1. Julius Caesar A Tragedy in 5 Acts By William Shakespeare

2. Characters

3. Julius Caesar • Not the main character • Characters are preoccupied with him • Wants to become emperor (king)

4. Brutus • High-ranking, well-respected nobleman • Motivated by his sense of honor • Places Rome above his own personal interests • His honor is his weakness

5. Mark Antony • Loyal friend of Caesar • Impulsive, pleasure-seeking, passionate • Lives life in the moment

6. Cassius • Talented general • Acquaintance of Caesar • Resents that Roman populace revere’s Caesar as a god • Shrewd opportunist • Lacks integrity

7. Octavius • Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor • Authoritative figure • Later changes his name to Augustus

8. Casca • Conspirator • Tribune • elected official that represents the common people • Rough, blunt

9. Calphurina or Calpurnia • Caesar’s wife • Invests in the authority of omens and portents

10. Portia • Brutus’s wife • Daughter of Cato (Roman Noble) • Brutus’s confidante

11. Flavius and Murellus • Tribunes who condemn the plebeians for cheering for Caesar , when they use to cheer for his enemy—Pompey • Remove decorations from Caesar’s statures during his triumphal parade.

12. Cicero • Senator • Known for his oratorical skill • Speaks at Caesar’s triumphal parade

13. Go Team! Team Caesar Team Pompey Brutus Cassius Flavius Murellus Casca Portia • Julius Caesar • Mark Antony • Octavius • Lepidus • Calphurnia

14. Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

15. Theme • A central idea or statement • Unifies and controls an entire literary work • Author’s way of communicating: • Ideas • Perceptions • Feelings • Stated or implied

16. Theme examples • Brief and meaningful insight; comprehensive vision of life • Progress: Victorian works • Order and duty: early Roman works • Carpe diem (Seize-the –day ): late Roman works • Jealousy: Shakespeare’s Othello

17. Theme examples • Complicated doctrine • Milton’s theme in Paradise Lost • justify the ways of God to men • Upton Sinclair, The Jungle • Socialism is the only sane reaction to the labor abuses in Chicago meat-packing plants

18. Theme of Play • Fate vs. Free Will • Public Self vs. Private Self • Misinterpretations vs. Misreadings • Inflexibility vs. Compromise • Rhetoric and Power

19. Motifs • Recurring structures, contrasts; or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes

20. Motifs in Play • Omens and Portents • Letters • The power of a written letter depends on the addressee • Orators must read the emotions of the crowd, they can adjust their speech and intonations as needed

21. Symbols • Objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts

22. Symbols in Play • Women and Wives • Represent the private/domestic realm

23. Resources • www.shoomp.com • www.sparknotes.com • SparknotesIPhone app