recurring motifs
Shakespeare’s Recurring Motifs # David Williamson notes that Shakespeare was regarded as a popular entertainer and his scripts not even worthy of keeping for future generations. When he retreated back to Stratford in his early 50s he was sure his writing career had achieved little and strove to remake himself as a provincial property owner. Luckily some of his fellow actors, years after his death, collected his complete plays as an act of homage to a man they venerated.
Shakespeare's World
Biography # Shakespeare was baptised 26^(th) April, 1564 and buried on the 25^(th) April fifty two year later. His father was a successful glover by trade, became a bailiff and senior alderman, but due to over extension fell on hard times charged with illegal trading, usury and bad debts. By 1592, he had been arraigned “for feare of processe of Debtte”. Shakespeare too frequently engaged in litigation mainly over his various properties.
Characters Julius Caesar
Development of Character # Shakespeare’s dramatic achievement comes to the fore in creating and depicting distinctive and credible characters who reveal themselves through consistent actions and dialogue. As Abraham Lincoln said: “If you want to test someone’s character; give them power.” Compelling Characters Shakespeare invented his share of distinctive stock characters, but his truly great characters – particularly his tragic heroes – are unequalled in literature, dwarfing even the sublime creations of the Greek tragedians.
Contrast Of Speeches Julius Caesar
Conflicting Perspectives in Julius Caesar # Conflict is the essence of drama and Shakespeare is able to exploit conflict to create tension through images, symbols and language that is dialectical, polemical; language of extreme opposites or antithesis. Many of the characters are foils or contrasts of other characters revealing the conflicts evident in the play by their actions and words Shakespeare chooses for them. The fickleness of the Mob is first referred to by Marullus when he points out that the adulation they once demonstrated for Pompey’s triumphs are now being lavished on Caesar, for a civil war, shedding Pompey’s son’s blood.
Contrast Speeches Julius Caesar
Contrasting the Orations of Brutus and Anthony # Each of those orations is exactly what the character would then have made and each reveals at once the strength and the weakness of the speaker who makes it. Subject-Matter of Each # BRUTUS a) He asks for silence and a respectful hearing. b) He says that he loved Caesar but loved Rome more. c) He killed Caesar because he was a danger to Rome.
Historical Caesar
The Historical Caesar # Like most major figures in History, Julius Caesar can be portrayed positively or negatively, simply by choice of perspective and language. Some see parallels between his peremptory populist style and Donald Trump’s. Both share towering egos, confidence in their unmistakable judgments, their misogyny, and crash or crash through tactics. However Caesar was by far more heroic and intelligent than Trump. In many ways he is more like Churchill.
Julius Caesar
JULIUS CAESAR. # A SHAKESPEAREAN PLAY Horace’s The Ars lays down literary laws observed by writers for centuries: modern editions divide Shakespeare’s plays into five acts, for instance, because that’s how many Horace said a play should have. It canonized critical ideas, like the concept of artistic unity, that we now take as self-evident. Aristotle’s (384 – 322 BCE) Poetics had already laid some of the ground rules of what good literature should look like.
Julius Caesar Issues Themes
Julius Caesar - Power # Most Shakespearean tragedies and historical plays deal with struggles for political power and order. Shakespeare is especially interested in maintaining order through legitimate power and its accountability and responsibility for husbandry. By 1599 Queen Elizabeth I was in her sixties without a Tudor heir so Shakespeare is concerned about succession spiraling into a renewed civil war. There are a multitude of theories on the basis or source of power.
Julius Caesar Language
Language of Julius Caesar # Shakespeare was fascinated by language. He couldn’t resist playing with words, rhythms and styles. He loved to invent words, and to give existing words new meanings by fresh uses and unexpected twists. Shakespeare is renowned for the poetic imagery of his language and for the word pictures he creates. His reputation is well founded because while he was writing English was not the dominant language – it was Latin.
Julius Caesar Power
Julius Caesar - Power # ABC, iview: Shakespeare uncovered: The Hollow Crown - A series of discussions by Actors who have played roles in various Shakespearian Plays. Series 1: Macbeth, Richard II, Henry IV, & V, Hamlet - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/shakespeare-uncovered/series/1 Series 2: Taming of Shrew, Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, MSND, Othello, King Lear - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/shakespeare-uncovered/series/2 Series 3: Much Ado… Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, Richard III. - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/shakespeare-uncovered/series/3
Roman Contributions
The Romans # Oscar Spengler recognises 8 Cultures that died out: Babylonian, Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, Classical (Greek / Roman), Arabian (Magian), Western (Faustian), Mexican (Aztec / Mayan) The Egyptian lasted the longest, Ghenghis Khan built the largest, but it only lasted 70 years. The Romans made the most significant, long lasting contributions to our Western Civilisation. Rome is sometime called the Eternal city, because it is one of the longest established ruling centre of the world.
Summary Of Julius Caesar
Summary Julius Caesar: # Act I Scene l The common people of Rome are making holiday, thronging the streets and rejoicing in Caesar’s victory over the sons of his old rival Pompey. The tribunes, Flavius and Marullus disperse the crowd, abusing them for making such a stir over Caesar’s victory. Scene 2 Caesar enters at the head of a procession, celebrating the feast of Luprical. A soothsayer bids him “Beware the Ides of March”, but Caesar is heedless of the warning and continues his march.
Brutus
Brutus # Brutus was a devoted patriot. Cassius appeals to his patriotism in 1, 2, Line 159. Ligarious calls him “Soul of Rome”. He takes as his motto, “Peace, Freedom & Liberty” (3, 1, Line 110). He expresses it to the people, “Not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more”. Finally Antony admits it in his final speech over the dead body of Brutus. He was not at all practical.