The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

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The Tragedy of Julius Caesarby William
Shakespeare
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The Setting

• Where?
• Ancient Rome
• When?
• 44 B.C.

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BackgroundCaesar and Pompey

• Caesar and Pompey were friends.
• Pompey married Caesars daughter by his first
  wife.
• In 60 B.C. the two generals helped bring order to
  a weakened government by forming the first
  triumvirate, or 3-man government.

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Caesar and Pompey Their tale continues

• Caesar departed for the Gallic Wars and fought
  for 8 years.
• He accumulated large sums of money, which he sent
  back to Rome to gain favor with the people.
• Pompey, jealous of Caesars power, aligned
  himself with the Senate, which was suspicious of
  Caesars actions.

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And theres more(feel like World History yet???)

• Many people criticized Caesar because they felt
  he gained the peoples support through bribes and
  handouts.
• The Senate commanded Caesar to return to Rome as
  a private citizen, but Caesar refused.
• Instead, he marched his army to Rome, took
  control, and chased Pompey to Egypt, where he
  (Pompey) was murdered.

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Mixed reaction

• Caesar returned to Rome and was a dictator for 10
  years.
• While the common people loved Caesar, several of
  the senators grew tired of his arrogance and
  conspired to assassinate him.

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Omens and Superstitions

• Shakespeare uses Roman customs and superstition
  to create suspense and mood.

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What the Romans believed about omens

• The Romans believed that omens could reveal the
  future.
• These omens could be anything from unusual
  weather, flights of birds, dreams, or other
  natural phenomena.

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Stoicism vs. Epicureanism

• What is Stoicism?
• It is the philosophy that emotion should not get
  in the way of reason.

• What is Epicureanism?
• It is the philosophy that we should pursue
  pleasure in order to reach a state of contentment
  and fulfillment.