Shakespearean Drama

The Tragic Hero

High social rank – a king, prince, or general

Has a tragic flaw (hubris) – an error in judgment or character defect that leads to

his/her downfall.

Suffers complete ruin or death.

Faces his/her downfall with courage and dignity (dignity = integrity, sincerity, confidence).

Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy

DRAMATIC CONVENTIONS

DRAMATIC IRONY Results when the audience knows more than one or

more of the characters

Dramatic irony creates suspense

EXAMPLE : Caesar does not know people are plotting against him, but the audience does. You are the audience when you read/view/listen to this play.

Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy

SOLILOQUY A speech given by a character alone on stage, used to reveal private thoughts and feelings.

Example from Romeo and JulietRomeo: “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!”

Example from Julius CaesarBrutus: “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him.”

Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy

[ ASIDE ]

•Think of it as a whisper

•Trebonius whispers in Act II; scene iii;124-125

•“Caesar, I will. [aside] And so near will I be that your best friends wish I had been further.

Character’s remark, either to the audience or to

another character that no one else on stage is supposed to hear.

• Brutus whispers in Act II; scene iii; lines 128-129.

• [Aside] “That every like is not the same, O Caesar, The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon.”

Lets the audience in a character’s

thoughts or secrets.

Characteristics of Shakespearean Tragedy

BLANK VERSE

The Language of Shakespearean Tragedy

• Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. • Iambic pentameter is a pattern of rhythm with five unstressed syllables (˘) and five stressed syllables (´).• Such men as he be never at heart’s ease• Whiles they behold a greater than themselves, • Most of Julius Caesar is written in blank verse.

•The repetition of the beginning phrase in consecutive lines.•“Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong; •Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat.”Anaphor

a•The use of questions that require no answer to make the

speaker’s rightness seem self-evident. •“Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves? Alas, you

know not!”Rhetoric

al Question

s

•The repetition of grammatical structures to express ideas that are related or of equal importance.

•“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”Parallelism

RHETORIC: The Language of Persuasion

The Tragedy

of Julius

Caesar

by William Shakespeare

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

For centuries, Romans debated and even fought civil wars while trying to decide whether a monarchy, a republic, or a dictatorship was the best form of government.

Tarquinius Superbus

Until 509B.C., Rome was a monarchy, but in that year, the Brutus family evicted Tarquinius Superbus from the throne and Rome was established as a republic.

By 100 B.C., Rome was a moderate democracy in form; in actual practice, the Senate was ruling Rome.

In 60 B.C., a triumvirate (a three man rule) of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey was formed to govern Rome.

Caesar Crassus

Pompey

In 58 B.C., Caesar was made governor of part of Gaul, and at the age of 44 began his military career. During the next ten years, he proceeded to conquer all of Gaul.

After Crassus was killed in battle, trouble began between Pompey and Caesar. Pompey, jealous of Caesar’s popularity, persuaded the Senate to order Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome.

But Caesar invaded Rome and made himself absolute ruler of Rome.

Meanwhile, Pompey fled to Greece. Caesar defeated Pompey’s army and Pompey fled to Egypt where he was later murdered.

Three years after Caesar defeated Pompey’s army, Caesar defeated Pompey’s two sons.

By now, Caesar had been made emperor for life.

Thus, as Shakespeare begins his play with Caesar returning in victory from Spain, Caesar was the undisputed leader of the entire Roman world.

For the remainder of class, begin watching this film about Julius Caesar’s life. Write down tencomplete sentences whichgive details you learn about JuliusCaesar’s personality. What kind ofman is he?

Click the image below to begin video.