Transcript File - Hewes English Adventures

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
An Introduction to the Playwright and his
Play, Julius Caesar
Biographical Information

Born: Stratford-Upon Avon, England April 23,
1564 . We know this from the earliest record:
his baptism which happened on Wednesday,
April the 26th, 1564.
 The parish Register for Stratford records
William's baptism on 26 April 1564 (here
reproduced from a facsimile of the nineteenth
century):
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
Biographical Information
Married:
May 26,
1583
1553-1557
April 23,
1564
Twins:
Hamnet,
and Judith
April 23, 1616
Nov. 27, 1582,
April 23,
1564
a marriage license was
granted to "Wm Shaxpere
[and] Anne Hathaway
1592 - "upstart crow"
Shakespeare’s Theatre
• “The Globe Theatre, also known as the
Shakespeare Globe Theatre, was not only
one of most famous playhouses of all
time, but the play house where
Shakespeare performed many of his
greatest plays.
Shakespeare’s Theatre
• Built from oak, deal, and stolen playhouse
frames, the 3 story, 3000 capacity Globe
Theatre, co-owned by William
Shakespeare has become almost as
famous as the playwright himself.”
• ( Absolute Shakespeare)
Shakespeare’s Theatre
1596, a Dutch student by the
name of Johannes de Witt
attended a play in London at the
Swan Theatre.
 While there, de Witt made a
drawing of the theatre's interior.

The Globe Theater
constructed in 1599.
 was three-stories high and had no roof.
 could together hold more than 1,500
people.
 In 1613, during a performance of Henry
VIII, a misfired canon ball set the Globe's
thatched roof on fire and the whole
theatre was consumed.

The Globe Theater

The first play we know of that was
performed at Shakespeare's famous
playhouse was Julius Caesar in 1599.
The Stage
In Shakespeare’s Time

A show lasted about 2 ½ hours, usually in
open air theatres during the afternoon.

There were no acts, but frequent
intermissions.
The Stage
In Shakespeare’s Time

There was no scenery, but elaborate
props and costumes to give reality.

Devices such as trap doors and scaffolds
were used to make gods, witches, etc.
disappear.
The Stage
In Shakespeare’s Time (continued)
There were no actresses. All parts were
played by men or boys.
 There were no programs.
 In front of stage was a big open area
where the "penny-public" stood to watch
as they could not afford seats.

The Stage
In Shakespeare’s Time (continued)

Cost to attend:
1 Penny
 2 Pennies
 3 Pennies


wage roughly 10 % of a worker’s daily
Points of Shakespeare's Style:
Use of metaphors– comparing something in
terms of something else, i.e. "That lowliness is
young ambition’s ladder".
 Use of soliloquies– usually longer speeches
given by characters when alone on stage– e.g. a
person talking to himself out loud.
 Use of asides– when a character says something
to the audience, but the other characters on
stage cannot hear it, e.g. like muttering to
himself.

Points of Shakespeare’s Style:
(continued)
Use of sonnets– a very rigid poetic style of
writing. Fourteen lines consisting of three sets of
four line quatrains and a two line rhyming
couplet at the end. Rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD
EFEF GG, e.g.
 Use of puns– humourous plays on words
indicating different meanings.


i.e. the Cobbler says, "A trade, sir, that I hope I may use
with a safe conscience, which is indeed a mender of bad
soles.” A cobbler is a mender of shoes or a bungler.
On the road to Rome
1600-01 Julius Caesar first performance.
First printed 1623
William Shakespeare never published any of his
plays and therefore none of the original
manuscripts have survived. Eighteen
unauthorised versions of his plays were,
however, published during his lifetime in quarto
editions by unscrupulous publishers (there were
no copyright laws protecting Shakespeare and
his works during the Elizabethan era
On the road to Rome
A collection of his works did not appear until 1623
(a full seven years after Shakespeare's death on
April 23, 1616) when two of his fellow actors,
John Hemminges and Henry Condell,
posthumously recorded his work and published
36 of William’s plays in the First Folio.
On the road to Rome
History of the drama
Julius Caesar is a dramatization of actual events. He was
assassinated in 44 B.C.
It is believed that his mother endured agonizing surgery
in order to extract him at birth. This belief gave rise to
the term "Caesarean birth"
William Shakespeare's Main Source for the work
Shakespeare found the story in Caesar, Parallel Lives, by
Plutarch. He may have also referred to Geoffrey
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (The Monk's Tale).
Early Rome
Rome was established in 753 B.C.
For 200 years ruled by Tarquin kings who were
tyrants
 The Tarquins were overthrown by Lucius Junius
Brutus in 510 B.C. – an ancestor of Brutus in the
play.
 A democratic republic was then established
which lasted until the death of Julius Caesar.
 The Romans were very proud of their
democratic system and were repulsed by the
thought of being ruled by a king.


Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was born in 100 B.C.
 He gained power and wealth due to a
series of successful campaigns in which he
conquered what is now Britain, France,
much of central and eastern Europe, and
parts of North Africa.
 The quote, “veni, vidi, vici” is aptly
credited to Julius Caesar. I came. I saw. I

conquered.
Julius Caesar

Shakespeare certainly had good reason to write about
Julius Caesar.

This Roman emperor was well known in the
Elizabethan public's mind - he was, after all, the one
who led the first Roman ships to Britain's shores in 55
B.C. and paved the way for the Roman occupation of
Britain.

When he became dictator, he was arguably the most
powerful ruler the world had ever known.
He also died in spectacular fashion

What Did Caesar Do for Rome?
He built roads.
 He developed irrigation systems.
 He financed public parks and buildings.
 He even made changes to the calendar.
 Indeed, he was well liked and very
powerful.

What Got Caesar into Trouble?
It appears he was much more interested
in things other than military conquest.
 After a series of civil wars that lasted until
48 B.C., Caesar declared himself Rome’s
dictator for life.
 Many people believed that Caesar wanted
more than just power; he wanted a
powerful title.

What Got Caesar into Trouble?
(Continued)

Many Romans assumed that Caesar was ready
to declare himself King of Rome and eliminate
the five hundred year old republic of which the
Romans were so proud.

In 60 B.C. Caesar came to power as part of
a TRIUMVIRATE
What Got Caesar into Trouble?
(Continued)

In 60 BC the first triumvirate (3-person
governing body) was formed.

It consisted of Caesar, a famous general
named Pompey, and a wealthy man named
Crassus
What Got Caesar into Trouble?
(Continued)

Remember the Tarquins, the tyrant kings who
ruled over Rome for 243 years?

There was no way Romans were going to return
to that style of government.

Someone had to put a stop to this pursuit of
absolute power, and so enter the conspirators.
What Got Caesar into Trouble?
(Continued)
 Caesar
returned to Rome and was
accepted by the people for his military
abilities. He was loved for all of the goods
he brought back from his conquests, and he
was elected Dictator for Life.

...Beware the Ides of March!
Caesar’s Coins
Caesar was the first Roman to have his
face put on a coin while he was still alive
 The Romans believed only ancestors (now
semi-divine spirits) and gods could be
pictured
 Caesar was equating himself with gods
and Eastern kings

The Message (maybe!)
This coin was issued during the war with
Pompey.
 The snake probably represents Caesar
(snakes were a symbol of health, luck,
and rebirth)
 The elephant represents Pompey, and
identifies him with Hannibal, a would-be
destroyer of Rome whose power had been
based in Spain too.

The Aftermath

Caesar’s body is cremated in a massive
public demonstration in the Forum. A
temple is built to Divine Julius in that spot.
The temple of divine Julius
"Temple of Caesar." Roman Forum. Web. 9 Mar
2010.
The Aftermath

The conspirators are forced to flee.

Civil war again breaks out, with Caesar’s
right-hand-man, Marc Antony, and his
heir, Octavian, conquering the armies of
Brutus, Cassius, and the Senators.
Caesar’s Lasting Impact

His Commentaries are one of the great
pieces of Latin literature.
He inspired one of Shakespeare’s most
celebrated plays.
 His reform of the calendar has been
changed very little over the past two
millenia.
 The month July is named for him.

Play Versus The History
Therefore, there is much historically
accurate information, but a story to
entertain the audience must also unfold.
 Yes! There is much to learn from the
works of William Shakespeare.
 As we study this play, remember
Shakespeare wished not only to inform his
audience about the history of Julius
Caesar but also to entertain them.

Play Versus The History
Of course, Shakespeare had to gather
historical details. He read one major work:
Sir Thomas North's translation of the
ancient historian Plutarch's Lives.
 But Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is not a
history book, nor was it his intention to
write a piece of Roman history.

Play Versus The History

It is a play, based on the
 a.
Events of Caesar's murder
 b. Pressures on the characters around him
 c. for the conspirators and Rome in general.
Shakespeare’s Purpose
He is not so much interested in the facts
but uses them to:
 Present something from his own
imagination that would entertain his
audiences (the first thing to think about,
obviously)
 Make audiences think: challenge them to
look beyond the story and look at the way
human beings act towards each other.

Just for Fun
"Fori Imperiali." A Guide to Rome and
Small Town Lazio. N.p., n.d. Web. 30
Nov. 2012
"Fori Imperiali." A Guide to Rome and Small Town Lazio. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012
pizza! pizza!
Works Cited
“Absolute Shakespeare”. Online. Internet. May 9, 2005. Available:
http:www.absoluteshakespeare.com
“Converse: The Literature Web Site”. Online. Internet. May 9, 2005. Available:
http://aspirations.english.cam.ac.uk/converse/about/sitemap.acds
Goldberg, Neil Dr. “Rome Project: Maps of the Roman Empire”, Online. Internet. May 9, 2005.
Available: http://intranet.dalton.org/groups/Rome/RMap.html
“Julius Caesar: The Last Dictator”, Online. Internet. May 9, 2005. Available:
http://heraklia.fws1.com/
“Roman Empire Map”, Online. Internet. May 9, 2005. Available: http://heraklia.fws1.com/
Roy, Ken, ed. Julius Caesar. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987.
Saliani, Dom, Chris Ferguson, and Dr. Tim Scott, eds. Introducing Shakespeare. Toronto: International
Thomson Publishing, 1997.
“Shakespeare’s Birthplace”. Online. Internet. May 9, 2005. Available:
http://www.stratford.co.uk/prop1.asp
“Shakespeare Online”. Online. Internet. May 9, 2005. Available: http://www.shakespeare-online.com
Works Cited
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www.youtube.com
www.teachertube.com
www.internetshakespeare.uvic.ca
www.mapsofworld.com
www.pbs.org
www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk
http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/timeline/genealogy.htm
www.unitedstreaming.com
http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/plays.php
http://www.cranberrydesigns.com/poetry/sonnet/examples.htm
http://www.kvl.cch.kcl.ac.uk/THEATRON/theatres/globe/interfac
e.html