Background on The Tragedy of Julius

Caesar

Who was Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar was a Roman dictator and general

Where does The Tragedy of Julius Caesar begin?

In order to understand The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,

you must understand his role in Roman government:

Caesar began his career as a general – a position that

brought him both power and wealth

He became involved in politics when he was appointed

as a Roman consul (our version of a Senator or

Representative) by his friend, Pompey the Great

How did Caesar become so powerful?

Even though Rome was a democracy at the time, Caesar gained a great deal of power

when he formed a strategic alliance with two fellow consuls

In 66 B.C., he, along with Pompey and Crassus, developed the First Triumvirate – a three-person government that ruled Rome

This triumvirate was quite successful because it restored order to a government weakened by in-fighting amongst Roman

leaders

What went wrong?

As a part of the triumvirate, Caesar

continued to make successful military

conquests around the world – thereby

increasing his power and popularity Pompey soon became jealous and

convinced the Roman Senate to remove Caesar from office

This started a battle between the two

men, in which Caesar came out

triumphant – defeating both Pompey and

his sons Pompey the Great

What was Caesar like?

As a general, Caesar was extremely successful – executing brilliant

military campaigns He was charismatic, extravagant and beloved by the people of Rome

However, he was also arrogant – a tragic quality that many feel

directly led to his death

What happened next…?

Once Pompey was gone, Caesar named himself “Dictator for Life” While the people loved him, Roman Senate hated the fact

that he had so much power He was eventually assassinated

by his closest confidants

Cast of Characters

Julius Caesar: Dictator of Rome

Mark Antony: Friend of Caesar who uses rhetoric and

manipulation to get his way.

Brutus: Friend of Caesar who always considers choices

“for the good of Rome.”

Cassius: Leader of the conspiracy against Caesar.

Octavius: Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor.

Casca: A public figure opposed to Caesar’s rise to power

Cast of Characters

Calpurnia: Caesar’s wife. Calpurnia invests great authority in omens and portents.

Portia: Brutus’s wife; the daughter of a noble Roman who took sides against Caesar.

Flavius: A tribune (an official elected by the people to protect their rights).

Some Elizabethan beliefs to be familiar with

Myths and Magic Fairies, magic, witches, spells, and prophecies all

formed part of their view of life Folklore and superstition were often as important to

people as the official religious beliefs taught by the Church

Vocab words to know

Pun – a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings

Anachronism – an error in chronology; misplacing of persons, events, objects or customs Shakespeare uses this in many of his plays