William ShakespeareBorn in Stratford upon Avon,

England…April 23rd 1564

William Shakespeare’s World

• Shakespeare came to prominence at a glorious time for the arts, the Elizabethan Era.

• Texts from the ancient Greeks and Romans were being translated, leading to an intellectual boom.

• New worlds, from North to South America were being discovered.

• London itself was becoming a metropolis and Shakespeare was able to join a theatre company, Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later, The King’s Men).

The Globe Theatre

•Globe built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, with Shakespeare as a primary investor.•It is believed that Julius Caesar was the first Shakespeare production performed here.•Burned down in 1613 during a production of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII when a cannon misfired and a spark landed on the thatched roof.

The Rebuilt Globe Theater, London

Julius CaesarWilliam Shakespeare

Historical Background

Crassus Caesar Pompey

Fantastic wealth and political

influence

Enormous popularity and

strong legal background

Great wealth and decorated military career

First Triumvirate

• First Triumvirate ruled Rome and its surrounding areas for years until Crassus died.

• Pompey’s jealousy of Caesar led to civil war, with a successful outcome for Caesar.

• Caesar became sole master of the Roman world in 45 B.C.

• Caesar remained ultra-popular, but there are those that feared his supposed intentions of becoming the King of Rome.

This is our Story…

• At the beginning of the play, we arrive on the streets of Rome right as Caesar returns from the civil war.

• There are those who are celebrating Caesar’s victory, but also those who are highly skeptical of the now all-powerful ruler.

• Crowds during Shakespeare’s time (play was written in 1599) could relate to a shift in power; Elizabeth I was an older monarch with no immediate heir. The people of England worried about succession and the violence that might break out as a result of uncertainty.

Characters

• Brutus- Roman general; friends with Caesar; part of plot to assassinate Caesar

• Cassius- manipulator; fearful of Caesar; plots to assassinate him

• Caesar- successful military leader; easily flattered; overly ambitious

• Casca- joins conspiracy; first to stab Caesar

• Soothsayer- fortuneteller; warns Caesar of danger (Beware the ides of March)

• Cinna- assists in conspiracy; tries to flatter Brutus to join

• Decius- flatters Caesar to convince him to go to the Senate

Characters

Characters

• Antony- loyal to Caesar; speaks at his funeral

• Octavius- nephew to Caesar; works with Antony to fight Cassius & Brutus

• Lepidus- part of the 2nd triumvirate; helps Antony and Octavius

Characters

• Calpurnia- wife of Caesar; urges him to stay home the day he is murdered

• Portia- wife of Brutus

Forms of Government

•Monarchy- supreme power held by a single person

•Republic-state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote (exercised usually by representatives)

•Dictatorship-the form of government in which absolute power is exercised by a dictator

Before you Read…

• Dante: Brutus and Cassius, the foremost of the conspirators who killed Caesar, were traitors who deserved an eternity in Hell (Remember The Inferno).

• Sir Philip Sidney: Caesar was a rebel threatening Rome, and Brutus was the wisest of the senators. Brutus truly did what he thought was best for Rome.

• YOU DECIDE!!!

• Do not pause at the end of a line unless the punctuation calls for it

• Read it like prose

• Many of these plays have numerous references to people, places, events, myths, etc., that you might not be familiar with. That’s what the notes are for—use them.

• Keep a dictionary handy. Consider downloading the free dictionary.com app if you have a smartphone or tablet!

• Take your time!

How to Read the Play