning.
{ii. The Narration.
{iii. The Proposition.
{iiii. The Division or several parting of things.
{v. The Confirmation.
{vi. The Confutation.
{vii. The Conclusion.
The Entrance or beginning is the former part of the
Oration, whereby the will of the standers by, or of the
Judge is sought for, and required to hear the matter.
itself, that the rather he might frame his whole Oration
thereafter.
Every matter is contained in one of these four.
Either it is an honest thing whereof we speak, or else
it is filthy and vile, or else betwixt both: and doubtful
what it is to be called, or else it is some trifling matter,
that is of small weight.
Matters honest.
1 That is called an honest matter, when either we take
in
hand such a cause that all men would maintain, or
The Narration is a plain and manifest pointing of the
else
gainsay such a cause, that no man can well like.
matter, and an evident setting forth of all things that
belong unto the same, with a brief rehearsal grounded
Matters filthy.
upon some reason.
The proposition is a pithy sentence comprehended in 2 Then do we hold and defend a filthy matter, when
either we speak against our own conscience in an evil
a small room, the sum of the whole matter.
The Division is an opening of things, wherein we matter, or else withstand an upright truth.
agree and rest upon, and wherein we stick and stand
in travers, showing what we have to say on our own Matters doubtful.
3 The cause then is doubtful, when the matter is half
behalf.
honest,
and half unhonest.
The Confirmation is a declaration of our own reasons,
with assured and constant proofs.
The Confutation is a dissolving, or wiping away of all Matters trifling.
4 Such are trifling causes when there is no weight in
such reasons as make against us.
them,
as if one should fantasy to praise a goose before
The Conclusion is a clerkly gathering of the matter
any
other
beast living, (as I know who did) or of fruit to
spoken before, and a lapping up of it altogether.
commend
Nuts chiefly, as Ovid did, or the Fever quartan
Now, because in every one of these great heed ought
[happening
every fourth day] as Phavorinus did, or the
to be had, and much art must be used, to content and
Gnat
as
Virgil
did, or the battle of Frogs as Homer did, or
like all parties: I purpose in the second book to set forth
dispraise
beards,
or commend shaven heads.
at large every one of these, that both we may know
in all parts what to follow, and what to eschew. And
first, when time shall be to talk of any matter I would
advise every man to consider the nature of the cause
36
Further READING
BRUTUS:
3. The World of the Play
Julius Caesar, Act III, scene i
Funeral Orations
MARC ANTONY (Continued):
MARC ANTONY:
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 him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his
fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his
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? If any, speak;
for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.
Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar
than you shall do to Brutus. The question of
his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated,
wherein he was worthy, nor his offences enforced, for which
he suffered death.
Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;
It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;
And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad:
'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs;
For, if you should, O, what would come of it!
Will you be patient? will you stay awhile?
I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it:
I fear I wrong the honourable men
Whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it.
You will compel me, then, to read the will?
Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar,
And let me show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle: I remember
The first time ever Caesar put it on;
'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii:
Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it,
As rushing out of doors, to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statua,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though
he had no hand in his death, shall receive
the benefit of his dying, a place in the
commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart,-that, as I slew my best lover for the
good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself,
when it shall please my country to need my death.
But yesterday the word of Caesar might
Have stood against the world; now lies he there.
Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And none so poor to do him reverence.
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:
O masters, if I were disposed to stir
Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
Tending to Caesar's glories; which Mark Antony,
I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,
By our permission, is allow'd to make.
Who, you all know, are honourable men:
I do entreat you, not a man depart,
I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.
Than I will wrong such honourable men.
But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar;
I found it in his closet, 'tis his will:
Let but the commons hear this testament—
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read—
37
3. The World of the Play
Julius Caesar, Act III, scene i
Funeral Orations
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds
And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
Unto their issue
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
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.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He 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 he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.
Credit: C. Stanley Photography. Andrew
Garrett as Brutus.
Further READING
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold
Our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny.
They that have done this deed are honourable:
What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it: they are wise and honourable,
And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:
I am no orator, as Brutus is;
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
That love my friend; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him:
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;
I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb
mouths,
And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue
In every wound of Caesar that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.
Why, friends, you go to do you know not what:
Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves?
Alas, you know not: I must tell you then:
You have forgot the will I told you of.
Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal.
To every Roman citizen he gives,
To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.
Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
His private arbours and new-planted orchards,
On this side Tiber; he hath left them you,
And to your heirs for ever, common pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
Here was a Caesar! when comes such another?
Credit: C. Stanley Photography. Mitchell
Martin as Marc Antony.
38
Further READING
3. The World of the Play
“I Have A Dream” speech excerpt
Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
Today, rhetoric is commonly used by politicians, but also by activists. “I Have A Dream” is one of the most
famous and powerful speeches in American history, and includes many rhetorical techniques to create its
impact.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate
discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end,
but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude
awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the
Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until
the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of
justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our
thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high
plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and
again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people,
for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied
up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long
as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies,
heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot
be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long
as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot
be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to
vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like
a mighty stream.”
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh
from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest—quest for freedom left you battered by
the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering.
Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go
back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities,
knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the
American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will
be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the
heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their
skin but by the content of their character.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 40
39
Further
READING
3. The World of the Play
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the
words of “interposition” and “nullification”—one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to
join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places
will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh
shall see it together.”
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to
transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to
work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that
we will be free one day.
And this will be the day—this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from
every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews
and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
40
ACTIVITIES
3. The World of the Play
THE POWER OF RHETORIC
OBJECTIVES:
• Students form arguments and rebuttals.
• Students compare and contrast varying forms of Rhetoric.
• Students analyze the use of Rhetoric within dramatic work.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 - 12
SUPPLIES NEEDED: Information on Rhetoric (pg 34-36), access to Julius Caesar, Act III, scene i Funeral Orations (pg. 378), “I Have A Dream” speech excerpt Martin Luther King Jr. (pg. 39-40), writing utensils, separate paper for notes
1.
•
•
•
Share information about the Rhetoric. Ask students to define Ethos, Pathos, and Logos as means of persuasion.
What is the effect of these different forms of Rhetoric?
If you had to chose one of the three to use more than the others, which form of Rhetoric is most effective?
Which makes the audience trust the speaker more? Or do any create doubt in what else might be hidden from the audience?
2. To help students remember the three, ask students to attach one mode of persuasion to Captain Kirk (ethos), Mr. Spock
(logos), and Dr. McCoy (pathos) from Star Trek, or to Harry (ethos), Ron (pathos), and Hermione (logos) from Harry Potter.
Please feel free to use other groups of three characters that better suit your curriculum.
• What happens when one of these three characters tries to function without the others?
• By creating this intrinsic divide in world view between the characters, what is the result? [Conflict, which creates stories]
3. To learn about the various forms Rhetoric can take, have the students in small groups:
• Find the elements of persuasion in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
• Is one of the three modes used more than the others?
• Explain that the power of King's speech comes from using equivilant amounts of each, so that they balance each other
out.
4. Give each group a copy of Brutus' funeral oration or Marc Antony's funeral oration.
• Find the means of persuasion in each speech. Is one of the three modes used more than the others?
• What is it about your speech that convinces that audience to follow them?
5. Come back together as a class and have each group present their results. Ask the students to vote, as if they were citizens
in the crowd that day, on if they would have followed Antony or Brutus. As seen in the show, Marc Antony's speech is able
to move the public to his side more than Brutus'.
• Why is that? Is it just that he spoke second?
• Did Antony use any other techniques to convince his audience that Brutus did not?
• In what other ways, other than speeches, can Rhetoric and the three modes of persuasion be used to convince others?
41
3. The World of the Play
OMENS & DIVINATION
ROMAN OMENS
Ancient Rome was a superstitious society, eager for signs of whom the gods
favored and what was to come. Omens and divination—signs and methods—were a
way that people tried to interpret, and sometimes manipulate, messages from the gods.
Some forms of divination were used regularly to consult the gods, while other unusual
occurrences could be interpreted as a god sending a message, unasked. Some officials
and priests had the power to stop all official business for the day if the omens were
judged unfavorable. With little regard for where they appeared, these messages were
considered to be directed to the worthy and powerful, with meanings that would have
societal impact.
A huge range of omens have been recorded and associated with various
events throughout Roman history, but Caesar’s death is among the most popular. Eight
surviving accounts from Roman authors describe omens that foreshadow Caesar’s
assassination—including Shakespeare’s source, Plutarch. In Plutarch, as in Julius Caesar,
foreboding omens are not for only Caesar, but also for the conspirators after the deed.
TYPES OF
ANCIENT
DIVINATION
Augury: Interpretation of omens from birds. One popular type of augury involved
feeding the sacred chickens; if they would not eat, it was a bad omen and Rome would
not go into battle.
Haruspicy: Divination by inspecting the entrails of sacrified animals, especially the
livers of sheep and poultry.
“They would not have you to stir forth today.
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
They could not find a heart within the beast.” (II.ii)
The Sibylline Books: Books of prophecies, which were carefully guarded and consulted
to find out what rites were necessary to avoid disasters and balance out negative
natural omens. The Romans believed that the last king of Rome bought the Sibylline
Books from a Greek sibyl.
Oracles & sibyls: Women believed to have the power of prophesy from a god. They
used this power most often in response to a question and were distinguished by the
locations of their shrines rather than by name. In special circumstances, a delegation
might be sent to consult an oracle. Later on, individuals would come to oracles with
personal concerns.
Lot Oracles: a type of oracle, decreasing in popularity among the elite in the time of Julius Caesar, that determined the answer to yes or no questions
based on variations of drawing lots, including rolling dice.
Incubation Oracles: Inquirers would spend the night in the sanctuary of a
temple, where they might have a prophetic dream. These oracles most
commonly were also healing oracles, dedicated to the healing god
Ascleipius, but some were oracles of the dead, where the dreams were
An augur, depicted with a sacred
expected to feature the spirits of the dead.
chicken.
Inspired Oracles: Answers were given by a religious official, formulated as direct
speech from the god whose oracle was being consulted.
OMENS IN
SHAKESPEARE
From the iconic “Beware the Ides of March” to the cultural specificity of the
heartless sacrificial animal, Julius Caesar’s omens are part of both the Roman setting
and the patterns of foreshadowing in Shakespeare’s canon. Shakespeare uses omens to
build atmosphere and a tense anticipation of what is to come, with a layer of mystery
that keeps the audience wondering exactly how the prophecied events will come to
pass. The use of omens also gives the characters an opportunity to react to them,
whether that means dismissing them, accepting them as inevitable or desirable, or
striving against them. While the omens themselves are outside the characters’ control,
their choices in interpreting them and reacting to them give the characters agency and
implicate them in their fates.
42
3. The World of the Play
OMENS IN SHAKESPEARE (CONT’D)
The ghost of Caesar taunts
Brutus in this copperplate
engraving from a 1802
painting by Richard Westall.
A professional soothsayer appears only in one other Shakespearean play, Antony
and Cleopatra, set soon after Caesar in Egypt as it becomes embroiled in Roman
politics. The soothsayer in Antony and Cleopatra, like the one in Julius Caesar, foretells
a dark future and is not heeded. Julius Caesar features mulitiple instances of this, from
"beware the Ides of March" to the foreboding results of sacrifices. The trope of the
wise seer who warns people of what is to come, but is ignored and thus powerless to
change anything, comes from the myth of Cassandra. Cassandra was
cursed by Apollo to see the truth and never be believed. Outside
of the cultural specificity of soothsayers, though, the witches in
Macbeth serve a similar purpose, providing a cryptic prophecy to
Macbeth. His reaction is the opposite of Caesar’s, taking the witches’
words to heart and basing his actions upon them, but both are based
on arrogant interpretations.
Caesar dismisses the soothsayer as a "dreamer," but dreams in
Shakespeare are not to be ignored. In comedies like A Midsummer
Night's Dream, dreams can explain away inexplicable events, but in
tragedies and histories, they tend to either look back at what has
occurred or into the future with foreboding. Calpurnia’s dream in
Julius Caesar comes as part of an array of omens that she notices
and associates—correctly, though Decius argues otherwise—with
her husband's fate. A similar dream comes to Lord Stanley in Richard
III, accurately predicting another's death. When Clarence has a
prophetic dream in Richard III, he sees his own imminent murder.
For the sleepwalking Lady Macbeth, though, the prophetic dream is
one of guilt, looking both back at the crimes she was involved in and
forward, into a "murky" hell that awaits her.
Shakespeare's ghosts are much like his dreams in their role as
portents of the future and reminders of past guilt. Sometimes the
line blurs—does Brutus dream up Caesar's ghost, or is he visited by
it? Either way, without saying much, Caesar's ghost serves both of
these common purposes. The most famous Shakespearean ghost,
of Hamlet's father, takes a different approach, appearing first to
bystanders and then to Hamlet, rather than haunting the guilty
Claudius. The ghost in Hamlet reveals not what will happen, but what
has happened, and in doing so, sets the future in motion.
From weather to animal behavior, Shakespeare takes natural
phenomena and makes them feel unnatural and ominous. He does
this both by taking them to extremes and through the imagery
and associations he gives them. The description of the storm that accompanies the
conspirators' meeting is an example of extremes, shaking the streets, and shares thunder,
lightning and a sense that characters are being corrupted, with Macbeth. The sense of
unrest in Julius Caesar's natural world, compared to "civil strife in heaven," hints at the
unintended consequences the conspiracy has. Animal omens also come into play in
Macbeth as in Julius Caesar, with the scene after Duncan's body is discovered followed
by a discussion of how unnatural the night was, including animal behavior. Apart from
different types of birds, Macbeth's scene looks at well-behaved horses going wild, while
Caesar finds omens in lions, giving birth in the street and walking away peacefully .
The omens in Julius Caesar are significant to the characters because of their
importance in Roman culture, but Shakespeare makes them significant to the audience
in plays with a range of settings. His layered and nuanced use of them builds atmosphere
and develops the characters through their interpretations, but also plays with our
expectations for how the cryptic promises of the omens will be fulfilled.
43
Further READING
3. The World of the Play
Julius Caesar
Act II, scene ii
In this scene, Calpurnia warns her husband that the omens indicate danger for him. Caesar argues that many
of the omens may not be specific to him and chooses an alternate interpretation for the one that is.
CALPURNIA. What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth? CAESAR. The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
Caesar should be a beast without a heart,
You shall not stir out of your house to-day.
If he should stay at home to-day for fear.
No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well
CAESAR. Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me
That Caesar is more dangerous than he:
Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see
We are two lions litter'd in one day,
The face of Caesar, they are vanished.
And I the elder and more terrible:
And Caesar shall go forth.
CALPURNIA. 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.
CALPURNIA. When beggars die, there are no comets seen; Noma Dumezweni (Calpurnia) and Greg Hicks (Julius
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes. Caesar) in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Julius
Caesar in 2011.
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.
What say the augurers?
SERVANT. They would not have you to stir forth to-day.
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
They could not find a heart within the beast.
44
Further READING
3. The World of the Play
Antony and Cleopatra
Act II, scene iii
In this scene, a soothsayer warns Antony that the omens are not favorable for him in his conflict with Octavius
Caesar.
MARK ANTONY. Now, sirrah; you do wish yourself in Egypt?
SOOTHSAYER. Would I had never come from thence, nor you Thither!
MARK ANTONY. If you can, your reason?
SOOTHSAYER. I see it in
My motion, have it not in my tongue: but yet
Hie you to Egypt again.
MARK ANTONY. Say to me,
Whose fortunes shall rise higher, Caesar's or mine?
SOOTHSAYER. Caesar's.
Therefore, O Antony, stay not by his side:
Thy demon, that's thy spirit which keeps thee, is
Noble, courageous high, unmatchable,
Where Caesar's is not; but, near him, thy angel
Becomes a fear, as being o'erpower'd: therefore
Make space enough between you.
MARK ANTONY. Speak this no more.
SOOTHSAYER. To none but thee; no more, but when to thee.
If thou dost play with him at any game,
Thou art sure to lose; and, of that natural luck,
He beats thee 'gainst the odds: thy lustre thickens,
When he shines by: I say again, thy spirit
Is all afraid to govern thee near him;
But, he away, 'tis noble.
MARK ANTONY. Get thee gone:
Say to Ventidius I would speak with him.
45
ACTIVITIES
3. The World of the Play
OMENS
UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
46
4: BEFORE THE SHOW
Credit: C. Stanley Photography, The Conspirators plot to kill Caesar. Mackenzie Deviln, Tina Muñoz Pandya, Andrew Garrett,
Rosie O'Leary, James Sheahan, Libby Barnard.
Getting to Know Brutus...............................................................................48
Further Reading....................................................................................52
Q&A with Andrew Garrett from National Players Tour 67
Critical Responses to Brutus
Companion Scene: Julius Caesar, Act I, scene ii
Activities..................................................................................................55
Discussion Questions
About the Play.................................................................................................57
Meet the Characters
A Brief Synopsis
47
Getting to Know
4. Before the Show
BRUTUS
Early Productions
16th-17th centuries
"Productions were
conditioned by prevalent
tastes and assumptions,
by the Restoration's flair
for heroism, the Augustan
Whiggish libertarian
patriotism in an ideal
'Roman' mode (... Caesar
the tyrant; Brutus the
virtuous idealist), and... the
19th century's grand style,
inspired by pictorial art's
beau ideal nobility."
—Arthur Humphreys, 1983
Physicality &
Masculinity
19th Century
Image: The Booth brothers, 1864
Julius Caesar was possibly one of Shakespeare’s first plays to be performed
at the Globe Theatre. The first recorded performance was in 1599, shortly after the
theater had been rebuilt. They did not have sets, but performed on two levels of
acting space with minimal props. They used short swords rather than the rapiers
that were popular in shows like Hamlet, and the costumes reflected ancient Roman
influence, though not historically accurate.
During the Puritan Interregnum (1642-60), theaters were closed, but in
1672, Thomas Killigrew revived the play for the King’s Company. It was popular in
the Restoration period, with several significant revivals. Brutus was increasingly
interpreted as a heroic Whig-liberal in his opposition to absolute rule, which rooted
this play in the politics of the time in which it was produced. Four lines were even
added to Brutus' final monologue to reinforce the idea that his actions were on behalf
of freedom. In 1706, a prologue by John Dennis compared Caesar to Philip II of Spain,
further emphasizing the Whig interpretation of the piece.
The play's popularity decreased in England concurrently with a 1770
production in Philadelphia, indicating the comparison between Caesar and King
George III of England. Going into the 19th century, British Caesars combined a
historical focus with the model style of idealized acting. John Philip Kemble's 1812
performance as Brutus was notable for its emphasis on Brutus as a follower of the
Stoic philosophy. Throughout most of the play, Kemble's Brutus emoted calm dignity,
elevating the impact of his few emotional moments. This production's approach
clearly influenced productions for the next eighty years.
In rowdy early 19th-century American theaters, Julius Caesar was emphasized
as a play grounded in masculine physicality rather than the British focus on historical
representation. The most popular conception of Brutus was one of heroic masculinity,
exhibiting strength of body and voice, as well as convictions. In this period, Thomas
Hamblin performed in more than thirty performances of Caesar, and as this style of
Brutus in three-quarters of them.
In 1864, a benefit performance of Julius Caesar was notable for featuring John
Wilkes Booth as Mark Antony, alongside his brothers as Cassius and Brutus. John
Wilkes Booth had initially wanted to play Brutus, but Edwin—considered the better
actor—got the part. John Wilkes later drew associations with Brutus by using a Latin
phrase—although not from Shakespeare's text—just before assassinating Abraham
Lincoln: sic semper tyrannis (thus always to tyrants).
After Lincoln's assassination, in 1871, Edwin Booth played Brutus again, to
mixed reactions. Far from his brother, this Brutus was almost a pacifist, a patriotic hero
driven by circumstance to stab a tyrannical Caesar, which he immediately regrets.
Critics loved the emphasis on spectacular sets in the production, but were split on
the shift from commanding physicality to the gently melancholic performance Edwin
gave.
48
Getting to Know
Large Scale
Early 20th Century
New Meanings
for New Times
1930s—
Present
Orson Welles
Mercury Theatre, 1937
Patterson Joseph
RSC, 2012
BRUTUS
4. Before the Show
In the early 20th century, the focus on spectacle continued to grow, and Julius
Caesar became a show about scale. In 1916, a Los Angeles-area production features the
student body of two high schools playing opposing armies, part of a cast of 5,000. In
1926, at the Hollywood Bowl, the set featured an 80-foot-tall tower and the cast featured
3,000 soldiers and 300 gladiators. As the focus went to these spectacular sets and
masses of people, the acting choices stayed familiar, playing Brutus as heroic, patriotic,
and commanding, but cold and distant, rooted in the past and lacking a living spark.
The same focus returned in Peter Stein's 1992 prominent German production, albeit
with only 200 extras, and in 1999, Mark Rylance used Shakespeare's Globe's audience of
groundlings to simulate the crowd, but with a more naïve Brutus.
In 1937, Orson Welles directed himself in the role in a bold, controversial take on
the play. The production drew comparisons to the political situation of the time, with
allusions to Mussolini and the Nazis, as well as to 1930s gangsters. In Welles' cutting
and rearrangement of the text, the focus of Brutus' character shifted away from the
ideological debate and decisionmaking. John S. O'Connor describes Welles' Brutus as
a "'bewildered liberal' of the '30s ... swept along in the action." The originality of Welles'
production was largely well-received, but criticized by some who felt the changes made
it un-Shakespearean and distorted the piece. Afterwards, directors were hesitant to face
comparison to Welles, and the 1940s had few Caesars.
In 1962 at the Old Vic, Brutus became a representation of Renaissance ideals
and the seeds of modern liberalism. 1973's Royal Shakespeare Company production
centered not on the assassination, but on the quarrel between Brutus and Cassius. This
interpretation placed that relationship center stage and emphasized Brutus' dogma of
"nobility," central to that conflict.
In the last decade, productions have played with the implications of politics and
identity. In Deborah Warner's 2005 production for the Barbican Theatre, Anton Lesser
played a Brutus who is, according to London Guardian critic Michael Billington, "more
concerned with his own image than making the right decisions" and a "walking political
disaster." Lesser played the Act II, scene i soliloquy as a sort of political double-think,
resonating with the logic of contemporary politics. The Royal Shakespeare Company's
2012 production, set in contemporary Africa, took a similar approach with their Brutus,
whom Billington describes as "a self-righteous blunderer."
In 2012, director Phyllida Lloyd staged an all-female production at the Donmar
Warehouse that questioned the role of gender, both in the text and in the history of
the play's performance. This production, set in a women's prison, featured Harriet
Walter as Brutus; she played a male character as being performed by a female prisoner.
Playing with nontraditional casting and new settings for the piece has enabled recent
productions to illuminate new sides of the story, keeping Brutus and his dilemma fresh
and meaningful hundreds of years after he was first portrayed.
Dame Harriet Walter
Donmar Warehouse, 2012
49
An Actor’s
4. Before the Show
PERSPECTIVE
For Tour 67, Brutus is
played by Andrew Garrett.
Andrew is from Crosby, TX
and received both his BFA
and MFA in Acting from
the University of Houston.
His other onstage roles for
Tour 67 include Oberon and
Theseus in A Midsummer
Night's
Dream,
and
Manette in A Tale of Two
Cities. Offstage, he serves
as Education
Coordinator,
Assistant
Master Electrician, and
Truck Loader.
Image: Andrew Garrett
as Brutus, with Caesar's
blood on his hands. Credit:
C. Stanley Photography.
Tell me about the first time you read or saw Julius
Caesar. What were your first impressions of Brutus?
My first encounter with the play was the first time I
was cast in it, actually. I played Metellus Cimber and
Marellus Flavius. Coincidentally, the production I was
in had two different casts so I got to see two different
actors make different choices with the character. My
first impression of the character was that he was
extremely stoic, almost to the point of not having
any emotional attachment to any other characters
and that he was driven entirely by logic and reason.
Did you do any specific research before you jumped
into the role?
I read and analyzed the play until I had the story
firmly in my head. Because I'd already been a part
of the play, I had an understanding of the hierarchy.
Beyond that, the play gives you everything you
need to know. What the characters value, how they
communicate their feelings, etc. It's all in the text.
How did you physically discover him? How did you vocally discover him?
Brutus' given circumstances imply that he is primarily an intellectual with very little
if any battle experience (does stabbing another person require a history of violence?),
so I figure that he was trained in school to carry himself with good posture to maintain
a strong appearance in the public eye. Vocally, he was taught to be very clear, precise,
and articulate with his speech.
Tell me about his relationship with Portia. Why is Brutus uninterested confiding in
her in this instance? How did the world they lived in shape their relationship?
Brutus' love to Portia is absolutely pure. Brutus doesn't confide in Portia for her own
safety. The plan itself is already dangerous, and whether you interpret the text to
mean that Portia is either sick or pregnant, you wouldn't want to put that much stress
on an already distressed person. Portia, however, must be as logical, reasonable, and
as loving as Brutus, otherwise he would be able to easily convince her that nothing is
wrong. Outside of the action of the play, I think Brutus and Portia are a total power
couple who bounce ideas between them to come up with the best possible answer
for everyone.
What is the nature of Brutus' relationship to Caesar?
There are rumors that Brutus was Caesar's illegitimate son. Whether or not this is
true, it is evident in the play that the two were very fond of one another. Brutus was
one of the few people that Caesar absolutely trusted. When Brutus stabs Caesar, the
lines, "Et tu, Brute? / Then fall Caesar", indicate that Caesar was surprised that Brutus
would be one of the aggressors. It could even be interpreted that by seeing Brutus
stab him, Caesar then agreed that it must have been the right thing to do if Brutus
did it.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 51
50
4. Before the Show
AN ACTOR’S
PERSPECTIVE
(CONT'D)
What is it about Cassius' proposal that sways Brutus to his side?
Brutus sees the storm that Caesar is bringing and doesn't know how to approach the
oncoming hardship. Cassius' proposal seems vague and extreme at first, but when
news comes from Casca that two senators have been "put to silence" for ripping
down Caesar's posters, I think that is when Brutus grasps the severity of the situation.
After all, if Caesar himself is willing to harm senators before he was a king, what is he
liable to do to them after the ascends the throne?
How do you relate to Brutus?
I'm a logical, reasonable person who tries to have a keen understanding of the
situation before any brash decision is made. This is very much like Brutus—"What
you have said, I will consider. What you have to say, I will with patience hear, and find
time both meet to hear and answer such high things."
Credit: C. Stanley Photography,
Brutus (Andrew Garrett)
and
Cassius (Rosie O'Leary) argue.
" With tensions mounting in this
country about numerous different
subjects (police brutality, abuse of
the federal system, social unrest
and inequality), I think Brutus goes
through what many people today
are struggling with: what needs
to happen for you to choose to
take action, how do you go about
solving the problem, and how do
you deal with the consequences.
I think in watching Brutus' journey,
we see a man decide to take
action for a good cause but comes
ill-prepared due to shortness of
time."
What have you discovered about his character that most surprised you?
The discovery of his leadership! He takes the lead of the conspiracy and redirects
their cause to be about honor, as opposed to blood.
What is your favorite part of playing Brutus?
The journey of his logic versus his heart. When he is acting purely and when he is
betraying himself via the two. There is much to be said about the scene in which
he meets the conspirators and is then faced with Portia's accusations and how he
reconciles the two.
What is Brutus' general attitude towards the world?
I think he pities the world's folly and hopes to correct it. He is silently judgmental
about a lot of characters and policies, but he doesn't discuss it because it isn't
constructive.
If Brutus existed in contemporary times, what do you think he would be doing?
I could see him as a Justice of the Peace or a lobbyist for social justice. Something to
do with justice or honor, for sure.
What is his biggest strength and his weakness?
His biggest strength is his sense of honor and logic. His biggest weakness is his choice
of co-conspirators.
—Andrew Garrett, Tour 67
Credit: C. Stanley Photography, Brutus (Andrew
Garrett) in his tent as the
ghost of Caesar enters.
51
Further READING
4. Before the Show
Critical Responses to Brutus
Various writers, 1910-2004
"Shakespeare wishes to portray a patriotic gentleman of
the best Roman or the best English type ... very much in the
form of a cultured and high-souled English nobleman, the
heir of great traditions and their responsibilities, which he
fulfills to the smallest jot and title."
—Sir Mungo W. MacCallum, 1910
"[Brutus] is sent to his death, a figure of gracious dignity, the
noblest Roman of them all, but with eyes averted from the
issue still. ... The plain fact is, one fears, that Shakespeare,
even if he can say he understands Brutus, can in this last
analysis make nothing of him ... He has let him go his own
reasoning way, has faithfuly abetted him in it, has hoped that
from beneath this crust of thought the fires will finally blaze."
— Harley Granville-Barker, 1927
"The mistakes of Brutus are the mistakes of a man whose
nobility muffles his intelligence. His conquest of himself has
extended to his wit; his excellence is not inconsistent with
a certain lethargy of mind. ... His honesty is absolute and
disarming, so that he will not wait as Cassius does for Caesar
to compare him unfavorably with the one brilliant person of
the play. But honesty in him is humorless and edgeless; it
rings a little dully in our ears, and even a little smugly."
attitudes regarding this problem exist: 1) Brutus fails because
he lacks practical understanding of men and politics; 2)
Brutus induces disorder in his own soul and in the state
by committing himself to violence on insufficient evidence
but on the highest abstract principles; 3) Brutus is trapped
by Cassius and other lesser men into a fatal choice; and 4)
Brutus is a cold, anappealing leader who refuses to heed the
counsel of others.”
—Joseph W. Houppert, 1974
"Brutus might be considered a cobbler or botcher, when his
intention to make a holy sacrifice of Caesar turns into the
butchery Antony perceives it to be, and as the city of Rome
is delivered over to anarchy following the assassination,
instead of regaining its liberty. Shakespeare has at least
partly drawn Brutus after Plutarch's conception of him as a
philosophic hero."
—Athanasios Boulukos, 2004
—Mark Van Doren, 1934
"... When Brutus' moral choice is considered in the context
of the pattern of misjudgment throughout the play, it is seen
to be an error, not because it would necessarily be wrong to
kill Caesar, but because Brutus' faculties of judgment have
been subverted, like those of his fellow Romans, whatever
their motives or allegiances. His misjudgment is revealed by
the way he arrives at his decision, rather than by the decision
itself. The characterization in Julius Caesar is distinguished
from that in Shakespeare's earlier portrauals of conspiracy,
rebellion, and deposition, by the focus of attention upon the
conditions under which decisive judgments are made, and
only to a lesser degree by the issues at stake."
—D.J. Palmer, 1970
“... The critical position which makes Brutus the focus of
interest as tragic hero has attracted the largest number of
critics and the greatest variety of interpretations. Brutus'
failure to deliver Rome from tyranny is obvious, but failure
is variously caused, and the peculiar cause of Brutus' failure
is the key to his tragedy. Four more or less exclusive critical
Rendering by
costume designer
Eric Abele.
52
Further READING
4. Before the Show
Julius Caesar
Act I, scene ii
In this scene, Brutus reacts to the idea that the people are offering Caesar the crown, and Cassius begins encouragng him
to participate in the conspiracy.
BRUTUS. What means this shouting? I do fear, the people
Choose Caesar for their king.
CASSIUS. Ay, do you fear it?
Then must I think you would not have it so.
BRUTUS. I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well.
But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently,
For let the gods so speed me as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.
CASSIUS. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Caesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well, and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'
I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
Is now become a god, and Cassius is
A wretched creature and must bend his body,
If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly,
And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Tintinius,'
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world
And bear the palm alone.
BRUTUS. Another general shout!
I do believe that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heap'd on Caesar.
CASSIUS. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar'?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed!
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
CONTINUED ON PAGE 48
53
Further READING
4. Before the Show
But it was famed with more than with one man?
When could they say till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O, you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.
BRUTUS. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any further moved. What you have said
I will consider; what you have to say
I will with patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.
Credit: National Players archive. Players from Tour
6's production of Julius Caesar.
CASSIUS. I am glad that my weak words
Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.
Credit: C. Stanley Photography, Brutus (Andrew Garrett) and Cassius (Rosie O'Leary)
in Tour 67's Production of Julius Caesar.
Brutus (Tom McKay) and Cassius (Anthony Howell) in the Globe's
2014 production. Photo courtesy of The Spectator.
54
ACTIVITIES
4. Before the Show
CREATE A CHARACTER
OBJECTIVES:
• Students create differing interpretations of a character.
• Students understand part of the costume design process.
• Students think and talk about the physical elements of acting.
SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 5 - 12
SUPPLIES NEEDED: Body outlines, coloring supplies, Brutus information (pg. 48-9), Brutus quotes/scenes
1. Work through the stage history of Brutus (see pages 48-9) and talk about the nature of the role with students, explaining
that Brutus' complexity as a character, being both incredibly loyal and a traitor at the same time. He is a study in opposites.
2. Have students research other interpretations of Brutus and note trends.
• Is there any change in his actions or speech in the scenes after Brutus has decided to betray Caesar? Does his costume
need to change to show this?
• What about after Brutus sees Caesar's ghost? How can Brutus' reaction and place at the end of the play, be reflected
in costuming?
3. After collecting a lot of information from the text and from other sources, have students work individually or in groups to
come up with their own design concept for Brutus.
4. Distribute blank body outlines and have students fill it in with their costume design concept. Surrounding the drawing,
have them write in the quotes that most influenced them in the forming of their design.
5. Share these designs with each other. Note similarities and differences.
• Are there broad groupings they tend to fall under?
• Or are they all fairly unique?
• What do they expect to see in National Players’ depiction of Brutus?
Design by Anonymus
Design by Jack Kirby
Design by Mariah Hale
Design by Giulia Orsi
55
ACTIVITIES
4. Before the Show
BRUTUS: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
GETTING TO KNOW BRUTUS
1. After studying Julius Caesar, what do you think made it a candidate for the changes needed in order to make it adapted
so often to suit the political situations of the time? Do you think those changes were successful? What is it about the original version that makes it most prevalent today?
2. What trends do you notice from the pictures of early Brutuses? What sort of performances would you expect from
those actors?
3. Would an emphasis on the “heroic masculinity" of Brutus play well today? Why or why not?
4. What do the qualities Edwin Booth praises in his second interpretation of Brutus make you think about the character?
Does the fact that theatre was imitating real life place a greater emphasis on his interpretation?
5. What changed in productions where spectacle became the centerpiece? What are the pros and cons of placing an emphasis on spectacle?
6. When reading about Orson Welles' approach, why do you think her take was so controversial? Would it ignite the same
controversy today?
7. Various critics of Orson Welles' production thought that the play was un-Shakepearean. What makes a play Shakespearean? The setting or costumes?
8. What do the pictures of the more contemporary Brutus say about changing performance styles?
9. If you were to play Brutus in today’s political climate, what cause would you draw connections to? Would you emphasize
the “political double-think” or “a self-righteous blunderer” or something else?
10. Phyllida Lloyd’s 2012 all-female production is said to have questioned gender roles in the text and in the play’s performance. What scenes of the play do you think is most applicable?
11. After reading the quotes from critics about the various Brutus performances, what do you think people look for when
seeing a new performance of Brutus?
ACT I, SCENE ii
1. What do we learn about Brutus from this short excerpt of text from this scene (page 53-4)? What seems to drive him?
2. What is his relationship with Caesar? Cassius? What is it in the text that illustrates your point?
3. What do you believe that Cassius says that convinces Brutus to join their plot?
AN ACTOR’S PERSPECTIVE
1. How does Andrew's interpretation and performance of Brutus differ from those highlighted in the character’s stage
history? How is it similar to other performances?
2. What do you think it is like to present a totally new version of a part that has seen many interpretations?
3. How would you imagine the collaboration between a director and an actor works for a part like Brutus?
RESPONSES TO BRUTUS
1. Which of the quotes about Brutus speaks to you the most? Which the least? Why?
2. Do the responses to Brutus seem overly critical of his actions and motives? What evidence from the text proves your
point of view?
56
Claudio
Cinna
Casca
Trebonius
Cimber
Conspirators
Young
Cato
Brother
of
Ligarius
Decius
Brutus
Cassius
Tintinius
Pindarus
Servant
to
Friend of
Friend & brother-inlaw of
Portia
Married
to
Servant
to
Married
to
Lepidus
Triumvirate
after Caesar
Cinna the Poet
a bystander
Octavius
Future Emperor of Rome
Marullus
Cicero
famous orator
Popilius Lena
Senators
Flavius
Tribunes
Calpurnia
Soothsayer
Julius Caesar
ns
io
t
u
Ca
Appointed dictator
of Rome
Supporter
Uncle &
of
adoptive
father to
Friend of
Lucius
Mark Antony
Brutus
Meet the CHARACTERS
4. Before the Show
A Brief
SYNOPSIS
4. Before the Show
Julius Caesar returns to Rome in triumph, having defeated
Pompey and his sons in the battle of Munda. The commoners
celebrate Caesar’s victory and two tribunes criticize them for
changing their loyalties. While much of the Roman republic
is heaping praise on Caesar, some senators are afraid for the
governmental structure if too much power goes to one man.
At a parade, a soothsayer warns Caesar to “beware the Ides
of March,” but Caesar scoffs at this. In private, senator Caius
Cassius argues to Marcus Brutus, a friend of Caesar’s, that
Caesar must be killed to preserve the republic. They hear
that Caesar has refused the crown — offered to him by Mark
Antony — three times.
Credit: C. Stanley Photography.
"Et tu, Brute?"
Cassius continues organizing a conspiracy to murder Caesar,
and although Brutus is hesitant, Cassius convinces him that Caesar must die to prevent
him from acting against the Roman people.
On the Ides of March, Caesar’s wife Calpurnia tells him of an ominous dream she had
and tries to keep him from going to the Senate, but he ignores her and the soothsayer’s
warnings. The conspirators, including Cassius and Brutus, stab him to death.
Brutus gives a speech, defending his part in the assassination, and the people of
Rome seem swayed, but Mark Antony gives subtle and persuasive speech at Caesar’s
funeral. While claiming not to want unrest, Antony riles up the crowd, who drive the
conspirators out of Rome.
Cassius and Brutus argue over Cassius’ acceptance of bribes, but they reconcile and
Brutus shares his grief at his wife’s recent suicide. They prepare for war against Mark
Antony and Caesar’s nephew, Octavius. Caesar’s ghost appears to Brutus that night,
saying that he will see him again at Philippi, where the battle will be. During the battle
at Philippi, Cassius orders his servant Pindarus to kill him (Cassius), hearing that his
best friend has been captured. Brutus continues to fight until his army is defeated;
then he runs on his own sword.
After Brutus’ death, Antony gives a speech honoring Brutus as “the noblest Roman
of all,” the only conspirator who acted on the belief that Caesar’s death was best for
Rome.
"Mort de César" by Vincenzo Camuccini, 1798
58
5. DURING THE SHOW
Credit: C. Stanley Photography. Marc Antony and Octavius' forces meet Brutus and Cassius' on the battlefield, while
the ghost of Caesar looks on.
Q&A with Scenic Designer, John Traub................60
Activity: Observe.........................................................62
Theatre Etiquette.........................................................63
59
A Designer’s
5. During the Show
PERSPECTIVE
John Traub is the set
designer for all three
Tour 67 shows. He
received his BA from
Colorado College and
MFA from Boston
University.
Along
with designing sets
for various regional
theaters, he currently
serves as Professor
of
Production
Management
and
Technology at The
George
Washington
University.
What are a set designer’s main responsibilities?
The scenic designer is primarily responsible for the visual world created onstage.
This includes the physical scenery, as well as the paint treatments and Properties
(hand props, furniture and the like.) They also collaborate with other designers
(lighting, costumes, sound, and sometimes video) to create a unified design.
Additionally, the scenic designer is often concerned with practical and logistical
considerations - how scenery is built, how actors are able to work onstage, and
(especially important on a national tour) how everything fits into a truck!
What is it about set design that is powerful? What draws you to this job again &
again?
Scenic design is a powerful medium because people are highly visual creatures.
Using light, color, shape and other design tools we can help our audiences access
these stories in deeper and more meaningful ways. I’m drawn to scenic design
because its such a great way to collaborate with other artists—and I get to engage
in a variety of different disciplines. There’s nothing like seeing your finished work
onstage. When everything comes together across the board and just clicks, its
electrifying—you can feel the energy in the room! Additionally, I truly enjoy being
a part of the National Players team. This is my second year as scenic designer
(Tours 66 and 67) plus three years as the technical director for the Olney Theatre
Center (Tours 58, 59 and 60) so I have a deep respect and love for the Players
organization and their mission. Some of my favorite collaborators come to the
Players sandbox every year. It's incredibly satisfying.
How would you describe the National Players’ aesthetic?
One of the things that makes the National Players so unique is the manner in
which they approach their art. They possess such a strong workmanlike ethos—no
matter the task, they take to it passionately and with gusto. It’s inspiring to be a
part of. Everything they need is essentially packed in a large rolling box—and every night, they get to open that box and share their particular brand of magic with
the world.
What was the most challenging space to try to create for the play?
The Players will travel to a variety of locations, all of which are different and have
their various quirks. The challenge lies in creating believable, functional spaces
that are flexible enough to accommodate those locations. We all have our parts to
play, but at the end of the day our job is to tell stories. Part of our responsibility is
making sure they have the tools they need to succeed at doing just that.
How is the collaborative nature of National Players unique?
It’s incredible. It’s so rare to find a company where every individual is working in
tandem towards a common goal. It’s an ideal scenario to create theater—every
idea is focused into a metaphorical melting pot that energizes our work.
60
5. During the Show
A DESIGNER’S
PERSPECTIVE
(CON’T)
What sort of research did you do to prepare for your design process?
I always begin by reading the play several times—the first time, I read just for enjoyment. After, I begin to dive in for details: Who are the characters? What are their
motivations? What kind of locations are present in the play? How does the story
and pacing flow? I usually follow with visual research, sparks that help support our
big ideas. While all of this is going on, I’m collaborating with the directors on their respective productions—
making sure their vision is realized and can become a reality. I’m a very tactile designer—I think better in a
physical space—so I’ll usually make a rough scale model and start working with it early on. It’s a great way to
see how things actually look in space
Can you walk us through a brief timeline of your design process? What were early conversations with the
director like, and how did your designs evolve throughout the pre-production and rehearsal process?
Early conversations usually revolve around the big ideas—themes, motifs, the mythos of the worlds we’re
inhabiting—and are refined over time. We threw a lot of proverbial paint on the wall to see what would
stick. There was a fair amount of evolution in regards to mechanics—how scenery functioned, transitions
between scenes—but the core concepts remained the same throughout. It’s expected that there will be
some evolution during rehearsals—that’s a good thing. An organic process is a valuable tool for polishing a
show. Getting locked into ideas too early can be detrimental to the artistic process.
What is it like seeing your design realize itself onstage?
It’s a great feeling—its a mixture of happiness, pride and relief, with a small dose of wistful sadness. Happy
and proud of the results, relieved we successfully made it, and sad the process is over.
If I want to be a set designer, what skills should I work to cultivate?
My three main recommendations: first, open yourself up to as much art as possible. Not just theatre—opera, dance, visual art, music—you never know where or how you will find inspiration. It all taps into a deep
well that can be of great use to you. Secondly, find people you want to work with. Not just people you
like (although that helps) but people you can collaborate with, who want to work hard and make great art.
Finally—always bring something to the table. Even a terrible idea is better than no idea at all, and can often
kick start a great conversation or spark elsewhere. Follow the “yes, and” philosophy—“yes, we can do that—
AND think about this other cool idea...” Nothing kills a great conversation like hearing “No.” If you can follow
these three guidelines, the rest tends to fall into place.
“All three of our plays this summer have different thematic qualities. A Midsummer
Night’s Dream deals heavily with the Natural vs. Mechanical world; Julius Caesar on
betrayal and the folly of power; A Tale of Two Cities on the role of family, statehood and
the rapidly changing industrial world (to name only a few!) Each of these is powerful
in their own right. The trick is to find a through line amongst all three. In my court, the
visual continuity is through sleek, linear lines—the “Cage” (as it is affectionally known) in
Midsummer and Two Cities, and the Rolling Panels in Caesar. All lend a modern, minimalistic quality to the visual world we’ve created, and give a chance for the costumes
and lights to really pop. Its a great foundation for these stories and its fun to explore
how they evolve over time.”
- John Traub, Scenic Designer
61
OBSERVE
5. During the Show
National Players tours all of the country, performing its three productions on dozens of stages.
How does this photograph of Tour 67’s first venue compare with your performance space?
How do you think the
lighting and sound
equipment will be used,
judging by the arrangement?
Why do you think it is visible
What do you observe about the
set’s design elements? What do they to the audience?
suggest about the world that the
Players are going to create? What is
the effect of changing the color of
light thrown on the panel?
What happens when the
panels move? What different arrangements do you
think they will take?
What items and furniture
do you notice onstage?
What do you think these
props represent, and
how do you predict they
will be utilized?
62
BEFOREyou watch
THEATER
ETIQUETTE
5. During the Show
Coming to the theatre involves a more active form of participation than other
types of entertainment, such as film or television. Theatre is a two-way art form: the
performers and audience feed off of each other, so the more energy coming from
the spectators, the greater the experience will be for everyone. That said, a certain
degree of respect and decorum is necessary for the actors to perform their very
best. This list of etiquette rules is designed to help you enjoy this artistic experience
as much as possible, whether you are a regular theatre-goer or this is your first time
watching a live performance:
DO respond to the onstage action with applause and laughter.
Performers feed off your energy, so feel free to engage with
them as much as possible.
DON’T speak aloud or whisper to your neighbor during the
show; there will be plenty of time for discussion after the
performance, and you run the risk of distracting the actors from
their work.
DO turn off your cell phone and similar devices before the
performance begins.
DON’T check your phone during the performance. Even if
you have your device on silent, the bright light can be a distraction for the
performers.
DO use to the restroom before the performance. If you must leave the theatre
in the middle of the show, be as quiet and respectful as possible.
DO take notes. Jot down ideas, connections, and opinions that come to you
during the performance. If you are attending a talkback, brainstorm some
questions you have for the actors, either about the play itself or about the
experience of being a National Player.
HEARING Although Shakespeare’s language can sometimes seem difficult to understand, a bit
practice and preparation can help you follow the story as easily as possible. Here are
SHAKESPEARE ofsome
tips to help you enjoy and appreciate the onstage action:
• Relax. You do not have to understand every word in Shakespeare’s lexicon to
understand his plays. Instead, just try to grasp the gist of what each character
is saying, and before long, the rhythm and sound of the language will feel
second-nature.
• Watch the performers’ body language, gestures, and facial expressions. In
terms of storytelling, body language is just as important as the text, and actors
employ a variety of performance techniques to make their dialogue as clear
as possible.
• Although he uses prose as well, Shakespeare often uses verse in his plays,
a metrical form of poetry called iambic pentameter. This rhythm, which uses
stressed and unstressed syllables, makes it easier to both understand and to
learn Shakespeare. The rhythm guides the ear to the important parts of each
phrase.
63
6. AFTER THE SHOW
Credit C. Stanley Photography, National Players Tour 67: Mitchell Martin, Libby Barnard, Beau Harris, Tina
Muñoz Pandya, Rosie O’Leary, Mackenzie Devlin, James Sheahan, Andrew Garrett, Marion Grey, Caleb Cedrone
Activities and Prompts...............................................65
Discussion Questions
Write a Review
Stage Your Own
Get Inspired
Write Your Own Epilogue
Thematic Essay
64
ACITIVIES
6. After the Show
ACTIVITIES AND PROMPTS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Summarize Julius Caesar in three sentences.
2. What elements from the show stood out to you?
3. Why does Brutus not initially tell the plot to Portia at
the begining of the play? Are there other cases where
a woman’s opinions are not considered or denied?
4. What role does rhetoric filled speeches have in production? What mood or tone did these sequences evoke? How did they impact your viewing experience?
5. For whom does Brutus kill Caesar? In what other ways are the division of social classes present in the play?
6. What was the most interesting relationship in the play? How would you characterize that relationship?
7. Was there a specific moment when you identified with one of the characters? What was it that made you feel that
way?
8. Who do you think had the most power in the play? Can you name a specific moment when he or she used this power?
What about when she or he lost it?
9. How would you describe Brutus and Portia’s relationship? Caesar and Calpurnia's?
10. What do you think about the use of omens and ghosts in the play? How do these mystical elements impact you as the
viewer?
WRITE A REVIEW
Critical analysis is an important part of theatre world, giving artists insight into how well their work comes across to patrons,
and allowing audiences to respond to their experiences in a professional manner. Most shows are reviewed in some form,
whether by professionals in newspapers or amateurs posting on Facebook. We encourage students to write their own
reviews of their experience seeing our show. You can even share these reviews by emailing them to nationalplayers@
olneytheatre.org or posting them online and sharing them with us on Facebook (Facebook.com/NationalPlayers) or Twitter
(@NationalPlayers).
Some guidelines on how to approach writing a review:
• The best reviews first identify what the production was attempting to achieve. Consider what you think the director,
actors, and designers wanted to create through the show as a whole, as well as the intended effect of individual
elements. From there, base your review on how well the show achieved those goals.
• “I didn’t like it” or “It was cool” is not a useful critique. Be sure to go into specifics, identifying why things did or did
not work for you.
• Remember your intended reader: other prospective audience members. Think about who the ideal audience member
for this show might be, and think about what that person would or would not like.
• Don’t forget that there are many separate elements within the show, and many different people contributed to the
final product. Try to attribute elements to the different people who worked on the show whenever possible (reference
the program for a full list of the artists who contributed to the production, from acting and directing to lighting and
sound design).
• Some plot summary is useful for providing context, but a review is not meant to just describe what happens. If there
are things in the performance that work best as a surprise, avoid revealing them in your review.
65
ACTIVITIES
6. After the Show
ACTIVITIES AND PROMPTS
STAGE YOUR OWN
One of the best things about theater is that there are an enormous number of valid and interesting interpretations of great
works. Have students pick a favorite scene from Julius Caesar, like Act II, scene ii in which Calpurnia warns Caesar about not
going to the Senate (Page 44) or when Brutus kills himself (V.v) and have them come up with their own interpretation of the
scene. What is happening at this moment? How do you want to present it in a theatrical way? What resources are available
to you? Assign different roles throughout the class, and work together to make a version that is your own. Take a video of
your work and share it with National Players online; we’d love to see what you do!
GET INSPIRED
Oftentimes, when directors are preparing for a show, they look for outside inspiration to guide them. Find another work of
art (painting, picture, song, poem, novel, TV show/episode, movie) or person, place, or theme that you think represents
this play well. Write about the connections you see between your inspiration piece and the play. If you were directing your
own production, how would you use this inspiration piece to guide your team toward your own vision of the final product?
WRITE YOUR OWN EPILOGUE
Think about where the play leaves all of the characters at the end. What do you think would happen to them in the future?
Write a speculative scene featuring some of the characters down the road. What are they doing? How do they feel about
it? How have they changed? With whom do they still interact? How have their relationships with other characters changed?
You do not have to write in dramatic format; this can be a short story or even a comic book. Alternatively, can you think of
any scenes within the play that are referenced or described that you did not get to see? Create a “fill in the gaps” scene in
the same way, filling in things before or during the play that are not depicted in the script.
THEMATIC ESSAY
Think about some of the themes of the play (listed below) and
write an exploration of how you see the play treat that topic.
Think of other works you’ve read in school, or other movies or
TV shows you’ve seen, that deal with this topic and compare
what you saw in the play with what those other works have.
• Loyalty & Betrayal
• Ambition
• Revolution
• Power
• Political v. Personal Allegiances
Players from Tour 6's
Julius Caesar
66
6. After the Show
APPENDIX
Credit: C. Stanley Photography. Brutus talks to the citizens of Rome at Caesar's funeral.
Set by John Traub. Lighting by Izzy Einsidler. Costumes by Eric Abele.
The following pages include companion worksheets for Tool Kit activities, as well
as a comprehensive list of further print and online resources. You are welcome
to make copies of these pages and use them in your classroom, either alongside
other Tool Kit resources or in other capacities.
Worksheets:
Prose vs. Verse
Identify Your Speech Patterns
Costume Design Template
Further Resources
Reading Companions
Online Resources
67
PROSE VS. VERSE
What if Shakespeare scripted your life? Where would you speak in verse? Where prose?
Read each scenario and consider whether each character would speak in the more formal and heightened verse style,
or the more relaxed and familiar prose style. Give your reasoning in each instance.
SCENARIO 1: You are at a backyard barbecue kicking off the beginning of summer. You and your friends don’t know
everybody, but you are excited. Your parents are in charge of the food, but you are in charge of making sure everyone has
a good time.
PROSE OR VERSE?
WHY? SCENARIO 2: You’re in a new school. You have just moved to a new city and don’t know many people, and you are slightly
uncomfortable in your school uniform. You run into your English teacher in the hallway, introduce yourself, and ask for
directions to your next class.
PROSE OR VERSE?
WHY? SCENARIO 3: You are with a friend at the service for a religion other than your own. Afterwards, you greet the service
leader and thank him/her for allowing you to observe. You and your friend then get something to eat and talk about some
of your favorite memories together.
PROSE OR VERSE?
WHY? SCENARIO 4: Create your own.
PROSE OR VERSE?
WHY? IDENTIFYING YOUR SPEECH PATTERNS
Good morning, everybody! Please take a seat and take out a pen or pencil.
Good
morn
ing,
eve
ry
bo
dy!
Please
take
a
seat
and
take
out
a
pen
or
pen
cil.
Question A: What is your ideal morning ritual?
Question B: How do you get to your favorite restaurant from here?
Question C: Where does your name come from?
Question D: Describe the plot of the most recent book that you read.
COSTUME DESIGN TEMPLATE
Further
RESOURCES
READING
COMPANIONS
ONLINE
RESOURCES
Brooks, Harold F. The Arden Shakespeare Edition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Along with an extensive introduction to the play’s cultural, stage, and textual history, the Arden edition of the text also includes pages of footnotes and additional information.
Garber, Marjorie. Shakespeare After All.
A unique guide through all of Shakespeare’s plays, this is an accessible and
comprehensive text for both beginners and scholars.
Greenblatt, Stephen. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare.
A descriptive, engaging biography of William Shakespeare, Greenblatt includes
information on Elizabethan life and culture, entertaining anecdotes, and clever
storytelling to paint an entertaining and educational picture of the playwright’s
life.
Holzknecht, Karl J. and Raymond Ross. Outlines of Shakespeare’s Plays
Act-by-act synopses of each play with helpful character descriptions and
relationship information, this collection also includes relevant background
material.
Kott, Jan. Shakespeare our Contemporary.
One of the most influential Shakespeare criticism works of the 20th century, Kott’s
selection of essays includes provocative analyses on all of Shakespeare’s plays.
Sarrazin, George and Alexander Schmidt. Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary.
A comprehensive collection of definitions, phrases, terms, and locations, as well
as more than 50,000 exact quotations.
Wells, Stanley. Shakespeare: A Life in Drama.
Along with a concise biography of the playwright, Wells provides an intriguing
portrayal of Shakespeare’s character.
shakespeare-literature.com and absoluteshakespeare.com
The complete texts of Shakespeare’s plays as well as links to study resources.
shakespeare-online.com
An excellent, regularly updated repository of information on Shakespeare.
folger.edu/Home_02B.html
The website of the Folger Shakespeare Library, with study guides and primary
resources.
globelink.org
A website maintained by Shakespeare’s Globe in London with links to resources,
archives, and information about the Globe’s current season.
opensourceshakespeare.org
An online library of Shakespeare’s texts, including advanced search options and
a concordance.
ShakespeareinAmericanLife.org
A project of the Folger Shakespare Library, with visual, textual, and video companions to Shakespeare’s plays.
pbs.org/wnet/shakespeare-uncovered
A series of films and educational companions to the historical and artistic impact
of Shakespeare’s plays.