Download Julius Caesar - Eng 10 Wrld Lit

Julius Caesar
A Tragedy by William Shakespeare
The Author and
Elizabethan Tragedies

Shakespeare wrote three types of plays:
Comedies, Tragedies, and Histories.
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Julius Caesar is a tragedy.
The Rise of Ancient Rome
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
Ancient Rome began as a Republic—a form of
government where power is shared by the people.
The Senate was the largest governing body of the
Republic.
 There
were 300 members in the Senate.
 The goal of having a large Senate was to share the power
and to make sure no single person gained too much power.
The Roman Army
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The army first consisted of volunteers.
The army then shifted to paid professionals.
Problems arose because these professional
soldiers were more loyal to their commanders
than to the Republic. Civil war broke out.
Julius Caesar
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Caesar was one of the most
powerful army commanders.
The Senate feared Caesar’s
growing power, so they ordered
him to disband his army.
Caesar disobeyed their orders
and marched his army into
Rome.
Julius Caesar
In Rome, Caesar hosted a huge banquet and
invited all of the common people to attend.
 Due to Caesar’s overwhelming popularity
among the people, the Senate was forced to
vote him the powers of an absolute ruler.

Julius Caesar

Between 48 BC and 44 BC, Caesar
used his power to:
 Give free grain to the hungry
 Create jobs for the unemployed
 Give land to poor farmers
 Plan and build a road system
across Italy
 Expand the territory of the
Roman Republic.
Before Caesar
After Caesar
Julius Caesar

The common people of Rome grew to love
Caesar because he used his power to help
improve their daily lives.

The senators of Rome grew to hate Caesar
because they feared he was getting too
much power.
Shakespeare’s Play

Act I of Shakespeare’s play begins in 44
BCE, with the senators worrying that their
Republic is in danger of turning into a
dictatorship.
 The
play is not an accurate account of Roman
history.
Terms to Know
Aside – a line or two spoken directly to the
audience, that other characters cannot
hear
 Soliloquy – a speech given by one actor
standing alone onstage
 Allusion – a reference to another famous
work

Terms to Know
Explicit – directly stated
 Implicit – suggested, not directly stated
 Inference – a conclusion you can draw
based on explicit and implicit information
in the text.
 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ffkru

Terms to Know
Diction – the author’s choice of words
 Tone – the way the author feels about the
subject
 Mood – the way the reader feels about the
text
An author’s diction influences tone; and
provides you with the mood.

Terms to Know

Objective Summary – Briefly re-telling the
main idea and supporting details of a text,
WITHOUT inserting opinion
How to Cite the Play (MLA)

Act #. Scene #. Line Number(s).
So, a citation for Act I, scene 2, lines 12-1
would look like:
“I shall remember./ When Caesar says ‘Do
this’, it is performed”(I.2.12-13).
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