The Theater
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The 2024 Season
The Adventures of Puppet Shakespeare: the Utah Shakespeare Festival
drama
‘We went bankrupt and had to set up the explosives ourselves’: Ian McKellen and Richard Loncraine on making Richard III | Movies | The Guardian
The Adventures of Puppet Shakespeare: Utah
Shakespeare in the time of Bridgerton
Period Overview
Georgian England
Shakespeare and the Regency Era
The popular Netflix show “Bridgerton”, takes place in England during the reign of King George III (reigned 1760-1820). This was a time of enormous cultural and political upheaval- less than one century after the monarchy was restored, with the American and French Revolutions taking place across the pond. This was an era of power and privilege for the aristocracy, but a time of great uncertainty for nearly everyone else.
Shakespeare in this period was considered a bit old hat and too vulgar for the refined age of the 18th century. During the Regency, Sentimental Comedies were all the rage. These comedies and tragedies were designed to instill audiences with Catharsis or empathy with the characters, rather than get people to think or use their reason. Gone were the days of laughing at people’s humorous behaviors and more along the lines of pitying the poor fates of middle-class rustics. These poor characters remained good-natured at the cruelty of powerful aristocrats. This explains the popularity of such plays as Beaumarchais‘ The marriage of Figaro, or Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, in which an evil aristocrat is ruining the lives of common people like the naive peasant Zerlina with his insatiable sex drive.
After the religious wars of the 16th century and the civil wars of the 17th century, early 19th century people were more disillusioned about the monarchy, especially after the seismic shifts of the French revolution and the American Revolution. This was the beginning of the end of the aristocracy, and even though we don’t see it in Bridgerton for comedy reasons, you can sense that the eponymous family is preserving their family and houses, rather than crown and country, which is one reason why the show still resonates with young people.
The Bridgertons might be aristocratic but they have no illusions about their own self-importance. They’re rich, yes but, like modern rich people, they don’t believe that they deserve their riches because of God- they merely fight to preserve their riches for their children, to find their daughters good love matches, and to survive the complex social Laviathon of eighteenth Century and Nineteenth Century England.
Popular Productions Of the Georgian Era
Georgian Shakespeareans
The Georgian Era was the first time in history that Shakespeare started to have a Global audience. French and German writers like Goethe, Schiller and Voltaire helped to kick off the practice of Shakespeare being translated and performed in non English speaking countries in the 18th century. In addition, Empress Catherine the Great brought Shakespeare as far as Russia with her 1786 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. By the end of the 19th century, Shakespeare had been translated into French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, and Danish (Downer, 468).
In England, however, with the trend towards sentimentality and accessibility, (as the video above mentions), the idea of adapting and modernizing Shakespeare became more common in this type period. What’s interesting is that, just when Shakespeare seemed to be on the way out culturally, people like David Garrick began to rehabilitate Shakespeare (McDonald 358).
English writers of the 18th century were trying their best to use Shakespeare as a tool of moral instruction.
Not only did Garrick create popular adaptations of Shakespeare, he also successfully made Shakespeare a cultural icon. Garrick’s famous jubilee of enthroned Shakespeare as the perfect example of english writing and the common man (even though most of his characters are aristocrats), the fact that Shakespeare was a common writer a not an aristocrat or a University educated man, actually benefited his reputation in the 18th century.
Famous Shakespeareans
Shakespeare and Bridgerton: Balls vs Breeches
Even though Bridgerton prides itself on its colorblind casting and the black & white characters haven’t a shred of racial discrimination (except in the spin-off), this society is still plagued with sexism. What I find the most interesting about Bridgerton is that, like a Shakespearean comedy, the show’s conflicts center around how women navigate sexist patriarchal systems.
In Bridgerton, the London season and the annual balls are more than just a chance to to socialize and meet handsome young man, dance, and wear pretty dresses; they are the only hope that upper class women had for the future security of their houses. These systems were put in place because women were denied the ability to determine their own destinies. Though Queen Charlotte runs the social season, she is enforcing a patriarchal system; one that places a woman’s value entirely on her ability to charm and retain the affections of men.
the bridgerton ladies are extremely aware of this and you can see their anxiety every time they attend a ball. They know that their future depends on this and the show isn’t shy about that. So so like a Shakespearean heroine, the comedy and the central conflict is how these women will navigate this socio-economic gender-based political mindfield.
What Shakespeare frequently does in his comedies is have women deliberately challenge or abandon this strict social structure. Young Shakespearean heroines frequently omen disguise themselves as men and/ or go traveling abroad so that they can find husbands and determine their own destinies. Shakespeare won’t Go So Far as to abandon the notions of marriage and childbearing, but he does create a sort of Female Fantasy: “wouldn’t it be nice to determine a one’s Future for oneself?”
In As You Like It, Rosalind, in disguise as a man, is able to dictate for herself the way that she marries and courts Orlando, which must have been shocking and hilarious for Elizabethans. Viola again disguised as a Man is able to criticize his outdated notions of women to his face, and disdains his repeated attempts to woo a woman who does not share his affections. Meanwhile Juliet, a woman whose arranged is dramatically portrayed from start to finish, abandons her father’s choice and marries for love. All these women have the same conflict as the bit bridgerton women they just confront them in more extreme way
References
Bedford
Brockett
Leslie Dunton-Downer
Worthen
Hamlets of the Theater
Great Classes for the Month of June!
Great online classes in Shakespeare and science are available for students all this month at Outschool.com.
Special Promo: LIMITED TIME ONLY!
From now until June 1st, you can get a $20 discount with referral code PAULHT20. Share the joy with other curious minds in the family too! Spread the word and let’s ignite the passion for learning together!
Class Descriptions
Live Classes
For these classes you meet with me live over Zoom:
Introduction to Shakespeare- Tuesdays 9-9:30AM (EST)
This is my 30 minute short and sweet intro to Shakespeare’s life, his plays, and why his work still matters to us today!
Intro To STage Combat (With SwordS)- Tuesdays 9:30-10AM (EST)-
Like the Intro to Shakespeare class above, this is an intro to the basic footwork, attacks, and defensive parries of swordplays for someone just begeinning to learn about swords.
An Immersive Guide To “Romeo and Juliet- Tuesdays from 10-11AM (EST)
This multi-week course delves into the plot, characters and themes of “Romeo and Juliet,” while also providing interactive activities, virtual tours, and webquests.
Stage Combat Course (Multi Week Course) Saturdays 3-4PM (EST)
Shakespeare’s History Plays- SaturdAYs 8:30 AM IST
This is a new course I’m working on to cover all of Shakespeare’s History plays including Henry V, Richard II, and Richard III. More info as it becomes available.
Asynchronous Classes
These classes are Flex Schedule, which means the teacher prepares the activities in advance and allows you to do them at your own pace without direct consultation.
- An Interactive Guide To: “Macbeth”
2. An Immersive Guide to Shakespeare’s London: A virtual tour of Shakespeare’s London will get kids to interact with the culture of Elizabethan England. https://outschool.com/classes/an-interactive-guide-to-shakespeares-london-E6KqeBQQ?usid=MaRDyJ13&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
3. The Violent Rhetoric of “Julius Caesar”
Delve into the passionate speeches of Brutus and Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, which led a whole country to revolution.
4. Gravity Falls: Defeat the Cypher
5. Romeo and Juliet Murder Mystery
A flexible schedule class that teaches kids the plot and characters of “Romeo and Juliet,” in the context of a detective story where you solve the mystery of the young lovers’ deaths.
6. Shakespeare and Star Wars:
Did you know that Star Wars is based on the ideas and writings of William Shakespeare? This class will teach you about writing and characters though games, interactive activities and dramatic readings of both Star Wars and Shakespeare!
BUT WAIT! There’s MORE
Get $10 off my multi-week classes, including “An Interactive Guide to Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” ” with coupon code HTHES3HDTO10 until Aug 4, 2024. Get started at https://outschool.com/classes/an-interactive-guide-to-shakespeares-macbeth-jp7TIh9B and enter the coupon code at checkout.
Click the link below to get started:
New Class: Shakespeare and Star Wars!
Using self-paced online activities, your child(ren) will compare the plot and characters of Star Wars to Shakespeare’s plays. We will also discuss Shakespeare writing by looking at “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars” by Ian Doescher.
Course Description
- Concept: To compare and contrast the plot, characters, themes, and language of Shakespeare’s plays with Star Wars
- Student Description:
- Epic battles, quests for revenge, pirates, funny characters, powerful warriors swinging swords. Star Wars has something for everyone. But did you know that in many ways, Star Wars is based on the ideas and writings of William Shakespeare? In this course we’ll peer beneath the veil of Shakespeare and Star Wars to find the universal stories of love, revenge, power, and growing up, using games, artwork, and dramatic readings by professional actors!
- Did you know that Star Wars is based on the ideas and writings of William Shakespeare? This class will teach you about writing and characters though games, interactive activities and dramatic readings of both Star Wars and Shakespeare!
- Course organization (the class is divided into 6 parts that students can complete at their own pace over a week-long period.
Outline
Unit 1: How Is Shakespeare Like Star Wars?
Class I- Setting the Scene
- That is the Question:
- What is Star Wars about?
- What parts of the Star Wars story are like Shakespeare’s plays?
- Are Shakespeare and the Star Wars movies saying anything similar about war? Families? Growing up?
- Lesson Objectives
- To teach about the characters and plot of Star Wars by comparing them to Star Wars
- To introduce the concept of archetypes, tropes,
- Set the Scene
- Star Wars is about an evil empire trying to take over the galaxy. They have more ships, more soldiers, and a fearsome weapon that can blow up planets. The rebels on the other hand, though fewer in number, are faster, smarter, and have the advantage of fighting for a good cause.
- In addition, the story is about growing up- Luke becomes a Jedi Knight. He takes revenge on the man who destroyed his father.
- The Players (slides)
- Luke
- Obi Wan/ Yoda
- Vader
- Leia
- Han
- R2D2 and C3PO
- The Emperor
- Words Words Words
- Epic
- Parody
- Theme
- Plot
- Archetype
- Character
- Trope
- Theme
Class 2: The Journey of Han and Leia
- Han and Leia vs. Beatrice and Benedick
- Show videos of Han before Leia
- Plot summary of Much Ado
- Clips of the bickering of Benedick and Beatrice
- Read blog and look at the writing.
- Activity- how would you write a love letter to Han or Leia?
- Play the scene from Jedi
Unit 2- The Prequels and Shakespeare’s Histories
- A Crash Course in Shakespeare’s Histories
- The Rise of Palpatine/ Richard III
- Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars rises to power through a combination of manipulation, intimidation, and by killing his opponents.
- Bio of Richard III
- Slide- Richard’s rise to power
- Slide- Palpatine’s rise to power
- Quizlet
Unit 3- The Verse of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher
- What is William Shakespeare’s Star Wars
- Introduce the plays
- Explain how Shakespeare’s verse works
- Look at the common verse elements
- Sonnets
- Show the chorus of “Verily a New Hope”
- It is a period of civil war. The spaceships of the rebels, striking swift From base unseen, have gain’d a vict’ry o’er The cruel Galactic Empire, now adrift. Amidst the battle, rebel spies prevail’d And stole the plans to a space station vast,Whose pow’rful beams will later be unveil’d And crush a planet: ’tis the DEATH STAR blast. Pursu’d by agents sinister and cold,Now Princess Leia to her home doth flee, Deliv’ring plans and a new hope they hold:Of bringing freedom to the galaxy .In time so long ago begins our play,In star-crossed galaxy far, far away
- Stychomichia
- Half lines
- Enjambment
- Title Crawl (make a gif via Canva)
- Show the chorus of “Verily a New Hope”
- Sonnets
- Side By Side Comparisons
- Read/ watch segments of the play
- To Be Or Not To Be
- All the World’s a Stage
- St. Crispin’s Day Speech
- Try to turn a Star Wars line into verse, and then look at the reveal.
- Read/ watch segments of the play
Unit 4- Literary Devices of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars
- Using the educational guide, we’ll learn about the following literary devices:
- Extended Metaphors (Luke’s green lightsaber)
- Anaphora (Luke’s call to action in Jedi)
- Premonatory Dreams (Calpurnia)
- Stichomythia Richard III vs. Han and Leia
Unit5- The Hero’s Journey of Luke Skywalker
Class 1: What is a Hero’s Journey (Slides)
- Learn a little about Joseph Campbell’s monomyth. using the Percy Jackson post, Crash course video about monomyth
- Chart Luke’s monomyth journey
- Activity- Mad libs- write a star wars movie!
- Quiz on plot elements from the monomyth (Quizzes or Quizlet)
Class 2 : Hamlet and Luke Skywalker
- Plot comparison
- (use infographic)
- Quote from Doescher:
- Hamlet The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is Shakespeare’s most famous play. It’s also the play I make the most references to in William Shakespeare’s Star Wars.
- To Be Or Not to Be
- Use my video about the speech to explain the structure
- Note how Doescher repurpuses every line in the Star Wars Trilogy:
- Sometimes it expresses fear:
- Sometimes concern:
- Frustration: “The whips and scorns of time”
- Hope: “The undiscovered galaxy” “Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.”
- Activity: write your own paraphrase of Hamlet’s speech, using the 6 beats I provided.
Unit 6- Become a Bard Warrior (Slides and Sites)
- Number Lock (door)
- Color Lock to start the engine (control panel)-
- Light speed
- Asteroid Iambic
- https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/60286856/
- Scratch Game with a quote at the end https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/221876944/
- Short video at the end.
Notes
Resources:
Web: https://americanshakespearecenter.com/2011/05/in-the-force-of-his-will-shakespeare-and-star-wars/
Close Reading: Shakespeare’s Star Wars (Empire Scene) https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2024/04/17/close-reading-william-shakespeares-star-wars/
The Journey of Han and Leia: https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2023/06/16/new-podcast-william-shakespeares-star-wars-part-ii-the-journey-of-han-and-leia/
Review of Jedi:
Video
- William Shakespeare’s Star Wars and the Power of Iambic Pentameter – Summer of Shakespeare the First
- The Wampa From “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars”
- Han Solo Does Shakespeare
- Emperor Shakespeare
- Darth Vader does Shakespeare
- Dagobah Cave Vision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0otvBA0iAA0
- Duel between Luke and Vader: William Shakespeare’s Star Wars excerpt: the Duel from “The Empire Striketh Back.”
- Comparison:
- 1st 10 minutes of Jedi: Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi Opening Scene HD720p
- Doescher’s version: Darth Vader Reads Star Wars Shakespear The Jedi Doth Return Vader Reviews
Podcast:
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/5BJ6TuhFO699OxWRLZNL2U?si=_cRGo7FzQjakUuZuPT0KwA
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/1E3Eh9OpcR7lpMHI8edU4o?si=p-PrlRzQStqwGnoz4Y88pA
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/5SFDcMAfF14ANVIki6xxr8?si=0YWtFyWoQE2CtG8fAEK22A
Review: “Star Wars- the Jedi Doth Return .” by Ian Doescher
Introduction
What Is William Shakespeare’s Star Wars?
William Shakespeare’s Star Wars is a series of parody plays written by Ian Doescher that takes the prose screenplays of the Star Wars story and transforms them into Elizabethan verse. Last time I mentioned how much I loved the cheeky references to Shakespeare and Star Wars, and how Doescher adapts the cinematic quality into Elizabethan drama very well. In my podcast, I also emphasized the way Doescher gives each character verbose Shakespearean language that works very well for radio and theater:
I must confess, Return of the Jedi is my favorite Star Wars movie. I’ve seen all 9 films and it’s still my favorite. I adore the effects, the tight storytelling, the emotional farewells, and the dramatic victories. What I want to do with this post, (and the accompanying podcast), is to see whether this edition captures what I love about Jedi. The short answer is- no. It doesn’t capture it, IT EXPANDS IT! In many ways this play is Doescher’s triumph- he manages to capture the tone and characters of Star Wars perfectly, and makes the Shakespearean style his own!
Notes about the play
- The first play in the series, “Verily, A New Hope,” took plot and structure inspiration from Henry V; it tells the story as an epic heroic story of Luke’s heroic deeds, much like how Henry V is about a king who grows from boy to man.
- The second play “The Empire Striketh Back,” takes inspiration from Hamlet and Macbeth to explore Luke’s temptation by the Dark Side of the Force. It also uses Much Ado About Nothing as an inspiration for the burgeoning relationship between Han and Leia
- I would argue that “Jedi Doth Return” is a mixture of all the other plays Doescher took inspiration from. Unlike the previous plays, this feels less like a parody, and more like an adaptation. I feel that Doescher has finally become so comfortable writing in the Shakespearean style, that he rarely needs to flat out parody lines and speeches, and simply uses Shakespearean dialogue to tell the story.
Moments to Watch for:
The Language
I’ll discuss the language of Jedi in greater detail in my podcast, but I’d like to highlight one or two here.
Extended metaphors:
Vader: It is the role I play, my destiny—
The grand performance for which I am made.
Come, author of the dark side of the Force,
Make me the servant of thy quill and write
The tale wherein my son and I are seal’d As one.
Come, take mine ev’ry doubt from me,
And fashion from my heart of flesh and wires
A perfect actor: callous, cold, and harsh.
Let this, the second Death Star, be the stage,
And all the galaxy be setting to
The greatest moment of my narrative:
The scene in which the Empire’s fight is won
Whilst I decide the Fate of mine own son - The Jedi Doth Return Act I, Scene i
3. Parody Lines
The biggest appeal of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars is the fact that it is a parody, and I’ve said for many years that parody and gentle riffing on Shakespeare is a great way to get students to overcome their fear of Shakespeare and engage with him. Students who know Star Wars but don’t know Shakespeare will recognize the familiar characters and plots of the movies and then see how Shakespeare’s language tells the story anew. Similarly, people who know Shakespeare will recognize the way Doescher re-tools famous Shakespeare quotes to give to characters in the Star Wars Universe, like here, where he spoofs the famous “All the World’s A Stage” speech:
In the Educator’s guide, which I’ve attached below, Doescher tells you exactly which lines he has parodied and the plots of the original plays so the students can learn about Shakespeare through these famous speeches. Orson Wells once said: “We sit through Shakespeare to recognize the quotations,” and this edition gives us thrilling space battle, wonderful characters, and witty dialogue to keep us entertained while we wait.
Characterizations
What I love the most about the movie and the play is that it’s a very character-driven story. Instead of long trench runs with pilots we’ve never met, we get duels to the death between characters we’ve known for years. At its heart, Jedi is the story of the Skywalker family reuniting after Darth Vader ripped it apart. It’s also the culmination of Luke growing from a boy to a man. Doescher does an incredible job voicing these characters through the verse, and his use of the language helps highlight each character’s struggle and journey.
Luke/ Vader
Luke has more of a duality in this story- sometimes his speeches are hopeful, positive, and full of decisive language, while other times he is bitter, angry, and mournful. This is a perfect characterization for a young man whom the Emperor hopes to turn to the Dark Side, and these speeches excellently bring out his character. Sometimes Luke even repeats lines spoken by Vader and the Emperor just to drive this point home.
Emperor
As for Emperor Palpatine, his speech is similar to Claudius in Hamlet in the sense that he has many run-on lines that only get to the point at the very end. This man knows he has the ea of the entire galaxy, so he can afford to make people wait for him to finish talking. As Luke himself says: “Your overconfidence is your weakness,” and Doescher does a great job conveying that weakness through the language.
Leia/ Han
My favorite part of The Empire Striketh Back was how Doescher conveys the love between Han and Leia. In that play/ movie, it was done through irritating each other in public, and soliloquizing in private. In Jedi, Han and Leia are more of a couple, supporting each other in their fights and the language has more of a romantic tone.
My Criticism
To sum up, Jedi is a milestone in the William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Series where Ian Doescher learned how to make the language his own, rather than borrowing lines and phrases from Shakespeare. It’s a pity there aren’t more books in this series…. right?
The Education Guide
Support My podcast
If you enjoyed the accompanying podcast episode to this post, please consider subscribing and donating to help me continue making fun and educational content like this!
Happy Birthday Shakespeare!
Today, April 23 is the established birthday of William Shakespeare! Today I’ll share some of my favorite posts, videos, podcasts, and quirky recipes related to Shakespeare! 
- Love ‘Hamnet’? You Need To Watch One of the Best-Ever Adaptations of Shakespeare’s Classic Tragedy – AOL
- A new Henry V is a barometer of our times – what can Shakespeare’s war play tell us amid global chaos? | Theatre | The Guardian
- ‘Frankenstein’ and ShakespeareWith awards season in full swing, there has been a lot of controversy over two stories that Shakespeare had a great influence over- Hamnet, based on the novel of the same name, and Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein. Despite getting five golden globe nominations, Frankenstein went home with a hand emptier than the monster… Read more: ‘Frankenstein’ and Shakespeare
- Shakespeare and “Five Nights At Freddie’s.”The global phenomenon “Five Nights At Freddie’s” (FNAF) has spawned 11 major games, spinoff games, 19 books, countless comics, and a big Hollywood movie premiering this week: One other thing this franchise has spawned is ENDLESS FAN THEORIES. I admit, when I first heard of this jump-scare-based game with haunted animatronics, I viewed it as… Read more: Shakespeare and “Five Nights At Freddie’s.”
- 2026 Golden Globes Best Drama Movie: ‘Hamnet’ Wins
Special Promo!
Get $10 off my classes with coupon code HTHESWW0S710 until May 23, 2025. Look through my classes at https://outschool.com/teachers/The-Shakespearean-Student and enter the coupon code at checkout.
New Class: The Violent Rhetoric Of “Julius Caesar” (Flex Schedule Edition)
Course Description
- Concept: To explore the plot, characters, and themes of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar while also gaining an insight into Ancient Roman history and culture.
- Student Description: Delve into the passionate speeches of Brutus and Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, which led a whole country to revolution.
- Parent Description Using self-paced online activities, and a helpful handout, your child(ren) will analyze the rhetoric and persuasive power in two speeches from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” The course will also cover the culture of Ancient Rome, and the circumstances that led to Julius Caesar’s assasination, which inadvertently led to the birth of the Roman Empire.
- Course Organizaiton (the class is divided into 4 parts that students can complete at their own pace over a week-long period
- Each lesson will have:
- “That Is the Question” (Essential Question)
- Lesson Objectives
- Set the Scene (Background and context)- 1-3 slides
- The Players (biography) 1-3 slides
- Go Deeper (Webquest)
- Explore military life and the lives of women in Rome using my blog and other websites as a guide.
- Post 3 things you learned to the Outschool page or send a photo of your completed handout.
- Words, Words Words (Vocabulary, famous lines)
- A Taste of Your Quality (Independant Project)
- Show us your mettle (Test)
- So each class should be 14-15 slides long.
- Each lesson will have:
Outline
Class I- Background on Caesar and Roman Culture
- That is the Question:
Why did Brutus feel Julius Caesar had to die?What was the aftermath?Can one person’s speech effect an entire nation?
- Lesson Objectives
To provide historical and political context to explain why Julius Caesar was assassinated, and how his death inadvertantly created the Roman Empire.To explain the Rhetorical Triangle, the building blocks of persuasive speech.To go through the story of Julius Caesar focusing on the effect of the speeches.To study the famous “Friends, Romans Countrymen” speech.To contrast this speech with some more recent political speeches and you think critically about:What does the speaker want?What tactics does he use?How effective is it?
- Set the Scene
- History
- Government
- Horrible History
- Military
- Government
- Culture
- Fashion: https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2022/03/11/the-fashion-is-the-fashion-ancient-roman-fashion-and-beauty/
- Role of Women: https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2021/03/29/i-lift-the-veil-on-shakespeares-celebrated-roman-female-characters-and-discuss-the-social-norms-they-embodied-and-challenged/
- The Lupercal- https://wordpress.com/post/shakespeareanstudent.com/4545
- History
- The Players (slides)
- Julius Caesar Julius Caesar – Greatest Conqueror Ever?
- Cassius Longinus
- Marcus Brutus
- Marc Antony
- Go Deeper-
- Go to Google Arts and Culture and find 3 facts and 3 pictures of Caesar
- Answer the following Questions:
- Name 3 jobs Caesar had in the Roman Republic
- Was Caesar Deaf? Was he epileptic?
- Name 3 things Caesar accomplished during his career.
Go to opensourceshakespeare.com and look at Caesar’s lines- how does Caesar view himself? Write 3 examples.
- Words Words Words
- Republic
- Dictator
- Lupercal
- Assassinate
- Senate
- A Taste Of Your Quality
- Make a news headline about Caesar’s triumph. How would you report on it? Would you be allowed to say anything bad about Caesar?
- Show Us Your Mettle
- Quizlet for the terms
Class 2- Cassius Manipulates Brutus
That Is the Question-
How does Cassius convince his brother-in-law Brutus to betray and assassinate Caesar, his friend and colleague?
Learning Objectives-
- To give historical context as to why the Senate in general, (and Cassius in particular), feared and hated Caesar.
- To examine Brutus’ character
- To demonstrate how Cassius uses persuasive speech
Setting the Scene- The Plot
The Players-
Cassius- slide/ https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/julius-caesar/character/whos-who
Write 3 facts we learn about Cassius at the start of the play:
Brutus:
https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/julius-caesar/character/whos-who
Go Deeper-
Brutus- Podcast episode. I posit in this episode that Brutus is
Words, Words, Words-
- Traitor
- Republic
- Dictator
- Revolution
- Ethos
- Pathos
- Logos
- Rhetoric
- Colossus
- Aeneus
A Taste Of Your Quality:
(Independent work): We’ll examine a painting of Brutus’ ancestor Lucius and learn why Brutus values Rome more than even family.
Show Us Your Mettle:
Quizzes on Brutus
Class 3- Antony and Brutus’ Dueling Speeches
That Is the Question
- After Caesar’s Death, his friend Marc Antony held a funeral for him where he gives the famous “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech. How did Antony’s speech affect the crowd?
- Brutus has a speech where he explains why he killed Caesar. What does he say, and how effectively does he say it?
- Antony was secretly plotting to take power for himself, and get Brutus and Cassius killed. How did he do it?
- Do speeches have the power to change a nation?
Learning Objectives
- To explain the Rhetorical Triangle, the building blocks of persuasive speech.
- To study the famous “Friends, Romans Countrymen” speech, as well
- To look at these speeches and get you to think critically about:
- What does the speaker want?
- What tactics does he use?
- How effective is it?
Setting the Scene
RSC Learning Zone- Act III, Scene 2 https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/julius-caesar/story/scene-by-scene
The Players (use the videos from the RSC)
Brutus- Man of Honour VS Man of Action | Julius Caesar | Royal Shakespeare Company
Antony Julius Caesar, Act 3 Scene 2 | 2012 | Royal Shakespeare Company
Go Deeper
- Go to my blog post and learn about the terms for rhetorical devices:
- https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2018/04/21/close-reading-friends-romans-countrymen/
Words, Words, Words
- Irony
- Antimetabole
- Rhetoric
- Countrymen
- Lend
- Interred
- Noble
- Hath
- Grievous
- Coffer
- Honorable
- Lupercal
- Cause
- Mourn
A Taste Of Your Quality
- Watch the video of Antony’s speech:
- fill out the handout:
- Write 2-3 sentences about Marc Antony’s speech about what he was trying to
- get the crowd to do and how he used rhetoric to do it.
- Use at least 2 quotes and identify whether they use Ethos, Pathos, or Logos
- https://myshakespeare.com/julius-caesar/act-3-scene-2
- https://www.bardweb.net/content/readings/caesar/lines.html
Quizzes
Class 4- After Caesar-
We’ll talk about the consequences of violent revolutions and how Julius Caesar has inspired some of the greatest speeches in political history.
-Patrick Henry
– Gettysburg Address
– Mean Girls
That Is the Question
- How have people interpreted the play “Julius Caesar” in America?
- Does this play promote violence?
- What kind of violent speech do we deal with in politics today?
Learning Objectives
- To show the link between American History and Julius Caesar
- To address the controversy and the misconception that the play promotes violent assassination.
- To end on a cautionary note people must think critically about what they hear in politics and not make rash decisions based on appeals to fear.
Setting the Scene- US History
- America was founded using the principles of republican government that Ancient Rome used- with a senate, and a series of checks and balances to ensure no one has too much power.
- America was founded in a violent revolution, and some of our country’s early leaders used Brutus as an inspiration- to overcome a tyrannical king.
- In later years, however, some people have forgotten what happened to Brutus
- Today, we are often bombarded with speech that encourages fear and anger and we must think critically when we hear such speech in whatever forum- Roman, or Reddit.
The Players (use my JC lecture?)
- Patrick Henry
- Abraham Lincoln
- John Wilkes Booth
- Donald Trump
Go Deeper
-Watch the Caesar Video
– How does the play promote nonviolence?
– How did Brutus’ assassination fail to save the Roman Republic?
Words, Words, Words
Four-score
Dedicate
proposition
Civil War
Endure
Consecrate
Devotion
A Taste Of Your Quality (Night Cafe)
- Use AI to create your own image for Julius Caesar
- What time and place would you set the play in?
- how do you see him- is he a hero, or a tyrant?
The Shakespearean Student 