Elizabethan England
• Elizabeth I became queen at 25
• Ruled for 45 years
• During her rule England
- became a tremendous political power
- had unparalleled cultural achievement
• English Renaissance attributed to
- Elizabeth's character and values
- length and stability of her reign
• Elizabeth was exceptionally well educated,
loved and patronized the arts and was an
accomplished writer herself.
• The last years of Elizabeth's reign were not always politically smooth
- one serious threat of rebellion
- bitter Parliamentary conflicts
- civil unease, fear of civil war
•Elizabeth was firmly in control until her death in 1603 - but refused to name a successor, which caused unease . . .
• . . . but, gave a young playwright an idea.
• She was succeeded by her cousin, King James VI of Scotland, who united the two nations as King James I.
William Shakespeare
• Born 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon
- son of a glove maker
- a grammar school education
• Died 1616
- a famous playwright in his time
- part owner of The Globe
- well off and well loved
- from "upstart crow" to a writer
"not of an age, but for all time"
-Ben Johnson
• Famous for his 37 plays, but also wrote two narrative poems, and a book of sonnets.
•Only wrote three types of plays: history, tragedy and comedy. Caesar is not considered a history, but a tragedy.
The Play: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
• The first play performed at The Globe.
Written sometime around 1599
• Was written to reflect
- the unease Elizabethans felt about the
uncertain future of England's succession
- the political in-fighting in Parliament
- as a discussion on the true virtues of a good
and noble leader
•Based on facts from Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans
• Caesar is Tragedy
- Tragedy: The main character suffers a downfall, or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.
• The question is - which main character?
- play titled for Caesar - he dies half way through
- ask yourself - what other noble men have downfalls in this play?
The Globe Theatre
• roofless courtyard,
no artificial lights
no scenery
• could seat around 3,000
• elaborate costumes,
plenty of props
• fast-paced, colorful productions,
usually lasting 2 hours
• actors were only men and boys
• “groundlings” (poor spectators) stood an watched the play from the courtyard (“the pit”)
• wealthy and gentry sat in the balcony sections
Julius Caesar – the man
• Born 100? – Died 44 B.C.
• Came to power during a transition in Rome
- from Republic to Empire.
• Vastly popular leader
- brilliant military commander
- spent money from victories to relieve burdens of common people
and for their entertainment
- established laws to free farmers/tradesmen from crushing taxes/debts
- expanded citizenship of Rome to larger region
• Part of "The First Triumvirate" - Caesar, Pompey and Crassus
- Crassus died in 53
- Pompey and Caesar soon at odds
- Pompey tried to strip Caesar of his power
- Pompey killed next year in Egypt
- Caesar made dictator of Rome -then extended to "Dictator for Life"
•The heart of Rome was its identity as a 'Republic'
-this conflict is where the play begins . . .
Blank Verse
Blank Verse: Poetic verse written in un-rhymed iambic pentameter.
All of Shakespeare's plays are written in blank verse.
Iambic Pentameter: Five 'iambic' feet per line - or 10 syllables total.
• An iamb is a word or words with one unstressed syllable followed by a
stressed syllable.
Example: untiltwo syllables, unstressed + stressed
= one 'iambi' foot
before
Example of 'iambic pentameter:'
"What tributaries follow him to Rome"
"To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?"
• Shakespeare wrote in Blank Verse - in other words, his plays are also poetry.
• Each line is usually 10 syllables, not usually rhymed
• Each line begins with a capital letter
• When you quote and combine two lines, you must show the line ending
with a slash = /
Example: When Caesar approaches Rome in victory Marullus says, "O you hard
hearts, you cruel men of Rome, / Knew you not Pompey?" reminding the audience of the
now dead leader (I.i.37-38).
••While Shakespeare mainly wrote in Blank Verse, there is always variation - when necessary, he allowed extra syllables.
Irony in Caesar
Irony: A literary technique which involves surprising, interesting or amusing gaps between what is thought to be and what actually is.
• This 'gap' should add meaning or insight.
• There are three main types of irony: dramatic, verbal and situational.
Dramatic Irony: The difference between what the character thinks is true and the audience KNOWS is true.
• Must have an audience to be dramatic irony
Why is used? To build tension either dramatic or humorous.
Verbal Irony: The difference between what the character says and what they ACTUALLY mean. Often sarcasm.
Why used? To build on characterization and theme.
Situational Irony: An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience.
• A type of irony emphasizing that human beings are enmeshed in forces beyond their comprehension and control.
Why used? It helps to illuminate theme, especially the universal theme that there are forces at work beyond our control such as God, fate, luck, coincidence.
Types of Speeches in Drama
Aside: a brief comment by a character that is heard by the audience but NOT by other characters on stage. Used to reveal speaking character's thoughts, feelings or plans.
Example: Act II, scene ii, lines 129 - 130
Monologue: A long speech made by one person, without interruption, while other characters (also on stage) listen.
Example: Act I, scene ii lines 90-131
Soliloquy: A long speech made by a character who is alone on stage. Use to reveal the character's private thoughts and motivation.
Example: Act I, scene ii, lines 308-322
Tragedy and Tragic Flaw
Tragedy: a type of drama in which the main character (the Tragic Hero) is involved in a struggle of great significance that ends in disaster. This disaster or downfall is often caused by the character's fatal flaw.
Tragic Flaw: A weakness, or flaw in a usually noble character's personality. For example: Hubris, Pride, Greed, Ambition, Fear, Need for Revenge, Jealousy . . .
Tragedy occurs despite the nobility of the character and because of their fatal flaw. . .
See Freytag’s Pyramid next page.