1. Introduction Julius Caesar William Shakespeare The Globe Theater Elizabethan England

2. William Shakespeare Born April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England At 18 he met and fell in love and married Anne Hathaway a local woman 7 or 8 years older than WS Children: Daughter Susanna (1593) and Twins a boy Hamnet (died) and girl Judith (1585) WS moved to London (without his family) to become an actor and playwright shortly after birth of twins 1592-1594: theaters closed for most of this time due to Black Plague outbreak WS used time to write poetry 3. Politics of Acting Theater wasnt widely accepted when WS began writing People saw theater as breeding ground for crime and a vehicle for the spread of the plague Luckily, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and later King James I, who both loved plays and frequented their performances, the theater still had great success in two famous venues: THE GLOBE and THE BLACKFRIARS. After Queen Elizabeths death in 1603, King James became a sponsor of WSs acting company The Kings Men lending the group $$ and socializing with actors backstage. 4. Politics of Acting Women did not act on stage because it was not considered proper; boys aged 11, 12, or 13 before their voices changed - performed the female roles. JC, like most of WSs plays, were produced in a public theater built around roofless courtyards that had no artificial light. Surrounding the courtyard were three levels of galleries with benches where wealthier playgoers sat. Those who could not pay (paid the general admission price of one penny) to sit the groundlings stood and watched from the courtyard, which was called the pit. Groundlings were a rowdy, lively bunch. 5. The Globe 6. The globe No one is certain exactly what the Globe looked like, but WS tells us is was round or octagonal. It was open to the sky and held between 2,500 and 3,000 spectators. When the plans for a reconstruction of the Globe began in 1988, scholars and builders started with this information. As they worked, they learned more from the site of the original theater. The foundation was then discovered in 1990; its excavation has revealed clues about the plays, the actors, and the audience. 7. The Globe The main action of the play was performed on the stage, which jutted halfway out into the yard. The most expensive seats in the theater were chairs/benches set directly on the two sides of the stage to accommodate the elite among the patrons. A trapdoor on the stage led down to Hell, the area beneath the stage from which actors dressed as demons and devils could emerge. The ceiling above the stage was the Heavens, likewise equipped with a trapdoor. Angels, gods, and spirits could be lowered with wires to appear over the other actors heads. 8. The Globe The tall building which rose above the stage was the tiring house, providing the backstage area. It contained dressing rooms for the actors and a place to house machinery used in the production of a play. The curtained space at the rear of the stage, a part of the tiring house, is often referred to as the inner stage but was in reality used mainly to conceal discoveries props or performers temporarily kept hidden until the proper time for showing them during the play. Above the curtained area was a multi-use gallery where spectators could sit, musicians could perform, or parts of the play such as balcony scenes could be enacted. 9. Additional Globe Info There was no scenery in the theaters of Shakespeares day. LANGUAGE carried the play. Settings were indicated by references in the dialogue. As a result, one scene could follow another in rapid succession. The actors wore elaborate clothing typical Elizabethan clothing, not costuming. Thus, the plays produced in Shakespeares day were fastpaced, colorful productions that usually lasted two hours. 10. Elizabethan Clothing 11. Shakespeares drama Because the Globe had no lighting, all performances took place in the afternoon. Shakespeare relied on language to establish the setting of his plays Example: the moon told audiences that a scene was set at night. The only scenery consisted of props such as tales and chairs. Instead of being a handicap, the bare stage gave playwrights greater flexibility. 12. Shakespeares drama Although theatergoers were willing to imagine the setting, they expected costumes to look realistic. Actors had to be prepared for many distractions. People commonly ate, drank, and talked during performances. Yet audiences at the Globe had to have been fairly sophisticated to appreciate Shakespeares plays. 13. JC time and place Julius Caesar depicts Romes transition from a republic to an empire. According to ancient historians, the republic dates back to 509 B.C., when the last Roman king was expelled and two consuls shared control of Romes military. Each year a new pair of consuls had to be elected. The Senate was the republics most important political institution. It was composed of several hundred members of Romes leading families, who could serve for life. Two citizen assemblies made laws and elected Romes magistrates, including consuls. 14. JC time and place Although the Senate was supposed only to advise the magistrates and the assemblies, it actually held most of the power. Over several centuries, Rome greatly expanded its territories in a series of foreign wars, but these conquests created internal tensions. Some politicians began to challenge the Senates authority. Often they gained support from disgruntled veterans and other neglected members of society. Beginning in 133 B.C., Rome was plagued with widespread corruption and civil warfare. 15. JC Time and place In 60 B.C., Rome came under the control of the wealthy politician Crassus and two military leaders, Julius Caesar and Pompey. This coalition was known as the First Triumvirate. Crassus died in 53, and soon Pompey and Caesar were at odds with each other. After Pompey tried to strip Caesar of his powers in 49, Caesar crossed into Italy, forcing Pompey to flee. Pompey was killed the next year in Egypt. Caesar continued to meet resistance from Pompeys sons. He finally defeated them in 45 and returned to Rome, where he had himself appointed dictator for life. 16. JC Time and place Julius Caesar opens in 44 B.C., when it appeared that Caesar might topple the republic and reestablish a monarchy. Caesar gained complete control of Rome in 45 B.C., having defeated Pompey and his supporters. He quickly introduced new policies, such as reforming the Senate and extending Roman citizenship to residents of the provinces. He also established a new calendar, which is still used today in a revised form. Although these changes benefited many people, they angered members of the nobility, who also resented the loss of their power. 17. Julius Caesar Themes The fear of the absolute power of a monarch: Violence begets violence: The power of rhetoric in shaping public opinion: 18. Rhetoric The Definition: The art of using language to present facts and ideas to persuade 19. Rhetorical Devices Invention: the advancement of logical, ethical, and emotional arguments Arrangement: the structure of these arguments Style: the selection of original words and phrases to express arguments Memory: a system of committing the text to the speakers mind Delivery: the manner of presentation in a speech that includes tone of voice, gesture, and expression 20. Video: What are rhetorical appeals? 21. What is tragedy?http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~ldernbach/msw/xhgkaristrag.pdf 22. What is a tragic hero? A Shakespearean tragedy is a work in which a series of events leads to the downfall of a main character, in this case, Julius Caesar. This makes Caesar a tragic hero. However, because of his dominance of the entire play, perhaps an even greater tragic hero could be Marcus Brutus. Four Qualities of a Tragic Hero: 1. Possesses importance or high rank 2. Exhibits extraordinary talents 3. Displays a tragic flaw usually an error in judgment or character that leads to downfall 4. Faces downfall with courage and dignity 23. Terms Soliloquy a longer speech in which a character speaks as if to himself or herself Monologue a long, uninterrupted speech by one character Aside a brief comment a character makes that reveals his or her thoughts to the audience or to another character Dramatic Irony develops when the characters act to show their ignorance to a situation which the audience is aware of Metaphor comparing two UNLIKE things saying one this IS or BECOMES the other Alliteration a STYLISTIC device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series Hyperbole a figure of speech which involved an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. 24. More Terms Rhymed Couplet a pair of lines whose end words rhyme closes the scene and sometimes suggests what will come next sometimes is used as a signal to introduce entry/exit of character Personification giving human-like characteristics to inanimate objects Allusion a brief/indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance Blank Verse - unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter Iambic Pentameter Iambic means that an unaccented syllables followed by an accented one. Pentameter means that there are five feet per line. (A foot is one beat set in the pattern of accented and unaccented syllables.) Refer to Logic Nation JC page. 25. Terms Anachronism an event or detail inappropriate for its time period. From JC: Where is thy leather apron and thy rule? Conflict the struggle between two forces creates drama Internal Conflict involving a characters struggle to decide between two opposing ideas or values. The climax of the play is the point at which the internal and external conflicts are greatest. Usually the action rises to the climax and then falls as the conflicts are resolved. External Conflict between two characters, groups, or forces 26. Rhetorical Terms Antithesis juxtaposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction. From JC: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Metonymy substitution of some attributive or suggestive word for what is means (e.g., crown for royalty; Washington for U.S. government) From JC: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Apostrophe a sudden turn from the general audience to address a specific group or to address someone or something usually not present as if they were. From JC: O Rome. O Conspiracy. 27. Rhetorical Terms Anaphora repetition of the same word(s) at the beginning of sentences or phrases. From JC: Mad word! Mad kings! Mad composition. Synecdoche using a part of something to represent the whole. From JC: Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar Rhetorical Question a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered. From JC: Art thou mad? Is not the truth the truth? 28. Aristotelian appeals Ethos ability of the speaker to gain agreement based upon his reputation Pathos persuasion based on emotional pleas Logos persuasion based on logic 29. The Movie version