Julius Caesar

1
Julius Caesar

• Historical Context

2
Julius CaesarThe Play

• First produced in 1599
• Marked end of Shakespeares concern with English
  history
• Henry VI, Henry V, Richard II, King John, etc.
• Midpoint of Shakespeares career

3
Julius Caesar and Plutarch

• JC marked beginning of plays based on Plutarchs
  Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans
• Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus
• Plutarchs Lives widely read in 16th century
• Based on Plutarch but added to it
• Lives of Marcus Brutus and Julius Caesar

4
The Historical Julius Caesar

• Brilliant author
• Composed works of history to describe victories
  in Gaul
• Considered the finest examples of Latin prose
  ever written
• Military genius
• Did not command until he was 39 years old
• Never lost a battle
• A powerful statesman
• Envisioned Rome as a world state, not a small
  republic
• Romans enjoyed personal liberty and the freedom
  to pursue their own occupations

5
The Career of Julius Caesar
6
Historical Caesar, cont.

• Believed Gaul had to be invaded
• French see Caesar as the foundation of their
  civilization
• Some saw Caesar differently
• Man of cunning, abmition, and deceit,
• Wanted to do away with Republic and constitution

7
Historical Marcus Brutus

• Possibly a relative of Lucius Junius Brutus
• Drove out the last king of Rome and established
  the free republic
• Established the consulship, which placed limits
  on executive power
• Kingship was hateful to the people of Rome
• Once a close friend of Caesar
• Fought on the side of Pompey against Caesar
• Caesar spared the life of Brutus, as well as
  Cassius, and they each held the office of praetor
• Believed that Caesar had dishonored them by
  saving their lives
• This was the noblest Roman of them allThis was
  a man
• Irony?
• Brutus disguised, even to himself, his true
  motives of envy, jealousy, and ambition

8
The PlayWhos the Hero?

• For Dante, Brutus and Cassius were traitors
  destined for eternity in Hell
• Devoured by Satan
• Some of Shakespeares contemporaries thought
  Caesar was a rebel threatening Rome
• Is Brutus the Hero? Or a gullible villain? Or a
  jealous rival?
• Or is Caesar the Hero? A good dictator?
• Or is Caesar the villain? A power hungry and
  ruthless dictator?

9
Journal 25The Historical Caesar

• Summarize what you learned today about the
  historical Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus
• ½ page