Transcript The Tragedie of Julius Cesar

Outline
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Characters
Plot
Movies
Other Interpretations
Historic Background
History of the Play
Sources
Characters
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Julius Caesar
Marcus Antonius
Caius Cassius
Marcus Brutus
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Casca
Cinna
Metellus Cimber
Decius Brutus
Trebonius
Ligarius
Calpurnia / Portia
Octavius / Lepidus
Other Servants and Friends
Plot – Act I
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Plebeians go to Caesar‘s triumphal march
„Beware the ides of March“
Cassius and Brutus talk
Stories of Caesar‘s weakness
Cassius tries to convince Brutus
Caesar returns from the games
Casca tells about Caesar
Cassius invites him for dinner
Casca and Cassius meet in night
Plot – Act II
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Brutus‘ monologue in garden
Reads letter
Cassius and other conspirators comes
Brutus tells Portia about assault
Calpurnia has a bad dream
Decius Brutus persuades Caesar
Artemidorus writes warning letter
Portia very nervous – sends Lucis to Senat
Plot – Act III
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Artemidorus doesn‘t get through to Caesar
Senators are looking for a plea – Publius Cimber
Brutus, Cassius, Metellus knee (distraction)
Casca first strike
„Et tu, Brute“
Brutus allows Antonius to speak
Brutus‘ speech
Antonius‘ speech
People kill Cinna the poet
Plot – Act IV
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Deathlist writing
Brutus and Cassius discussion
Portia dead
Caesar‘s ghost
Plot – Act V
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Generals talk few things
Last goodbye
Battle starts
Pindarus kills Cassius
Titinius commits suicide
Strato kills Brutus
END
Historic Background
• Assasination of G. Julius Caesar 44 BC
• Battle of Philippi 42 BC
• Both engagements combined
Antonius and Octavius:
– 19 legions
– cavalry 33,000
– 100,000 men
Brutus and Cassius:
– 17 legions
– cavalry 17,000
– 100,000 men
History of the Play Sources
• Plutarch‘s Lives of the Noble Grecians and
Romans
• Translated by Sir Thomas North
• Caesar‘s triumph is later (six months)
• Curia on Capitol, not Curia Pomperiana
• Events too close (in fact 5 days space)
καί σύ τέκνον (You too, child?)
History of the Play –
Performances
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1599
First published in The Folio 1623
Globe Theatre (ev. Opening play) 1599
In Germany debut performance 1785
Mannheim
• 1803 directed by Goethe in Weimar
Movies
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Over 20 TV- and Cinema-productions
First 1908: J. S. Blackton; W. V. Ranous
1911 ; 1913
1950: David Bradley (Charlton Heston as Antonius)
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1953: Joseph Mankiewizc (Marlon Brando as Antonius)
1970: Stuart Burge (Charlton Heston as Antonius)
1979: Michael Langham (Morgan Freeman as Casca)
2007 HK-Action-Version by Gordon Chan
1970
1950
Other Adaptions
Book-A-Minute Classics
Caius Cassius
Brutus, we're plotting to kill your best friend Caesar. Wanna
help?
Marcus Brutus
Because I love Rome more, I will. (They all stab Caesar.)
Julius Caesar
Et tu, Brute? In that case, I'd better die.
(dies) (The nation mourns, and everybody commits
suicide.)
THE END
Other Adaptions
• 1926: Benefit event Actor‘s Fund of
America
• 1937: Orson Welles production at Mercury
Theatre in New York
• 1958: Parody by canadian comedians
Wayne and Shuster – Ed Sullivan Show
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My sources