Julius Caesar • 2013 - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

56
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
17
18
ing only his own lines plus a cue line forced an actor to truly listen to his fellow actors. Not only did the actor have
to memorize lines this way, he also had to get to know his character—just from his own lines! Divide the class into
six groups, each group taking one character’s lines, either Brutus, Casca, or Cassius, in 1.2, lines 215-294 (from
Caesar’s exit to Casca’s exit). Choose one member of the group to read aloud any line immediately preceding
your character’s lines and another member to read that character’s lines. What do you learn about your character
from what he says in the scene? Are you still able to follow the scene’s conversation and action? Now come back
together as a class. As one person from each group speaks the character’s lines, listen to how the lines resonate
differently within the context of the whole scene. Share what you notice about the character your group focused
on. CONSIDER COMMON CORE ANCHOR STANDARDS SL2, SL4, R3, R5
Borrowed Words
Julius Caesar • 2013
Caesar sat to behold that sport upon the pulpit for orations, in a chair of gold, apparelled in
triumphing manner. Antonius, who was consul at that time, was one of them that ran this holy
course. So, when he came into the market-place, the people made a lane for him to run at liberty;
and he came to Caesar and presented him a diadem wreathed about with laurel. Whereupon
there arose a certain cry of rejoicing, not very great, done only by a few appointed for the
purpose. But when Caesar refused the diadem, then all the people together made an outcry of
joy. Then, Antonius offering it him again, there was a second shout of joy, but yet of a few. But
when Caesar refused it again the second time, then all the whole people shouted. Caesar, having
made this proof, found the people did not like of it, and thereupon rose out of his chair, and
commanded the crown to be carried into Jupiter in the Capitol.
—pluTarCh
When writing Julius Caesar, Shakespeare used a translation of the Greek historian Plutarch. Together, one of you
using Plutarch, and the other reading the scene from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, identify as many of Shakespeare’s
alterations, additions and rearrangements as you can. Imagine one of you is an experienced dramatist
and the other a trainee dramatist eager to learn. Through questions and answers come to some conclusions about
why Shakespeare wrote it as he did. For example: why have Casca reporting the refusal of the crown? Why didn’t
Shakespeare just show it happening right on stage? CONSIDER COMMON CORE ANCHOR STANDARDS L1, R9
Prose versus Verse
Shakespeare often moves back and forth between prose and verse. It’s easy to see on the page: the prose has
margins justified on both the left and the right, like an unbroken paragraph text; the verse has shorter lines, justified
on the left alone, and with capitalization at the beginning of each new line. There is no hard-and-fast rule that
dictates Shakespeare’s choice of prose versus verse, but such shifts can signify a character’s class, emotional
state, or even if he is lying or telling the truth! In 1.2, Casca speaks in prose when he tells Brutus and Cassius
about Caesar’s refusal of the crown. But in the very next scene, he speaks to Cicero in verse! What could be
Shakespeare’s reasons for doing this? In small groups, come up with various reasons why you think that Casca
uses prose in one scene, and verse in the other. As you read through the play, look for other examples (and there
are many) of Shakespeare switching from verse to prose and vice-versa. Each time you see the shift, hypothesize
about what Shakespeare might be up to! CONSIDER COMMON CORE ANCHOR STANDARDS R1, R5, R6