Julius Caesar. Setting

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1 Study Guide prepared by Catherine Bush Barter Playwright-in-Residence Julius Caesar By William Shakespeare *Especially for Grades 9 and up By the Barter Players, touring January-March 2015 (NOTE: standards listed below are for reading Julius Caesar and seeing a performance as well as completing the study guide.) Virginia SOLs English 9.1, 9.3, 9.4, 9.6, 10.1, 10.3, 10.4, 10.6, 12.1, 12.3, 12.4, 12.6 Theatre Arts TI.8, TI.9, TI.10, TI.11, TI.12, TI.13, TI.16, TI.17, TII.9, TII.11, TII.12, TII.15, TII.16, TII.21, T3III.7, TIII.8, TIII. 9, TIII.12, TIII.17, TIV.12, TIV.13 Tennessee Common Core State Standards English/Language Arts - Reading Literacy: , , , , , , , , , , , , , English Language Arts Writing: , , , , , , , , , , Tennessee Fine Arts Curriculum Standards Theatre , 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2 North Carolina Common Core State Standards English/Language Arts - Reading Literacy: , , , , , , , , , , , , , English Language Arts Writing: , , , , , , , , , , North Carolina Essential Standards Theatre Arts B.C.2, B.A.1, B.AE.1, B.CU.1, B.CU.2, I.C.2, I.A.1, I.CU.1, I.CU.2, P.C.1, P.A.1, P.CU.2, A.C.2, A.A.1, A.CU.1, A.CU.2 Setting Various locations in Rome, 44 B.C. and a battlefield in Philippi, 42 B.C.

2 Characters Julius Caesar Ruler of Rome Calpurnia his wife Marc Antony Roman politician and general Soothsayer a fortune teller Brutus Roman senator, Caesar s friend Cassius Roman senator Casca a public figure opposed to Caesar Portia Brutus wife Octavius Caesar s adopted son Lucius Brutus servant Metellus Cimber Roman citizen Messala friend to Brutus and Cassius Titinius friend to Brutus and Cassius Note: Cast Size and Doubling of Actors In this production of Julius Caesar we will be using only six actors, with some actors playing more than one role. Doubling of actors requires distinction between characters. In this production, characters will be distinguished by costume, voice and other physical character traits. Biography of the Playwright William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in England, and his birthday is traditionally celebrated on April 23rd. At the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children. By 1592, he was living in London and working as an actor and playwright. He was part owner of the acting company, the Lord Chamberlain s Men (later called the King s Men), which built and performed in the Globe Theatre. Over the course of his career Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, 154 sonnets and many other poems. He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. Vocabulary Words sterile Ides of March soothsayer yoke lief colossus underling repute chidden coronet loath infirmity wrought tempest prodigious tyrant consequence redress interim conspiracy entreat contriver hew disperse contagions prediction valiant entrails constancy counsel puissant banished enfranchiseme nt firmament tyranny cumber conspirators wrangle vaunting covetous infirmity apparition misconstrue

3 Synopsis Julius Caesar has defeated his archrival in battle and the citizens of Rome are celebrating. Caesar enters with his entourage, including Brutus, Cassius, and Antony. A Soothsayer calls out to Caesar to beware the Ides of March, but Caesar ignores him. Caesar and Antony go off to greet the crowds, while Brutus and Cassius stay behind. Brutus admits to Cassius his fears that the people want Caesar to become king, which would overturn the republic. Cassius concurs that Caesar is treated like a god. He blames himself and Brutus for allowing Caesar s rise to power. Brutus and Cassius meet Casca, who tells them that during the celebration, Antony offered the crown to Caesar three times, but Caesar refused it each time. He reports that Caesar then fell to the ground and had some kind of seizure. Brutus goes home to consider Caesar s poor qualifications to rule, while Cassius hatches a plot to draw Brutus into a conspiracy against Caesar. That night, Brutus finds letters in his house apparently written by Roman citizens worried that Caesar has become too powerful. The letters have in fact been forged and planted by Cassius. Cassius arrives at Brutus s home with his conspirators, and Brutus, won over by the letters, agrees to their plot to kill Caesar. Cassius wants to kill Antony too, but Brutus dissuades him. The conspirators depart. Portia, Brutus s wife, observes that Brutus appears preoccupied. She pleads with him to confide in her, but he rebuffs her. The next morning, Caesar prepares to go to the Senate. His wife, Calpurnia, begs him to stay home, having had nightmares prophesying his death. Caesar refuses to yield to fear and departs for the Senate in the company of the conspirators. At the Senate, the conspirators speak to Caesar, encircling him. One by one, they stab him to death. When Caesar sees his friend Brutus among his murderers, he gives up his struggle and dies.

4 Synopsis (cont.) Antony comes upon the scene and weeps over Caesar s body. He shakes hands with the conspirators, appearing to make a gesture of conciliation. Antony asks to be allowed to speak at Caesar s funeral; Brutus grants his permission. The conspirators depart, and Antony, alone now, swears that Caesar s death shall be avenged. At Caesar s funeral, Brutus declares to the masses that though he loved Caesar, he loves Rome more, and Caesar s ambition posed a danger to Roman liberty. When Antony speaks, he refutes Brutus claim that Caesar acted only out of ambition; instead, he points out that Caesar brought wealth and glory to Rome, and three times turned down offers of the crown. He succeeds in turning the masses against Brutus and Cassius, who flee the city branded as traitors. Meanwhile, Caesar s adopted son Octavius, arrives and forms a coalition with Antony. They prepare to fight Cassius and Brutus, who are raising armies outside the city. At the conspirators camp, Brutus reveals to Cassius that he is sick with grief, for in his absence Portia has killed herself. The two prepare for battle with Antony and Octavius. That night, the Ghost of Caesar appears to Brutus, announcing that Brutus will meet him again on the battlefield at Philippi. During the battle, Cassius witnesses his men fleeing. An eyewitness informs Cassius that his best friend, Titinius, has been captured. Cassius despairs and falls on his own sword. He dies proclaiming that Caesar is avenged. Titinius himself then arrives reports of his capture were false. Titinius sees Cassius s corpse and, mourning the death of his friend, kills himself. Brutus learns of the deaths of Cassius and Titinius with a heavy heart, and prepares to take on the Romans again. When his army loses, doom appears imminent. Brutus asks one of his men to hold his sword while he impales himself on it. Finally, Caesar can rest satisfied, he says as he dies. Octavius and Antony arrive. Antony speaks over Brutus s body, calling him the noblest Roman of all. While the other conspirators acted out of envy and ambition, Brutus genuinely believed that he acted for the benefit of Rome. Octavius orders that Brutus be buried in the most honorable way. The men then depart to celebrate their victory.

5 A Brief History Barter Theatre was founded during the Great Depression by Robert Porterfield, an enterprising young actor. He and his fellow actors found themselves out of work and hungry in New York City. Porterfield contrasted that to the abundance of food, but lack of live theatre, around his home region in Southwest Virginia. He returned to Washington County with an extraordinary proposition: bartering produce from the farms and gardens of the area to gain admission to see a play. Barter Theatre opened its doors on June 10, 1933 proclaiming, With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh. The price of admission was 40 cents or the equivalent in produce, the concept of trading ham for Hamlet caught on quickly. At the end of the first season, the Barter Company cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly and enjoyed a collective weight gain of over 300 pounds. Playwrights including Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams and Thornton Wilder accepted Virginia ham as payment for royalties. An exception was George Bernard Shaw, a vegetarian, who bartered the rights to his plays for spinach. Today, Barter Theatre has a reputation as a theatre where many actors performed before going on to achieve fame and fortune. The most recognized of these alumni include Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine, Hume Cronyn, Ned Beatty, Gary Collins, Larry Linville and Frances Fisher. The list also included James Burrows, creator of Cheers, Barry Corbin, and the late Jim Varney. Robert Porterfield passed away in His successor, Rex Partington, had been at Barter in the 1950s as an actor and in the 1970s as stage manager. Rex returned as chief administrator from 1972 until his retirement in In March 2006, he passed away. Richard Rose was named the producing artistic director in October In that time, attendance has grown from 42,000 annual patrons to more than 163,000 annual patrons. Significant capital improvements have also been made. Including maintenance to both theatres, and in 2006, the addition of The Barter Café at Stage II and dramatic improvements to Porterfield Square. Barter represents three distinct venues of live theatre: Barter Theatre Main Stage, Barter Theatre Stage II and The Barter Players. Barter Theatre, with over 500 seats, features traditional theatre in a luxurious setting. Barter Stage II, across the street from Barter Main Stage and beyond Porterfield Square, offers seating for 167 around a thrust stage in an intimate setting and is perfect for more adventurous productions. The Barter Players is a talented ensemble of actors, producing plays for young audiences throughout the year. History is always in the making at Barter Theatre, building on legends of the past; Barter looks forward to the challenge of growth in the future.

6 WORD SEARCH Find the following words below: Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Portia, Rome, Brutus, dagger, Senate, Ides of March, Calpurnia, Cassius, Octavius, ambition, conspirators, tyranny, Philippi, citizen, murder, Metellus Cimber, Casca, soothsayer P Y D Z V B S A W O S N M S M H N A L Z L R E C S G N H M A I N G A K V O U E S E W E S R L A G R I U T N T Z A T F U C I R E O O N A M I U E C E I A P Y R J M T R T W L S Q M V N P T T Y E V I U L T S J O A T I T X U X C P U P F M Q R T O R A S E A C S U I L U J Z C N K W U O U C N S K T A D Y O Y P O R T I A O E C J S C R L F Z V N M S Q C A M B I T I O N S Q B I D E S O F M A R C H D R E Y A S H T O O S W O T F T R S U I S S A C R E D R U M Z

7 Brush Up Your Shakespeare Using the clues below, fill in the blanks with the appropriate title of one of the following Shakespeare plays: Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Julius Caeser, A Midsummers Night Dream, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Cymbeline, Richard III, Timon of Athens, Antony and Cleopatra, Henry VI Part II, Twelfth Night, Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, The Tempest, The Merry Wives of Windsor Across 1. Out, damned spot 3. To be or not to be 5. Has three daughters 6. a pound of flesh 9. All the world's a stage 14. If we shadows have offended 16. Rome meets Egypt 17. the game is up 18. Et tu, Brute? 19. the Moor 20. Viola and Orsino 21. kill all the lawyers Down 2. We have seen better days 4. the stuff dreams are made on 7. Kate and Petruchio 8. Beatrice and Benedick 10. the world's my oyster 11. O, for a Muse of fire 12. eaten out of house and home 13. The winter of our discontent 15. give the devil his due

8 True and False Write T if the statement is True and F if the statement is False. 1. Brutus is the adopted son of Julius Caesar. 2. Portia urged Caesar not to go to the Senate on the Ides of March. 3. Casca persuaded Brutus that Caesar s death was for the good of Rome. 4. Marc Antony gave Caesar s funeral oration. 5. Brutus was the last to stab Caesar. 6. Marc Antony joins forces with Octavius to do battle with Brutus and Cassius. 7. The Ides of March is the thirteenth of March. 8. Calpurnia kills herself after she hears of Caesar s death. 9. Caesar s ghost haunts Brutus. 10. Octavius and Brutus are killed in battle at Philippi. 11. Shakespeare died on the Ides of March. 12. Brutus loved Rome more than he loved Caesar. 13. Caesar refused the crown twice, then accepted it the third time. 14. Barter Theatre used to accept farm produce as payment to see a show. Matching Match the person in the first column with the corresponding description/quote in the second. 1. Caesar a. wife of Caesar 2. Marc Antony b. Speak hands for me. 3. Brutus c. Et tu, Brute? 4. Octavius d. wife of Brutus 5. Soothsayer e. Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears. 6. Calpurnia f. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars 7. Cassius g. adopted son of Caesar 8. Portia h. Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. 9. Casca i. Beware the Ides of March.

9 Questions/Activities When in Rome Individually or in groups, research the history of one of the following Roman/Italian topics: The Coliseum The Forum Trevi Fountain Vatican City The Aqueducts The Spanish Steps The Pantheon The Senate Sistine Chapel The Catacombs Campo di Fiore Circus Maximus Caravaggio Bernini Present your findings to the class! Et tu, Brute?

10 tragedy: A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. 1. Using the definition above, explain why Julius Caesar is a tragedy. Cite passages from the play to support your reasoning. Which character has a tragic flaw? Caesar? Brutus? Cassius? What is this tragic flaw? Discuss. Compare and Contrast! Some who embark on a journey in public service have paid with their lives. Consider the historical figures below: Abraham Lincoln John F. Kennedy Martin Luther King Pick one of them and write a paper comparing and contrasting that person s life, rise to power, politics, etc. with Caesar s. 2. Brutus was Caesar s friend, yet he was persuaded by Cassius to kill Caesar for the good of Rome. Do you think the murder of Caesar was justified? Discuss. Now imagine you are Marc Antony; write a paper persuading Brutus to spare Caesar s life. Beware the Ides of March! 3. The ides of March is the fifteenth; which day of the month the ides is depends on a complicated system of calculation Caesar himself established when he instituted the Julian calendar, a precursor of our own. The ides of January, for example, is the thirteenth; the ides of March, May, July and October is the fifteenth. Research the Julian calendar. How does it differ from ours?

11 Blank Verse Shakespeare wrote most of Julius Caesar in blank verse. blank verse: unrhymed verse having a regular meter, usually of iambic pentameter. iambic pentameter: a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing one unaccented syllable followed by one accented syllable, like this: ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum Consider the line Marc Antony speaks at Caesars s funeral, urging the citizens of Rome to mourn their lost leader: What cause withholds you then to mourn for him? Can you count the five stressed accents in the line? Do you notice how the word What at the beginning of the line is unstressed? What is the difference between poetry and prose? How does Shakespeare use both? ACTIVITY Below is Brutus funeral speech (the cut used in this production). Rewrite it in blank verse! Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar s, to him I say, that Brutus love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer - Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; and Death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.

12 4. How would knowing the geography and history of the Roman Empire better help you understand this play? How does knowledge of the different poetic styles and meters and Shakespeare s use of them make the play more accessible? Discuss how the various subjects studied in school often overlap. 5. Characters in a play or a book always have a reason for doing what they do. This is referred to as their motivation. What motivates Brutus to conspire with Cassius? What motivates Portia to swallow fire? Make a list of the characters in Julius Caesar. Next to each name write that character s primary action in the play and their motivation. Cite passages from the play to support your reasoning. Did interactions with the other characters change or alter their motivations? If so, how did this affect the plot? 6. Define protagonist. Who is the protagonist of Julius Caesar? Why? Discuss. 7. How many characters are in Julius Caesar? How many characters are in this adaptation? Did you think the story was still told in spite of the fact that several scenes and characters were eliminated? Discuss. 8. How many actors performed this play for your school? What did the actors change, besides their costumes, to become new characters? A touring show requires minimal props, sets and lighting. How were the various locations in the play represented without these accoutrements? 9. Write a critique of The Barter Player Production of Julius Caesar. Be sure to include descriptions and analyses of the individual performances, the directing/staging choices, and the design elements (costume, set, props, sound). Why do you think some of these artistic choices were made? How would you have done it differently? 10. Breaking into groups, pick a scene from Julius Caesar, rehearse it and perform it for your class. Now pick another scene and rewrite it in contemporary English for a contemporary setting. Rehearse and perform it for your class. Compare the two experiences.

13 Back in the good ol days Julius Caesar was written and first produced in Using the internet, research how the original production would have looked set, costumes, acting style, etc. How does it compare and contrast to The Barter Player s production? 11. What was your personal response to The Barter Player s production of Julius Caesar? Were you entertained? What did this play teach you about the human experience? Discuss. 12. Pick your favorite scene from Julius Caesar and design a set for it. Keep in mind time, place and location. Is it the Senate? Is it the battlefield at Philippi? Is it day or night? Also consider the entrances and exits of your characters. How do they enter the scene? How do they exit? Draw a picture of what your set should look like. Then make a model of it and present it to your class, explaining how it will work when built. 13. Plutarch s Parallel Lives is considered source material for several Shakespeare plays, including Julius Caesar. Research Plutarch s biography and write a paper explaining how Shakespeare drew on it and transformed it to create Julius Caesar.

14 Suggested Reading/Links Books about William Shakespeare Shakespeare: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt Shakespeare: An Ungentle Life by Katherine Duncan-Jones Soul of the Age: A Biography of the Mind of William Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate Shakespeare Links To find out more about William Shakespeare, his life and his works, check out the links below Folger Shakespeare Library Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet