Julius Caesar

Elements of Fiction/Shakespearean Tragedy

Exposition:

Characters & Setting

Act I

Rising Action:

Introduction of Conflicts

Act II

Climax:

Turning Point

Act III

In a tragedy, things usually go from bad to

worse in Act III

Falling Action:

Conflict resolution begins to fall into place

Result of the climax

Act IV

Denouement:

Main conflicts are resolved

Act V

This act includes a catastrophe, which is

another climactic turning point in the story

line.

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.

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.

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 Brutus 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 Philippi, 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

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

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.

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.

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 political 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.

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.

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.

•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.)

Shakespeare’s Globe Theater

Today’s 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 rediscovers the dynamic

relationship between the audience and the actor in this unique building.

The Globe also welcomes international theatre companies to share the

impact Shakespeare’s 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.

The End

Julius Caesar is

the COOLEST!