Background on The Tragedy of Julius
Caesar
Who was Julius Caesar?
Julius Caesar was a Roman dictator and general
Where does The Tragedy of Julius Caesar begin?
In order to understand The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,
you must understand his role in Roman government:
Caesar began his career as a general – a position that
brought him both power and wealth
He became involved in politics when he was appointed
as a Roman consul (our version of a Senator or
Representative) by his friend, Pompey the Great
How did Caesar become so powerful?
Even though Rome was a democracy at the time, Caesar gained a great deal of power
when he formed a strategic alliance with two fellow consuls
In 66 B.C., he, along with Pompey and Crassus, developed the First Triumvirate – a three-person government that ruled Rome
This triumvirate was quite successful because it restored order to a government weakened by in-fighting amongst Roman
leaders
What went wrong?
As a part of the triumvirate, Caesar
continued to make successful military
conquests around the world – thereby
increasing his power and popularity Pompey soon became jealous and
convinced the Roman Senate to remove Caesar from office
This started a battle between the two
men, in which Caesar came out
triumphant – defeating both Pompey and
his sons Pompey the Great
What was Caesar like?
As a general, Caesar was extremely successful – executing brilliant
military campaigns He was charismatic, extravagant and beloved by the people of Rome
However, he was also arrogant – a tragic quality that many feel
directly led to his death
What happened next…?
Once Pompey was gone, Caesar named himself “Dictator for Life” While the people loved him, Roman Senate hated the fact
that he had so much power He was eventually assassinated
by his closest confidants
Cast of Characters
Julius Caesar: Dictator of Rome
Mark Antony: Friend of Caesar who uses rhetoric and
manipulation to get his way.
Brutus: Friend of Caesar who always considers choices
“for the good of Rome.”
Cassius: Leader of the conspiracy against Caesar.
Octavius: Caesar’s adopted son and appointed successor.
Casca: A public figure opposed to Caesar’s rise to power
Cast of Characters
Calpurnia: Caesar’s wife. Calpurnia invests great authority in omens and portents.
Portia: Brutus’s wife; the daughter of a noble Roman who took sides against Caesar.
Flavius: A tribune (an official elected by the people to protect their rights).
Some Elizabethan beliefs to be familiar with
Myths and Magic Fairies, magic, witches, spells, and prophecies all
formed part of their view of life Folklore and superstition were often as important to
people as the official religious beliefs taught by the Church
Vocab words to know
Pun – a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings
Anachronism – an error in chronology; misplacing of persons, events, objects or customs Shakespeare uses this in many of his plays