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Shakespeare is Hip-Hop
JULIUS CAESAR
Backdrop
Julius Caesar is an example of a Shakespearean
play whose characters and story come from historical
accounts. Shakespeare uses the well-known story of
Julius Caesar, the first Roman emperor, to delve into
some heavy themes. Julius Caesar touches on greed,
corruption, power, love, and an individual’s ability to
change the course of history.
The backdrop is this: The Roman republic was
a lot like the United States today. It was a republic
(law-making representatives were democratically
elected) whose power rested on the strength of its
army and economy. Caesar, essentially a general, was
leading a successful campaign through Gaul (modernday France), expanding Roman territory and sending
home plundered treasures and gold. He returned to
Rome a hero, and, shortly thereafter, took advantage
of this status by installing himself as Rome’s first
emperor. Many were worried that once on the throne,
Caesar would be corrupted by power and destroy
everything democratic about the government. In an act
of rebellious prevention in the name of the republic,
a group of conspirators murdered Caesar. But with
Caesar gone, the country fell into civil unrest and the
elite into political bickering.
It seems that Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in
part to comment upon the political situation of his own
time period. Julius Caesar was first performed in 1599,
when England was beginning to gossip about what
would happen to the throne when the 66-year-old Queen
Elizabeth died. Like Caesar, Elizabeth had no heir. It
seems that Shakespeare’s choice to adapt the story of
Caesar was something of a cautionary tale to the political
movers and shakers in London. More than that, however,
the play is a warning to all the Caesars and the Brutuses
out there: Idealism and power can be very costly.
Synopsis
The setting is Rome. Two tribunes, Flavius and Murellus,
find many Romans leaving their jobs and celebrating
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the return of their beloved leader Caesar, who enters
Rome with his friends Cassius, Brutus, and Marc
Antony. A soothsayer speaks to Caesar the famous
line, “Beware the Ides of March,” but Caesar ignores
him. Would you have listened to a raggedy-looking
person on the street trying to give you advice? Well,
Caesar should have.
After their triumphant return, Cassius and Brutus
discuss their distaste of Caesar and his popularity.
Brutus is worried that Caesar will make himself king
and destroy the essence of the republic. Cassius
agrees. They feel that Caesar has changed: He’s
become too power-hungry. Cassius wants to make
sure he has some power himself. The pensive Brutus
thinks things over while Cassius hatches his conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Caesar confides to Antony (his most loyal
friend) that he distrusts Cassius.
During a night of crazy storms, Brutus finds
letters, written by Romans, which voice their worries
about Caesar. The letters were planted by Cassius, who
knew that if Brutus felt the conspiracy was in the best
interest of the people, he would agree to go ahead
with the plan. The letters successfully convince Brutus,
and when the conspirators show up at his door, Brutus
takes charge. They agree to lure Caesar away from his
home and murder him. It is decided that Antony will be
spared, despite concerns that his close allegiance with
Caesar might cause trouble down the line.
As Caesar prepares to leave for Senate
meetings, his wife Calpurnia convinces him to stay
home because of dreams she had predicting Caesar’s
death. But in the end, Decius (a conspirator) convinces
him that everything is okay, and Caesar decides to go.
As they near the Senate, Antony is led away
while the conspirators gather around Caesar, bow, and
then stab him to death, one by one. Antony ask Brutus
and Cassius if he can give a funeral oration. Brutus
agrees, though Cassius remains suspicious of what he
might try to say.
At the funeral, Brutus successfully wins the
crowd, but in a riveting speech, Antony reveals what
a great man Caesar truly was and how wrong the
conspirators were. The crowd is convinced. They
grow angry and run off to find Brutus and Cassius
and drive them out of the city. Antony vows
vengeance for Caesar’s murder. After their exile,
Caesar’s adopted son and heir to Rome, Octavius,
forms a coalition to fight armies raised by Brutus
and Cassius.
The fighting begins. Cassius sees his own
men fleeing, hears Brutus’ men are losing, and after
learning his close friend Titinius was captured (which
turned out to be false), Cassius has one of his own
men kill him. Brutus’s army continues to lose, and
when defeat seems imminent, Brutus likewise takes
his own life by falling on his sword. When Antony
finds Brutus, he proclaims his nobility, stating that he
had always acted for Rome. Octavius orders Brutus
an honorable burial, and Antony and Octavius
return to Rome to celebrate their joint victory.
his father.
Character List
The plebeians: The general public of Rome
Calpurnia: Caesar’s concerned wife who has
foreboding dreams of men washing their hands in
her husband’s blood.
Caesar: The proud, idolized leader of Rome, who
continuously ignores signs that his life is in danger,
and is consequently murdered by conspirators.
Flavius and Murellus: Tribunes who scoff at the
Romans who leave work to cheer for Caesar, and
are punished for tampering with decorations of him.
Brutus: Deeply nationalistic and pro-republic, this
one-time friend of Caesar eventually helps kill the
emperor and kills himself in the aftermath.
Cicero: A Senator and great speaker, he is later
condemned by Antony, Octavius and Lepidus.
Cassius: Shrewd, dishonorable, and jealous, he’s a
general and one-time friend of Caesar who turns to
conspiracy and convinces Brutus to take action with him.
Marc Antony: A true friend of Caesar who
masterfully sways the crowd at Caesar’s funeral,
persuading them to turn against the conspirators
and see them as traitors. He later shares leadership
with Octavius in the fight against the armies of
Brutus and Cassius.
Octavius: Caesar’s adopted son and the heir to
Rome after Caesar’s death, he immediately takes
charge and demands authority, much in the vein of
Casca: A politician who believes Caesar is fooling
the public into thinking he fights for them, he tells
Brutus and Cassius how Caesar refused the crown
three times from Antony and then fell to the ground
in a sort of seizure, thus displaying weakness.
Decius: A conspirator who convinces Caesar that
his wife misinterpreted her dreams foreshadowing
his death; he leads Caesar to his murderers.
Lepidus: The third leader in a military partnership
with Antony and Octavius; they fight against Brutus
and Cassius.
Portia: Brutus’s ill-fated wife; she kills herself after
his exile.
Artemidorus: Roman citizen who tries to give
Caesar a letter warning him of the plot against him,
but is ignored.
The Soothsayer: A wiseman who speaks the
famous line, “Beware the Ides of March.”
Pindarus: A scout to Cassius who falsely reports
to him the capture of Titinius, which prompts the
suicide of Cassius.
Titinius: A friend of Cassius who leads soldiers
against the Roman army after Cassius’s and Brutus’s
exile. He kills himself after he learns that Cassius
has killed himself.
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Shakespeare is Hip-Hop
Julius Caesar, Character Matching Handout
1. Julius Caesar
2. Casca
3. Pindarus
4. Octavius
5. Cassius
6. Portia
7. Antony
8. Plebeians
9. Brutus
10. Calpurnia
11. Decius
12. Cicero
13. Lepidus
14. Soothsayer
15. Artemidorus
16. Flavius and Murellus
17. Titinius
A. Renowned senator known for his speaking ability
B. Tries to give Caesar a letter warning him of the plot against him
C. Close friend of Caesar who gives a persuasive speech at his
funeral
D. Convinces Caesar that his wife has misinterpreted her bad dreams
E. A wise man
F. Dreams of men washing their hands in the blood of Caesar
G. A shrewd and jealous man who convinces Brutus to help mount the
conspiracy
H. The general public of Rome
I. Commits suicide after learning that Cassius has killed himself
J. After her husband’s exile, she kills herself.
K. Great leader of Rome, who is killed on March 15th
L. They are punished for tampering with decorations of Caesar.
M. Adopted son and arrogant heir to Rome
N. Conspirator who tells a story of Caesar collapsing in public,
displaying weakness
O. With Antony and Octavius, he makes up the rest of the military
effort against Cassius and Brutus.
P. Scout that falsely reports the capture of Titinius
Q. Deeply nationalistic friend of Caesar who turns on him when he
fears he might jeopardize the republic
Insert the matching letter
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1.__________
2.__________
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5.__________
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7.__________
8.__________
9.__________
10.__________
11.__________
12.__________
13.__________
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17.__________