Download Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar
By
G. Jackson & C. Thompson-Smith
Imagine . . .
• You are the leader of the free
world.
• You are the most powerful
human being on earth.
• You are the controller of the
most powerful country in the
world.
• You are untouchable.
• You can say or do anything you
want.
AND
without warning . . .
Your best friends STAB
YOU IN THE BACK!
Will the real caesar
take the throne ?
• The play Julius Caesar is about
the assassination of the roman
military commander & dictator
• Shakespeare drew his material
from sir. Thomas north’s
translation of plutarch’s “lives
of the noble grecians and
romans”
Will the real caesar
take the throne ?
• During roman times powerful
generals such as caesar moved
their armies across europe
• They would subdue weaker
states & countries, who as a
result became allies or
provinces ruled by roman
governors
Will the real caesar
take the throne ?
• At times generals turned on
each other
• For 8 yrs. Caesar roamed over
europe
• In the process he acquired huge
sums of money which he sent
back to rome in an effort to gain
favor with the people
Will the real caesar
take the throne ?
• Pompey (who was jealous of
caesar’s growing power & favor
with the people) influenced the
senate
• The senate ordered caesar to
give up his command & return to
rome as a private citizen
Will the real caesar
take the throne ?
• Instead caesar & his army took
control & pursued pompey all
the way to egypt
• Pompey was murdered before
caesar could capture him
• Caesar went to rome after
establishing his throne & went
to spain where he defeated
pompey’s son’s army
Will the real caesar
take the throne ?
• When caesar returned to rome
he was declared dicatator for
10 years
• He made his supporters senators
• Common people loved him
• As caesar’s arrogance & power
grew certain senators made
plans to assassinate him on
march 15, 44 b.c.
Will the real caesar
take the throne ?
• Shakespeare’s play opens a
month after the murder
View of the universe
• In all shakespeare’s plays
characters occupy a world that
is run by a benevolent god who
rewards good & punishes evil
• It was believed that the universe
was essentially good & orderly
• All order stemmed from the
authority of God, supreme ruler
View of the universe
• The monarch’s right to rule
came from God too & opposition
to the anointed ruler was
opposition to God
• When the chain of authority
snapped, the heavens would be
offended & a whole society
might be plunged into disorder
Themes of the play:
• Chaos results when the
prescribed social order is
broken
• The best intentions of good,
noble men can lead to tragedy
• Language is a powerful weapon,
and in the hands of a skilled
person, it can be used to
manipulate others
Themes of the play:
• Violence and bloodshed can
never have morally good results
• Orderliness and stable rule,
even though dictatorial, are
preferable to social chaos
List of Characters:
• Caesar – Successful military
leader who wants the crown of
Rome. Murdered midway
through play. His spirit appears
to Brutus later in the play.
• Brutus – Judicial magistrate of
Rome. Known for his noble
nature.
List of Characters:
•Cassius – Brother-in-law of
Brutus. Organizes
conspiracy against Caesar.
•Antony – Devoted follower
of Caesar. Persuasive
speaker.
The end