Julius CaesarJulius Caesarby William by William

ShakespeareShakespeare

Student Notes Student Notes

DefinitionsDefinitions• MonarchyMonarchy—absolute rule by a single person —absolute rule by a single person

(hereditary chief)(hereditary chief)

• RepublicRepublic—a government in which supreme —a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected offers and vote and is exercised by elected offers and representatives responsible to them and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law (indirect democracy)governing according to law (indirect democracy)

• DemocracyDemocracy—a government in which the —a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them either directly or indirectly exercised by them either directly or indirectly through a system of periodically held free through a system of periodically held free electionselections

• DictatorshipDictatorship—a form of government in which —a form of government in which absolute power is concentrated in a dictator absolute power is concentrated in a dictator (absolute and unlimited rule)(absolute and unlimited rule)

Rome’s BeginningsRome’s Beginnings•Rome began as a Rome began as a MonarchyMonarchy——

ruled by one person (King)ruled by one person (King)

•It remained this way for 250 It remained this way for 250 years.years.

•Many citizens felt oppressed Many citizens felt oppressed and eventually revolted.and eventually revolted.

Rome’s Beginnings: 500 Rome’s Beginnings: 500 BCBC

• Roman Republic was established in 500 Roman Republic was established in 500 B.C.—ruled for over 500 yearsB.C.—ruled for over 500 years– Roman Republic was ruled by two men called Roman Republic was ruled by two men called

consulsconsuls——• Consuls’ duties:Consuls’ duties:

– controlled the armycontrolled the army– could declare war could declare war – controlled taxescontrolled taxes– established lawsestablished laws

• Got advice from the senate—basically did what the Got advice from the senate—basically did what the senate told them to do.senate told them to do.

The SenateThe Senate•Upper class, wealthyUpper class, wealthy

•Have to be born into it Have to be born into it (ancestor must be traced (ancestor must be traced from the beginning of Rome)from the beginning of Rome)

•Once you were on the Once you were on the senate, you stayed on the senate, you stayed on the senatesenate

TribunesTribunes

•Represented the poorRepresented the poor

•Working class peopleWorking class people

•Elected Elected byby the people the people forfor the people the people

The Fall of the Republic: The Fall of the Republic: 60 B.C.60 B.C.

• In 60 B.C., Roman Republic falls In 60 B.C., Roman Republic falls apart and the Triumvirate is apart and the Triumvirate is establishedestablished

•TriumvirateTriumvirate——unofficial Roman unofficial Roman political alliance of 3 peoplepolitical alliance of 3 people– Caesar Caesar – Crassus Crassus – PompeyPompey

Triumvirate Falls: All Hail Triumvirate Falls: All Hail Caesar!Caesar!

•49 B.C49 B.C—The Triumvirate —The Triumvirate falls apart and Caesar is falls apart and Caesar is the only one leftthe only one left

•46 B.C46 B.C—Julius Caesar —Julius Caesar appointed dictator (the appointed dictator (the sole ruler of Rome)sole ruler of Rome)

This is where the play This is where the play begins!begins!

• The Feast of Lupercal—theThe Feast of Lupercal—the festival festival of fertility (wards off evil spirits)of fertility (wards off evil spirits)

• A raceA race where young aristocrats run where young aristocrats run dressed in a girdle of goat’s skin and dressed in a girdle of goat’s skin and carry a leather throng and carry a leather throng and hit woman hit woman who are considered sterile.who are considered sterile. By hitting By hitting the women, it the women, it wards off evil spiritswards off evil spirits and and the women are the women are able to reproduce.able to reproduce.

Summary: Acts I - IIISummary: Acts I - III•Act One: Caesar returns from Act One: Caesar returns from

defeating Pompey’s son, the defeating Pompey’s son, the Feast of Lupercal occursFeast of Lupercal occurs

•Act Two: March 15th, beware Act Two: March 15th, beware of the ides of March of the ides of March

•Act Three: Days after death Act Three: Days after death of Julius Caesarof Julius Caesar

Major Roman Major Roman AchievementsAchievements

•law and orderlaw and order

•effective road systemseffective road systems

•unparalleled militaryunparalleled military

•at its peak, the Roman at its peak, the Roman Empire covered all of the Empire covered all of the Mediterranean from Gibraltar Mediterranean from Gibraltar to Egypt and up into Europeto Egypt and up into Europe

Themes in Themes in Julius CaesarJulius Caesar::• Chaos results when the prescribed Chaos results when the prescribed

social order is overturnedsocial order is overturned• Good intentions do not always yield a Good intentions do not always yield a

positive resultpositive result• Language is a powerful weapon, and Language is a powerful weapon, and

in the hands of a skilled person, it in the hands of a skilled person, it can be used to manipulate otherscan be used to manipulate others

• Violence and bloodshed can never Violence and bloodshed can never have morally good resultshave morally good results

• Pride is the harbinger of destructionPride is the harbinger of destruction

Themes in Themes in Julius CaesarJulius Caesar::

• Great political ambition Great political ambition breeds great political envybreeds great political envy

• Deceit wears the garb of Deceit wears the garb of innocenceinnocence

• Recognize and heed warningsRecognize and heed warnings

• One man’s hero is another One man’s hero is another man’s villainman’s villain

Characteristics of a Tragic Characteristics of a Tragic HeroHero• Noble Stature/High BirthNoble Stature/High Birth

• Tragic FlawTragic Flaw (Hamartia)—often times (Hamartia)—often times hubrishubris

• Capable of great sufferingCapable of great suffering• DiscoveryDiscovery: The revelation of a fact : The revelation of a fact

previously unknown, knowledge of previously unknown, knowledge of which results in the turning of the which results in the turning of the actionaction

• Peripety:Peripety: The reversal of fortune for The reversal of fortune for a protagonista protagonist