California State University, Northridge Student Matinee Program Series
Julius Caesar
by The Acting Company
Recommended for grades 6-12
abouT:
Julius Caesar is a dramatization of actual events. He
was a highly successful but ambitious political leader of Rome,
whose goal was to become an unassailable dictator. Caesar
is warned that he must “beware the Ides of March”. The
prophecy comes true and Caesar is assassinated. Marcus
Brutus is a well-respected Roman senator who helps plan and
carry out Caesar’s assassination, which he believes will rid
Rome of a tyrant. Caesar’s friend Mark Antony provides the
famous funeral oration “Friends, Romans, and countrymen…”)
Brutus and Cassius meet their inevitable defeat. Brutus, the
noble Roman, whose decision to take part in the conspiracy for
the sake of freedom, plunges his country into civil war.
Julius Caesar was first performed between 1600 and
1601. It was performed probably immediately following the
completion of the play, as new entertainment was in huge
demand during Elizabethan era.
The settings for Julius Caesar are Verona and Mantua
in Italy. The play is categorized as a Tragedy, and the most
important characters in the play are Julius Caesar, Mark Antony,
and Brutus. The number of spoken words in Julius Caesar,
according to the Complete Public Domain Text is 20, 933.
The Acting Company
was founded in 1972 by
John Houseman and Margot
Harley with Kevin Kline, Patti
LuPone and other members
of the first graduating class of Juilliard’s Drama Division, The
Acting Company prides itself on delivering the highest quality,
text-driven productions to under-served audiences while
engaging students in the words of the world’s great playwrights.
The Company has presented over 40 Shakespearean
productions and numerous great classics by Chekhov, Ibsen,
Shaw, Sheridan, Marlowe and Moliere, nurturing a national
audience for the classics. The company has also been long
recognized for developing young American classical actors for
the stage and other mediums.
William Shakespeare
(1564-1616) was an English
poet and playwright, widely
regarded as the greatest writer
in the English language and the
world’s pre-eminent dramatist.
He is often called England’s
national poet and the “Bard
of Avon”. His surviving works,
including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154
sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His
plays have been translated into every major living language and
are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon;
his actual birth date is unknown but is traditionally observed
on April 23rd--St. George’s Day. At the age of 18, Shakespeare
married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children:
Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith, all of whom died
without bearing a child; hence ending Shakespeare’s direct line.
Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and was survived by his wife
and two daughters.
Shakespeare never published any of his plays; therefore,
none of the original manuscripts have survived. A collection
of his works did not appear until 1623, a full seven years after
Shakespeare’s death on April 23, 1616
Arts Education at Valley Performing Arts Center: http://www.valleyperformingartscenter.org/education/
California State University, Northridge Student Matinee Program Series
In small groups of 3-4, look up the following archaic
words in the dictionary and talk about Shakespeare’s
word usage in Julius Caesar:
• Ague
• Alarum
• An
• Bedtimes
• Fleering
• Hence, whence, thence
• Hie
• Knave
• Marry!
• Moe
• prithee
NOTE: To find Julius Caesar archaic word definitions online,
GO TO: http://quizlet.com/2277510/julius-caesar-wordarchaic-and-diffrent-meaning-words-flash-cards/
quotes from Julius Caesar:
•“Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears; I come
to bury Caesar, not to praise him”. – (Act III, Sence II)
•“But, for my own part, it was Greek to me”.
– (Act I, Scene II).
• “Beware the Ides of March”. – (Act I, Scene II).
•“This was the noblest Roman of them all”.
– (Act V, Scene V).
ABOUT JULIUS CAESAR:
•It is believed that Julius Caesar’s mother endured
agonizing surgery in order to extract him at birth. This
belief gave rise to the term “Caesarean birth”.
•Caesar was born 3 days before the Ides of July, in 100 B.C.
(July 13).
• Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C.
• Caesar reformed the badly out-of-synch Roman calendar
Arts Education at Valley Performing Arts Center: http://www.valleyperformingartscenter.org/education/
California State University, Northridge Student Matinee Program Series
talk about it:
Research shows that talking about the play either
before or after the performance greatly improves
comprehension and enjoyment. Below are some
talking points for small discussion groups of 3-4.
•What is a republic? Who has power in a
republic? What are the advantages of a republic?
Disadvantages? How is a republic maintained?
•What is honor? What does it mean to behave
honorably? What does it mean to be dishonored?
•Julius Caesar was written in 1599, toward the end
of Queen Elizabeth’s reign in England, and reflects
as anxiety over political leadership. What was the
cause of this anxiety in England? How did Queen
Elizabeth contribute to this anxiety? What was
occurring politically in England in the late 1500s?
• What is the Ides of March?
•Why is this play called Julius Caesar? What
are the heroic aspects of Caesar? What are his
strengths? What are his physical weaknesses?
Emotional weaknesses? Why does he often refer
to himself in the third person?
•As Julius Caesar is surrounded by his assassins, he
asks, “Et tu, Brute?” (You too, Brute?) Why does
Caesar single out Brutus?
RESOURCES:
•Royal Shakespeare Company – http://www.rsc.org.uk/
whats-on/julius-caesar/synopsis.aspx
•Complete Works Of William Shakespeare –
http://www.shakespeare-literature.com/
•Tips on how to teach Shakespeare:
http://www.teach-shakespeare.com/
•Definition of a Republic: http://www.couplescompany.
com/features/politics/Structure2.htm
•Julius Caesar Vocabulary:
http://www.vocabulary.com/lists//23344
theater etiquette:
DO:
•Enter the theatre quietly and take your seat
immediately;
• Stay seated during the performance;
• Use the restroom before the performance;
• Turn off your cell phone; and
• Show appreciation for the performers by
applauding at appropriate times.
DON’T:
• (DON’T) Eat during the performance;
•(DON’T) Photograph or audiotape during the
performance;
• (DON’T) Wear strong perfume; and
• (DON’T) Talk during the performance.
remember:
A live performance is not like watching TV or a movie. The
actors on the stage are real people who can see and hear you.
Be respectful by being silent and attentive.
State Farm
Educational Arts Experience
The State Farm Educational Arts Experience is a pilot program generously sponsored
by State Farm to bring arts education to the region’s K-12 students through the Valley
Performing Arts Center.
Arts Education at Valley Performing Arts Center: http://www.valleyperformingartscenter.org/education/