Julius Caesar

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Julius Caesar
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Elements of Fiction/Shakespearean Tragedy
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Julius Caesar

• Physically weak Caesar has several infirmities
  
  
• A tyrant Caesar has had Marullus and Flavius
  arrested
  
• Superstitious Caesar believes in portents and
  dreams
  
• Indecisive Caesar cannot make up his mind
  whether or not to go to the senate
  
• Inflexible Caesar thinks himself perfect and
  decisive

Protagonist Julius Caesar is an arrogant soldier
and ambitious politician, who believes that he is
infallible. After his great victory over the sons
of Pompey, he believes that he is worthy of more
power than just being the head of Rome he wants
to be crowned the leader of the entire Roman
Empire.
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Brutus

• Of Noble Heritage Brutus is a Roman nobleman,
  as was his father
  
• Sincere Brutus truly believes that his role
  in the assassination is for the good of Rome
  
• Honest He refuses to take bribes
• Naive He believes in the essential goodness of
  those around him
  
• Philosophical His philosophies guide his
  actions and decisions.

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Cassius
Envious Cassius has contempt for Caesar and
envies Caesar's position Fearful Cassius is
afraid that Caesar has ambitions to be king. He
fears what might become of Rome in such an
instance. Politically Astute He advises Brutu
s to assassinate Antony along with Caesar.
Understanding what can happen, he advises Brutus
not to allow Antony to speak at Caesar's
funeral. Corrupt Prior to the battle at Phili
ppi, he is accused by Brutus of taking bribes
Military Strategist His battle plan for
Philippi is well thought out and based on sound
military principles
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Marc Antony

• Loyal to Caesar Antony loved and admired Caesar
  
  
• Clever Antony pretends to befriend the
  conspirators and asks that he be allowed to speak
  at Caesar's funeral
  
• A skilled orator Antony's speech at Caesar's
  funeral sways the crowd
  
• Hard Antony's role in condemning men to death
  shows he can be as cold hearted as he is
  passionate
  
• A skilled military leader Antony has an equal
  voice in planning the war against the legions of
  Brutus and Cassius

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THEMES
Major Theme The major theme of Julius Caesar is
that misused power is a corruptive force. This is
seen in the fact that Caesar is a dictator
suspected of being tyrannous, that Cassius is so
power hungry that he assassinates Caesar, hoping
to become more powerful himself, and that Antony,
Octavius, and Lepidus become a dictatorial and
tyrannical Triumvirate, worse than Caesar ever
hinted at being.
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Minor Themes

• goodness of loyalty, honor, and friendship
• the evil of pride, conspiracy, and anarchy
• the logic of political order
• and the viability of republicanism as a form of
  government.

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MOOD
The mood of Julius Caesar is one of impending
doom and catastrophe. From the beginning, danger
lurks in every corner. Friends can no longer be
trusted, as they turn to manipulation and
conspiracy and plot their next moves.
Images of violence, blood, and death dominate the
visual texture of the play. The weighty politica
l intrigue is always present throughout the
drama. The latter half of the play even assumes
an eerie mood with the appearance of Caesar's
ghost, returning to seek revenge.
The closing phase of the play is dominated by the
sinister image of the sword.
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Antagonists

• Caesar's antagonists are Brutus, Cassius, and the
  other conspirators who do not want him to become
  the head of the Roman Empire.
  
• They plot to overthrow Caesar and assassinate him
  outside the Capitol he is an easy target because
  of his fatal flaw - his extreme "hubris" or
  pride.
• Many times, Caesar is nearly saved by omens and
  warnings, but he disregards them, thinking
  himself infallible.
  
• He is so proud that he is easily flattered,
  leading him to think less strategically and
  placing himself in grave danger.

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SETTING

• Julius Caesar is largely set in Rome, in February
  of the year 44 B.C.
  
• In later scenes, the action moves to Sardis and
  the battlefield at Philippi.
  
• The physical landmarks of ancient Rome, such as
  the Tiber River, the Capitol, and the house of
  the Senate, are referred to with great frequency.
  
• The Forum is also the setting for an important
  scene. Roman political institutions and
  officials, such as tribunes, Senators,
  Patricians, and priests, are always present.

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Shakespeares Globe Theater

• The Globe Theater was a perhaps the most famous
  and interesting theater in the Elizabethan era.
  
• The theater was built just outside of London, (in
  Southwark to be exact.) after the triumphant
  reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
  
• The main reason the Globe Theater is especially
  famous is the fact that many of William
  Shakespeare's plays were written and preformed
  there.
• The idea of creating plays and theaters to
  perform them in was a strange new concept for the
  Europeans of the Elizabethan Era (aka the
  sixteenth century.)

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Todays Globe Theater
The Globe Theatre is a faithful reconstruction of
the open-air playhouse designed in 1599, where
Shakespeare worked and for which he wrote many of
his greatest plays. The theatre season runs from
May to September with productions of the work of
Shakespeare, his contemporaries and modern
authors. Each year the Globe Theatre Company red
iscovers the dynamic relationship between the
audience and the actor in this unique building.
The Globe also welcomes international theatre
companies to share the impact Shakespeares plays
have had worldwide. Today, audiences of this
wooden O sit in a gallery or stand informally
as a groundling in the yard, just as they would
have done 400 years ago.
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The End
Julius Caesar is the COOLEST!