Concept/Vocab Analysis Literary Text: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Dover Thrift Editions, 1991 Organizational Patterns: The text begins with a contents page, followed by pages containing a list of characters and who they are. The text is broken up into acts and scenes. There are five separate acts, with each act containing anywhere from three to five scenes. Numbers are scattered throughout the text beside selected words and passages that need a brief explanation. The explanations appear at the bottom of each page. Issues Related to the Study of Literature: Theme/Major Concepts The play contains at least three major themes: 1. Friendship/loyalty Antony Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbours and new-planted orchards, On this side Tiber; he hath left them you, And to your heirs for ever; common pleasures, To walk abroad and recreate yourselves. Here was a Caesar! When comes such another? (p. 51) 2. Betrayal Brutus Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius, To cut the head off and then hack the limbs, Like wrath in death and envy afterwards; For Antony is but a limb of Caesar: Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius. We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar, And in the spirit of men there is no blood: O, that we then could come by Caesar s spirit, And not dismember Caesar! But, alas, Caesar must bleed for it! (p. 23) 3. Justification Brutus And, gentle friends,
Let s kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let s carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds: And let our hearts, as subtle masters do, Stir up their servants to an act of rage And after seem to chide em. This shall make Our purpose necessary and not envious: Which so appearing to the common eyes, We shall be call d purgers, not murderers. And for Mark Antony, think not of him; For he can do no more than Caesar s arm When Caesar s head is off. (pps. 23-24) Plot A group of conspirators kill Julius Caesar. Things begin to go wrong after the assassination, so they flee Rome. After the death of Caesar, the triumvirs pursue the conspirators and battle with them. The conspirators kill themselves. Setting The play begins in Rome with the return of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. It ends on the battlefield on the Plains of Philippi. Other places throughout the play include: a street, a public place, Brutus s orchard, Caesar s house, before the Capitol, the Forum, a house in Rome, and Brutus s tent. Conflict An example of external conflict in the play is the battle that takes place on the Plains of Philippi. An example of internal conflict in the play pertains to Brutus s decision about whether or not to enter into the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. Another example of internal conflict is when Caesar decides whether or not to give heed to his wife s warnings, as well as the warnings of the soothsayer. Dialogue The entire play is made up of dialogue between different characters. It is important while reading to look closely at the dialogue so as not to miss anything. If one is not careful while reading the dialogues, he or she will miss out on what is being said. As with any play, the only times words other than dialogue are present are when the characters are being introduced, when the place of the action is announced, and when characters are entering or exiting the scene. Affective Issues Related to the Work:
Students can think about and discuss times when they felt as though someone betrayed them. What are some ways people can betray us today? How did it feel? What did they want to do in return? Are they still friends with those who betrayed them? Have they ever betrayed anyone else? Students can think about and discuss what it means to stick up for the underdog, or someone who everyone else seems to be against. Have they ever felt like everyone else was somehow against them? What was it like? Have they ever stuck up for someone when everyone else seemed to be against them? What was the situation? Why were others against that person? Did they lose any friends because they stuck up for that person? Students can think about and discuss times in their lives when they had to stick firmly to their principles and morals. Is it easier to fold, like Brutus, or remain firm in their principles and morals? Why? What are some specific examples? Did other people they were not as cool because of their decision? What is the purpose for setting high principles and morals for ourselves? Why is it so hard sometimes to live accordingly? Students can think about and discuss times when they or someone they know has used justification. Why was justification used? What was the situation? Is justification always good? Is it always bad? When is it good or bad? How often do people today use justification? Vocabulary Issues: Vocabulary is definitely an issue in this play. One reason it is an issue is because of the usage of words or phrases that students may have a hard time understanding. There are also times where a word may be used that seems familiar to students. However, it has a different meaning than they think it has. An example of an unfamiliar word is chidden train on page 9. An example of an unfamiliar phrase is and your mind hold on page 11. Finally, an example of what seems to be a familiar word, but is actually not, is sad on page 10. I will not spend a lot of time out of class to stop and discuss the meaning of these items. However, students will need to refer to the helps on the bottom of the pages to better understand meaning. Another reason vocabulary is an issue in this play is because of how it is written. The play is written in a manner or style that will be hard for many students to understand. Things are said in a way that we would not say it today. An older form of our language is used. For example, Caesar says: They are all fire and every one doth shine; But there s but one in all doth hold his place: So in the world; t is furnish d well with men... (p. 37) The usage of words such as doth may cause some problems for some students. Also most students will not be used to seeing words such as furnished without the letter e at the end. Students will need to adapt to reading this style of language. Background Knowledge: It will be beneficial for students to have some knowledge concerning Julius Caesar and the time in which he lived. Some knowledge pertaining to the situation in
Rome during that time will also be beneficial in helping them to understand the play. Students may want to learn how people became leaders at that time. They may also want to find out what was expected of leaders, and if there were truly many people who were striving to conspire against the leader. Implications for Students of Diversity: Students of diversity will be able to relate to each of the themes and topics that will be discussed throughout the reading of the play. They may have a harder time than fluent English speakers, however, with the vocabulary issues. It will be beneficial for teachers to make sure that students of diversity sit by fluent English speakers so they can be helped with comprehension and understanding. Gender Issues: Gender issues include females in a male-dominated society. The women did, however, hold some sway over their men. For example, Caesar s wife nearly convinced him to remain at home when she thought something bad would happen to him. An issue may surface pertaining to the fact that Caesar cared more about what others thought about him than what his wife did. This may be a good segue into a discussion about the possibility of making wrong decisions because of peer pressure and the desire to look good to our friends. The Central Question/Enduring Issue(s): This ties in with the different themes of the play, as well as the affected issues related to the work. Students will come to a better understanding of the concept of friendship, and what types of people they will strive to be friends with. Students will realize that betrayal is always possible, but that a true friend will not betray. Brutus was not a true friend. They will also come away with a better understanding of concepts such as justification, standing up for other people when wrongly condemned or treated, and standing up for their personal principles and morals at all times especially during the times when nobody else seems to be standing up for theirs. Research Issues/Project Ideas: Students can be assigned to do research on Rome during the time of Julius Caesar. They can either write a research paper, or work in groups to put together and present an oral presentation. Students can make a list of qualities they look for in a friend. They can also make a list of qualities they see in someone they do not want as a friend. They can be placed in groups to discuss their lists. Or, a class discussion can take place pertaining to the idea of true friendship. Students can act out different sections of the play, a good example being the speeches of both Brutus and Antony. A classroom discussion can ensue pertaining to the
difference of reading something versus seeing it acted out. What is more interesting and powerful? Why? Students can watch different sections of the play on video. A discussion can ensue pertaining to whether or not the video is always better than the book. Have they ever liked a book more than the video? When? Why? Have they ever liked the video more than the book? When? Why? Before reading the end of the play, students can predict what will happen to the different characters. After we get done reading, students can re-write the ending of the play to match how they wanted it to end. Students can draw a picture of Julius Caesar based on their mental image of what a Caesar is supposed to look like. Why did they draw what they did? Informational/Functional Texts: Information about Julius Caesar Information about William Shakespeare A short story dealing with themes such as friendship, betrayal, justification, etc. Historical books about Rome Books about great battles