history

Crafting A Character: Humber from Locrine

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I’m pleased to announce that I will be playing Humber, the Scithian Emperor who tried to conquer England, in a very special adaptation of Locrine in August of 2026.

What is Locrine?

Locrine is an Elizabethan play, first published in 1595, whose author is, sadly, lost to history. The play is a mythologized history of the founding of Britain, which the play calls New Troy.

Our Interpretation

Our version of Locrine is a hybrid between the original play, and stories from the indigenous people of Mexico in the huasteca region. Our director chose to reinterpret Humber as an existential threat to the natural world of Mexico- a threat to the people and the environment, who is defeated not just by Locrine’s army, but by the forces of nature themselves.

Myth vs History

Ancient Scithian horse warriors
  1. The Scythian Emperor- Scythia was originally modern day Iran, but many Scithian tribes also lived in places like Ukraine and Russia. They were nomads who primarily used their skills in mounted warfare to conquer regional fifedoms, organized under a single emperor.

Function Within the Play

Ancient golden Scithian belt buckle
  1. Ravisher of Nature- as Humber tries to conquer the people of England, he also destroys the natural world.
  2. Usurper/ Conqueror of the Britains- in our version of Locrine, Humber’s war to conquer Britain is analogous to the European colonizers who fought to dominate America such as the French, the Dutch, and of course, the Spanish.

We are retired with joyful victory. The slaughtered trojans squeltering in their blood, infect the air with their carcasses, and are a prey for every ravenous bird.

Locrine, Act 2 Scene 6


Playing Humber

Right now, I am playing Humber as a narcissist, a man who, at his core, is deeply insecure but tries to overcompensate it by acting like an invincible monarch- one who fills the void in his soul with land, slaves, possessions, and gold. He is good at persuading people and inspiring them to fight for him, but he cares for no one but himself.


High on a bank by Nilus’ boistrous streams,
Fearfully sat the Egyptian Crocodile,
Dreadfully grinding in her sharp long teeth
The broken bowels of a silly fish.
[A crocodile swims across the stage, eating a
fish.]
His back was armed against the dint of spear,
With shields of brass that shined like burnished gold;
And as he stretched forth his cruel paws,
A subtle Adder, creeping closely near,
Thrusting his forked sting into his claws,
Privily shed his poison through his bones.
So Humber, having conquered Albanact,
Doth yield his glory unto Locrine’s sword.
Mark what ensues, and you may easily see,
That all our life is but a Tragedy. –Locrine, Act III prologue.

A snake struggling with an alligator, eventually gets the upper hand, or coil.

In the play, Humber is compared to a fearsome predator- a crocodile, which was actually the sigil  on his shield. I took inspiration from the animal, and used a serpentine physicality when playing him. I also decided to give myself a crocodile smile- I keep my head down, stared my enemies in the eye, and then- struck!

Gloucester’s show
Beguiles him as the mournful crocodile
With sorrow snares relenting passengers- Henry VI, Part II.

Inspirations

From History-

Again, Locrine is not a history play and Humber, as far as we know, was not a real person. Rather than a legitimate chronicle, Locrine is a mythologized history of the founding of Britain. The Scithians never actually invaded Britain, (although some early chronicles claim that the Saxons were descended from them). Our version of Locrine conflates the foundation of Britain with the conquest of America, (specifically the struggle between English colonists and the Spanish conquistadors,) and there is one man who has come to symbolize the ruthless might and lust for gold that the Spanish had in the early conquest of the American continent more than any other Conquistador- Hernan Cortez,  governor of New Spain, and conqueror of the Mexican empire.

Statue of Cortez. Notice the broken Aztec statue under his foot.

We Spaniards know a sickness of the heart that only gold can cure- Hernan Cortez (allegedly)

Cortez was a man of insatiable greed and lust for power. He was born a minor noble with a gift for diplomacy and exceptional courage. He eventually slaughtered thousands of the Mexican people, supplanted their ruler Montezuma, and razed their capital city of Tenochtitlán, rebranding it as Mexico City, capital of the New Spanish empire.

Mural on the Battle of Centla and the conquest of Tabasco, by Homero Magaña Arellano.

Like Humber, Cortez was more of an administrator than a soldier, but nevertheless, he did lead his army successfully against the native people in several key battles, where they used their cavalry and cannons to devastating effect. He also ravished hundreds of Indigenous women who sired his illegitimate children- like our Humber, he lusted for women in addition to gold.

Cortez was careful to appear pious to his soldiers and respectful to the native people he encountered, but this was a calculated act designed to get loyalty and obedience from the people around him. According to his biography, Cortez had a zero-tolerance policy for blasphemy, and told his soldiers to respect the native Mexica. Again, Cortez’s real goal was to keep his men loyal to their “pious” commander and to make the people trust him…while he robbed them blind. Talk about crocodile tears.

Cortez’s victories allowed him to build palaces for himself to rule over the Mexica, as well as a royal charter for himself, and of course, GOLD.

The Spaniards appeared to be much delighted, they seized upon the gold like monkeys, their faces flushed. For clearly their thirst for gold was insatiable; they starved for it; they lusted for it; they wanted to stuff themselves with it as if they were pigs. They went about fingering handling the streamers of gold, passing them back and forth, grabbing them one to the other babbling, talking gibberish among themselves. – Bernardino de Sahagún

In Locrine, Humber is defeated offstage and forced to starve to death in a desert wilderness. To fill in the blanks, I looked at events from Cortez’s life and death. The real Cortez died of dysentary in 1547, but I like to imagine Humber- Cortez being chased away by Locrine’s army, similar to his narrow escape from Tenochtitlán during the famous Noche Triste (30 June – 1 July 1520)

Cortez and his soldiers narrowly escape Tenochtitlán

From Shakespeare-

Shakespeare rarely writes characters who are wholy evil, so for the first three acts, I mainly thought of another Sythian conqueror- Christopher Marlowe’s Tamborlaine. He is not so

much a man as a force of nature, eager to kill, conquer, and take power and riches from the natural world.

The Roman Goddess Fortuna, with her wheel and orb.

In the later acts of Locrine however, Humber is… well humbled ater losing the war, losing his son, and losing his wife. His laments for his son bear a striking resemblance to Titus Andronicus.

Humber speech III, Scene 5, performed by One Woman Shakespeare

Verse

At the end of his life, Humber reverts to a primitive shadow of his former self- Humber is forced to hide in desert caves, and live on berries and roots. His cruel, bitter laments and desire to cast himself into the sea is almost perfect parallel to Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens.

Timon in the cave

What basilisk was hatched in this place,
Where everything consumed is to nought?
What fearful Fury haunts these cursed groves,
Where not a root is left for me to eat?
Hath fell Alecto, with invenomed blasts,
Breathed forth poison in these tender plains?
What, not a root, no fruit, no beast, no bird,
To nourish Humber in this wilderness?
My very entrails burn for want of drink,
These foul accursed groves afford no meat,
The gods, hard-hearted gods, yield me no meat.
Was ever land so fruitless as this land?
Was ever soil so barren as this soil?
No, even the climate of the torrid zone
Brings forth more fruit than this accursed grove

In Conclusion

Humber is a great deal of fun- he’s a cartoon-like villain at first, but after he loses to Locrine, he seems more human, longing to be reunited with his son. Even though he’s not the main character, he has a tragic character’s arc. In short, he’s great to play, and I hope he’ll be great to watch!

Sources

https://lostplays.folger.edu/Estrild

https://orangemite.org/laviborayelcuervo

https://historum.com/t/cort%C3%A9s-and-the-conquest-of-mexico.184401/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic

Shakespeare’s Fools

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Happy April Fool’s Day! Today I’d like to look at the rich history of Shakespeare’s fools and clowns! Clowns are some of Shakespeare’s classic comic characters, but fools are complex characters that entertain, satirize, and even philosophize. They may dress the part, but they are no fools.

This clip from Mel Brooks’ comic masterpiece History of the World, Part I, has the writer/director perform as Comicus, a ‘stand-up philosopher’ from Ancient Rome- a philosopher who is basically a stand-up comic. As you’ll see, unlike clowns, most of Shakespeare’s fools basically fulfill this role- to satirize and make fun of people and institutions.

What Is A Fool?

Fools and clowns are based on medieval minstrels who, as this video from Monty Python’s Terry Jones shows, were itinerant entertainers who had to do a number of jobs including play music, dance, sing, compose poetry, juggle, and on occasion- START A WAR!

Fools Vs. Clowns

A fool is the renaissance version of a minstrel- an official royal entertainer who worked at royal courts. A clown is a comic part in a play. They often danced, sang, and did improv comedy. To illustrate the difference, here’s a short video about the life of Henry VIII’s favorite fool- Will Sommers

Foolish Founding Fathers

All of Shakespeare’s fools and clowns are based on ancient Italian sources-from the Roman comedies of Plautus and Terrence to the improvised comedy known as Commedia Del ‘ Arte

Short featurette documentary on the artform of “Commedia Del’ Arte” by The National Theater in London

Commedia is based on stock character types that Shakespeare adapted and fleshed out- Arlequinno became the constantly hungry Dromio, (among others), while Capitano became Falstaff and Pistol. Even Shylock has remnants of Brighella in his DNA. According to Dario Fo in his book: Manuale Minimodell’Attore, Shakespeare adapted stock characters from commedia to be his clowns, and sarcastic characters called sots, who commented on the action to become his fools (Fo, 107)

Will Kempe- Shakespeare’s First Great Clown

Despite his strength and skill as a dancer, Kempe specialized in playing oafish buffoons like Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Falstaff in the Henry IV plays, and Peter in Romeo and Juliet. In the Second Quarto edition of Romeo and Juliet, you can see in the stage directions “Enter Will Kempe,” right before Peter speaks:

According to Will In the World by Steven Greenblatt, Kempe and Shakespeare had a falling out in the late 1590s, which many scholars have assumed might have been due to Shakespeare’s distaste for clowns wasting time with jokes that bogged down the play:

Hamlet:
 Let those that play your 
clowns speak no more than is set down for them. For there
be of them will themselves laugh, to set on some
quantity of barren spectators to laugh too. Though in the
meantime, some necessary question of the play be then
to be considered. That's villainous, and shows a most pitiful
ambition in the fool that uses it. Hamlet, Act III, Scene ii.

Kempe, for his part, seemed a little big for his britches; he and his fellow clowns seemed to think that Shakespeare's scripts were just vehicles for his own jokes and songs (Reynolds, 247). He then sold his share in the Chamberlain's Men, derriding them in print as "My notable Shake-rags," and then staged a publicity stunt where he danced across England!

1600-1613: The Golden Age Of Foolery

Kempe’s replacement was Robert Armin, an accomplished writer and singer, who specialized in playing satirical Fool roles. Armin appeared in several Shakespearean plays after 1599.

Unlike Kempe, Armin’s characters are essential to the plot of the play, and his jokes support the themes and ideas of the plays themselves. As Feste in Twelfth Night, Armin makes jokes that make fun of the overly-serious Orsino and Countess Olivia:

Feste. Good madonna, why mournest thou?
Olivia. Good fool, for my brother's death.
Feste. I think his soul is in hell, madonna.
Olivia. I know his soul is in heaven, fool.
Feste. The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's
soul being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen. Twelfth Night, Act I, Scene v.
Touchstone in “As You Like It”

Sometimes Armin’s characters are satirical mirrors of Elizabethan society; in As You Like It, Touchstone the Fool mocks the culture of dueling; implying that there are hundreds of loopholes that a gentleman may use to challenge a man to a duel, without actually fighting.

  • Touchstone.  I did dislike the cut of a certain
    courtier’s beard; he sent me word, if I said his beard was not
    cut well, he was in the mind it was. This is call’d the Retort
    Courteous. If I sent him word again it was not well cut, he would
    send me word he cut it to please himself. This is call’d the Quip
    Modest. If again it was not well cut, he disabled my judgment.
    This is call’d the Reply Churlish. If again it was not well cut,
    he would answer I spake not true. This is call’d the Reproof
    Valiant. If again it was not well cut, he would say I lie. This
    is call’d the Countercheck Quarrelsome. And so to the Lie
    Circumstantial and the Lie Direct.
  • Jaques (lord). And how oft did you say his beard was not well cut?
  • Touchstone. I durst go no further than the Lie Circumstantial, nor
    he durst not give me the Lie Direct; and so we measur’d swords
    and parted.

The Fool in “King Lear”

Perhaps Armin’s greatest comic creation was The Fool in King Lear; the ultimate satirist who makes fun of the king’s foolish choices. He tries to talk sense to the increasingly mad king, until he vanishes entirely, and Lear himself starts making fool-like cracks at the audience:

Lear Thou hast seen a
farmer's dog bark at a beggar?
Earl of Gloucester. Ay, sir.
Lear. And the creature run from the cur? There thou mightst behold
the great image of authority: a dog's obeyed in office.
The usurer hangs the cozener.
Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear;
Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks;
Arm it in rags, a pygmy's straw does pierce it.
None does offend, none- I say none! Get thee glass eyes
And, like a scurvy politician, seem
To see the things thou dost not. King Lear, Act IV, Scene vi.

Through realizing his own foolishness, Lear recovers his sanity, and makes peace with his daughter, which beautifully shows the importance of fools, clowns, and satirists; to question ourselves, to sharpen our critical thinking, and to endure hardships with good humor. Therefore on this April Fools Day, I say,

“Here’s to the fools, to folly, to farce. Let them push the wealthy on the ar— APRIL FOOLS!”

References

Best, Michael. “Shakespeare’s Actors: Will Kempe” Internet Shakespeare Editions, University of Victoria, 28 Sept. 2016, ise.uvic.ca/Foyer/citing. Accessed 30 Sept. 2023.

Fo, Dario. Manuale Minimodell’Attore (English: “The Tricks Of the Trade” Translated by Joe Farrell, 1991. Accessed online at Google Books: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Tricks_of_the_Trade/akEJ9Ew9GaoC?hl=en&gbpv=1. 29 March. 2023.

For more tomfoolery

I teach a class specifically on Shakespeare’s comedies where I’ll talk a lot about the way Shakespeare writes clowns. I’ll also delve into the history of Commedia Del’Arte and how it influenced Shakespeare’s characters! For more information, visit http://www.outschool.com

The Fashion Is the Fashion: Antony and Cleopatra

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Part I: Famous Cleopatras

Elizabethan Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor in her iconic portrayal in the film “Caesar and Cleopatra”

Part II: The Real Cleopatra

  1. Actually Greek, but assimilated into Egyptian Society
  2. Dressed as the Egyptian Goddess Isis (allegedly)
  3. Spoke egyptian
  4. Hosted elaborate parties where her dress conveyed the wealth of Egypt
  5. Beauty routine.

Part II DIY antony and Cleopatra

Roman Helmet/ Sword

Jewelry

Dress

Crown

Hair

Makeup

Part III Staging antony and cleopatra

Egyptian Antony

Roman Anthony

Color blind casting

Works Cited:

https://theconversation.com/cleopatras-skin-colour-didnt-matter-in-ancient-egypt-her-strategic-role-in-world-history-did-205240

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/rehabilitating-cleopatra-70613486/

New Course: Shakespeare’s Histories

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Shakespeare’s History Class

Course trailer

Parent Description- A fully online, fully interactive course into Shakespeare’s histories taught by a professional text coach and actor. 

Students- Uncover the scandalous and gory history behind Shakespeare’s most action-packed plays! Shakespeare’s histories have inspired such works as “Empire,” “Game of Thrones,” “Hamilton” and even the “Star Wars” trilogy. This class will unlock for you why these stories of power and betrayal have been so popular for 400 years.

Format:

0. The class will have a Nearpod with slides, activities, and links to my other resources.  The class will be a combination of slides, activities, and videos. Each class will have 

  1. Weekly Discussion questions via Google Forms such as: “What do you know about Shakespeare the man?” or, “Are Shakespeare plays still relevant today?”
  2. Video Analysis- Every week I’ll discuss a different play with a short video.
    1. I’ll provide some context, explaining what is happening in the play durin the speech, and any relevant historical context.
    2. We’ll watch a recording and the students can write their impressions on what they like and don’t like.
  3. Immersive activities such as:
    1. – Shakespeare arts and crafts and recipes such as making costumes and props.
    2. – My online Shakespeare board game.
    3. Virtual tours of the Tower Of London,
  4. Weekly Web Quests like “find a Shakespeare quote that you use in normal speech,” “find a movie or character that’s based on Shakespeare,” or “Draw a picture of a Shakespearean character (stick figures are acceptable).

6 Week Course

Week 1 – Why Hamilton is Like A Shakespeare History Play Hamilton and Shakespearean History We’ll discuss what makes a history play a history play, why they were so popular in Shakespeare’s day, and draw parallels between Shakespeare and the Broadway Musical “Hamilton.”

  1. What is a history play?
  2. Song quest: Watch the Horrible histories king song
  3. Worksheet- which Shakespearean character reminds you most of Hamilton?
  4. Video- the 10 Duel commandments of Shakespeare

Week 2- Richard II

Ben Whitsaw as Richard II
  1. The history of Richard Shakespeare’s Richard II | Animated short
  2. Watch the presentation and fill in the blanks of the story: Richard the Second Intro Presentation
  3. Web quest- go online and write down three things about the Wilton Diptych
    1. Wilton Diptych https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/english-or-french-the-wilton-diptych
      1. Open ended question- if you were Richard, how would you feel about your role as king?
  4. John of Gaunt’s speech
    1. Watch Patrick Stewart reading this: Shakespeare: “This scepter’d isle”
    2. Now see John McInerny performing it in context
      1. What images were the most striking?
      2. Did you feel more sorry for Gaunt, or England?
      3. What would you call the tone of this speech? Patriotic? Mournful? Excited? Bitter? 
  5. The deposition Scene (video- 3 minutes)
    1. The danger of this scene:
      1. Though Queen Elizabeth I is now almost universally beloved, she wasn’t always in Shakespeare’s time. By 1601, she was 68 years old and had no male heir. Her government had also failed to put down a rebellion in Ireland. Some people in her government were getting restless.
      2. Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex was one of those restless nobles. He’d been one of the Queen’s favorites, but after failing to crush the rebellion in Ireland, his relationship with her sourered. He then plotted to rebel against the Queen, and take the throne for himself.
      3. To do that though, Essex would need to get people on his side, so he recruited Shakespeare! One of Essex’s servants paid Shakespeare’s companies to perform a scene from Shakespeare’s Richard II; the scene where a handsome and charismatic nobleman convinces the king to willingly give up his power. 
      4. This scene was so dangerous that when the play was published, it was taken out by Elizabeth’s censors.
      5. Quotes from Richard II
        1. https://shakespearedocumented.folger.edu/resource/document/examination-augustine-phillips#:~:text=In%20his%20examination%20on%20February,fellows%20proposed%20an%20alternative%20play%2C  
        2. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Shakespeare-Richard-II-Rebellion/ 
        3. https://www.elizabethi.org/contents/rebellions/essex/ 
  6. Playing Richard video: Fiona Shaw
    Questions
    What does making Richard female emphasize for an audience? What point does Shaw’s performance say about women in power?

Week 3 Henry V week

Tom Hiddleston as Henry V
  1. Basic plot- Young king fights a war and conquers France proving himself to the world.
  2. Olivier vs. Branaugh

-Concept- what if the play was a Hockey movie?

  1. Henry is like the coach or team captain who gives inspirational speeches
  2. The underdogs win
  3. The snooty bad guys lose
  • How this translates to staging fights/ directing the characters (website/ youtube interviews)
  1. Activity= write a trailer or design a poster for Henry with a cool tag line.

Week 4- The Wars of the Roses-

  1. Summary of the three Henry VI plays
    1. Wars of the Roses Horrible Histories
    2. Web quest- research one major character from the 3H6 ASC website:
      1. Richard of Gloucester
      2. Henry VI
      3. Margaret of Anjou
      4. Richard of York
  2. Medieval warfare
    1. Watch one of the Weapons that Made Brittain videos and answer 5 questions.
    2. The battles of the Wars of the roses
  3. Costumes

Week 5- Richard III- The rise of the corrupt king

  1. Close reading- “Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent”
  2. Slides on Richard’s plot.
  3. Richard and Machiavelli
  4. Richard and Emperor Palpatine
  5. Richard and Modern Leaders
  6. Richard vs. the Amir of Gloucester
  7. Propaganda activity- make a campaign slogan/ poster for Richard.

Week 6 History Board Game/ Final Project

New Class: The Violent Rhetoric Of “Julius Caesar” (Flex Schedule Edition)

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Course Description

  1. Concept: To explore the plot, characters, and themes of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar while also gaining an insight into Ancient Roman history and culture.
  2. Student Description: Delve into the passionate speeches of Brutus and Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, which led a whole country to revolution.
  3. 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.
  4. Course Organizaiton (the class is divided into 4 parts that students can complete at their own pace over a week-long period
    1. Each lesson will have:
      1. “That Is the Question” (Essential Question)
      2. Lesson Objectives
      3. Set the Scene (Background and context)- 1-3 slides
      4. The Players (biography) 1-3 slides
      5. Go Deeper (Webquest)
        1. Explore military life and the lives of women in Rome using my blog and other websites as a guide.
        2. Post 3 things you learned to the Outschool page or send a photo of your completed handout.
      6. Words, Words Words (Vocabulary, famous lines) 
      7. A Taste of Your Quality (Independant Project)
      8. Show us your mettle (Test)
    2. So each class should be 14-15 slides long.

Outline

Class I- Background on Caesar and Roman Culture

  1. That is the Question: 
    1. Why did Brutus feel Julius Caesar had to die?
    2. What was the aftermath?
    3. Can one person’s speech effect an entire nation?
  2. Lesson Objectives
    1. To provide historical and political context to explain why Julius Caesar was assassinated, and how his death inadvertantly created the Roman Empire.
    2. To explain the Rhetorical Triangle, the building blocks of persuasive speech.
    3. To go through the story of Julius Caesar focusing on the effect of the speeches.
    4. To study the  famous “Friends, Romans Countrymen” speech.
    5. To contrast this speech with some more recent political speeches and you think critically about:
      1. What does the speaker want?
      2. What tactics does he use?
      3. How effective is it?
  3. Set the Scene
    1. History
      1. Government
        1. Horrible History
      2. Military
        1. https://www.livescience.com/ancient-roman-spike-defenses-made-famous-by-julius-caesar-found-in-germany 
        2. Caesar Cipher
        3. https://kids.kiddle.co/Julian_calendar 
    2. Culture
      1. Fashion: https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2022/03/11/the-fashion-is-the-fashion-ancient-roman-fashion-and-beauty/ 
      2. 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/ 
      3. The Lupercal- https://wordpress.com/post/shakespeareanstudent.com/4545 
  4. The Players (slides)
    1. Julius Caesar Julius Caesar – Greatest Conqueror Ever?
    2. Cassius Longinus
    3. Marcus Brutus
    4. Marc Antony
  5. Go Deeper- 
    1. Go to Google Arts and Culture and find 3 facts and 3 pictures of Caesar
    2. Answer the following Questions:
      1. Name 3 jobs Caesar had in the Roman Republic
      2. Was Caesar Deaf? Was he epileptic? 
      3. 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.

  1. Words Words Words
    1. Republic
    2. Dictator
    3. Lupercal
    4. Assassinate
    5. Senate
  2. A Taste Of Your Quality
    1. Make a news headline about Caesar’s triumph. How would you report on it? Would you be allowed to say anything bad about Caesar?
  3. Show Us Your Mettle
    1. Quizlet for the terms

Class 2- Cassius Manipulates Brutus

HC Selous Illustration, "Brutus and Cassius" 1830

That Is the Question- 

How does Cassius convince his brother-in-law Brutus to betray and assassinate Caesar, his friend and colleague?

Learning Objectives-

  1. To give historical context as to why the Senate in general, (and Cassius in particular), feared and hated Caesar.
  2. To examine Brutus’ character
  3. 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- 

  1. Traitor
  2. Republic
  3. Dictator
  4. Revolution
  5. Ethos
  6. Pathos
  7. Logos
  8. Rhetoric
  9. Colossus
  10.  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

George Ed Robertson Antony
(c) Hartlepool Museums and Heritage Service; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

That Is the Question

  1. 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?
  2. Brutus has a speech where he explains why he killed Caesar. What does he say, and how effectively does he say it?
  3. Antony was secretly plotting to take power for himself, and get Brutus and Cassius killed. How did he do it?
  4. Do speeches have the power to change a nation?

Learning Objectives

  1. To explain the Rhetorical Triangle, the building blocks of persuasive speech.
  2. To study the famous “Friends, Romans Countrymen” speech, as well 
  3. To look at these speeches and get you to think critically about:
    1. What does the speaker want?
    2. What tactics does he use?
    3. 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

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:

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

  1. How have people interpreted the play “Julius Caesar” in America?
  2. Does this play promote violence?
  3. What kind of violent speech do we deal with in politics today?

Learning Objectives

  1. To show the link between American History and Julius Caesar
  2. To address the controversy and the misconception that the play promotes violent assassination.
  3. 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? 

https://outschool.com/classes/the-violent-rhetoric-of-julius-caesar-flex-schedule-edition-fwB3cwQM?refuid=MaRDyJ13

Shakespearean Art: Portia

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Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding her Thigh, 1664, oil on canvas, 101 x 138 cm (Collezioni d’Arte e di Storia della Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna)
Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding her Thigh, 1664, oil on canvas, 101 x 138 cm (Collezioni d’Arte e di Storia della Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna)
"Porcia" Illustration from Guillaume Rouillé's Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum, 1553.
The suicide of Porcia, Pierre Mignard. Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes, 1650.

Portia (Or Porcia), was the wife of Marcus Brutus. Many ancient writers emphasize her courage, beauty, and devotion to her husband and Rome. Many painters and illustrators have chosen to depict her as a model of courage and grace.

https://portiacatonis.weebly.com

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/portia-and-brutus/qQH7qtdFwf6xeA?hl=en&ms=%7B%22x%22%3A0.5%2C%22y%22%3A0.2668803418803419%2C%22z%22%3A8%2C%22size%22%3A%7B%22width%22%3A2.1891025641025643%2C%22height%22%3A0.6672008547008548%7D%7D

Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding her Thigh

Roman Women Week!

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Since International Women’s Day is Friday, I’m devoting the following week to talking about the awesome female characters in Shakespeare’s Roman plays: Titus, Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus

First, here’s my post and an accompanying podcast on Roman women, which includes an analysis of Lavinia, Portia, Valumnia, and Cleopatra:

Shakespeare’s Roman Women

Here’s a fascinating video about the lives of Roman girls:

And here’s a special section about Cleopatra:

Comedy sketches about Cleopatra from “Horrible Histories” BBC, 2015.
cleopatra facts infographics in 2021 | Cleopatra facts, Ancient history facts, Cleopatra history
A Lady-Gaga-esque song about Cleopatra from “Horrible Histories,” 2014
Infographic from an article about Cleopatra’s beauty regimen. Source: http://socialdiary.pk/

http://socialdiary.pk/beauty-secrets-of-cleopatra

Book Review: William Shakespeare and the Globe

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Video Book Review:

Content: 

This is a story of two boys, centuries apart, but united by their love of theater in general, and the Globe Theater in particular. The first is William Shakespeare, whose story Aliki tells from his birth, to his boyhood days, to his rise to prominence in the theater. The second is Sam Wannamaker, the man who spearheaded the project of re-building the Globe Theater from 1949 to the first performance of the Globe in June of 1997. 

Aliki tells this story in the format of an Elizabethan play, dividing it into five acts. Acts I-4 tell the story of Shakespeare’s life while Act V focuses on Sam Wannamaker pursuing his dream. The book concludes with a chronology of Shakespeare’s plays, and a table of his most famous words and expressions, illustrated with adorable characters.

Illustrations: Medium and Style of Illustration

Like many of her books, Aliki’s illustrations are layered and detailed. She uses ink pen outlines to draw her characters, but then fills them in with bright, vibrant colors. She then painstakingly shades them using the crosshatching technique, to create textures that are complex but have a hand-drawn almost impressionistic feel. The characters aren’t ultra-realistic, and the color palette is limited mainly to bright primaries and warm browns, making it look like a child’s box of crayons or colored pencils. This book is designed to appeal to children with its hand-drawn quality. 

Format:

Cover- The cover makes the subject of the book clear to the audience. We see Shakespeare and Globe Theater, but also illustrated moments from his plays. This helps establish that this is not only a biography, it is an introduction to Shakespeare’s plays and poems as well.

Front Matter: The book opens with four pages of quotes from Shakespeare’s plays illustrated with fairies, pipers, and Elizabethan men and women. There is no half-title, no frontispiece and no Half title verso.

Title page verso (copyright page) In the center of the copyright page is an Illustration of Shakespeare standing atop a globe, over the famous lines: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”  Below the quote in very small letters is the copyright date, a short summary, the ISBN data, card catalog information, and the typography information.

Title Page The title is laid out on a white background with a thin black border. Below the title is an image of a boy (presumably Sam Wanamaker), assembling a paper model of Shakespeare’s globe, with a portrait of Shakespeare in the background. This helps establish that this biography focuses on both Shakespeare and Wanamaker, and makes the reader excited to see the real Globe brought to life in full illustration.

Table of Contents As stated before, the book is organized like an Elizabethan play, so rather than Chapter 1, etc. the book has five Acts with 1-4 scenes in them. Each chapter in the table of contents is labeled with a description that sets the scene; either a location (like London, Stratford, The Globe), or what will happen in the scene (such as “Building” or “Uncovering”). The table then details four appendices that are part of the back matter. 

Preface:  The Preface is referred in the book as an aside, (an Elizabethan theater term meaning something spoken between a character and the audience). This preface acknowledges that, because of the lack of surviving historical information on William Shakespeare, Aliki, like many Shakespearean biographers, has to use some guesswork to fill out the narrative of his life. A second preface (referred to as a Prologue), introduces the story of the book, (namely the lives of Will Shakespeare and Sam Wanamaker). This preface mimics how in Shakespeare’s plays, a prologue would tell the audience what would happen before the narrative started.

Back Matter/ Appendices: There are four appendices in the back matter- A table of Shakespeare’s collected works, a timeline of the book’s events from 1564-1999,  an illustrated list of Shakespearean words and expressions, and finally a list of Shakespearean sites to visit in London and Shakespeare’s home town of Stratford Upon Avon. These appendices show the reader that Shakespeare has an important role in history and in the English language, and encourage the reader to learn more about him. 

Value As an Educational Tool

This story not only tells Shakespeare’s life, it also introduces the reader to his plays and his influence on the English language through the illustrations and frequent Shakespearean quotations. The reader also gains an insight into Elizabethan life and culture by following Will’s journey from Stratford to London. Finally, by juxtaposing Shakespeare’s life with Sam Wannamaker’s, the reader sees Shakespeare through Sam’s eyes as he works his whole life to restore Shakespeare’s Globe to its former glory. The reader develops a love of Shakespeare, (or at least an empathetic respect), and may feel empowered to read more about Shakespeare, see his plays or maybe even become a Shakespearean artist in the future. In short, Aliki’s book brings the world of Shakespeare to young readers in a way that is beautiful to look at, full of insight, and with enough supplemental materials to encourage them to learn more.

Overall Impression:

Like Prospero’s magic in The Tempest, this story is magically told- it is not intended to create a totally realistic representation of Elizabethan life, but to give an exciting, colorful impression of Will’s life and work to the reader. Due to the scant historical details of Will’s life, Aliki chose not to do a standard biography, but, like Shakespeare’s own history plays, to tell a historically authentic story, rooted in truth that brings a time and a place to life, while portraying it an exciting and visually appealing way.

Citation:

Aliki. (2000). William Shakespeare & the Globe. HarperCollins Publishers.