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 Pompeys triumphs are now being lavished on Caesar, for a civil war, shedding Pompeys sons blood. Later, the easily distracted multitudes are referred to as rabblement by Casca o n Caesar being offered the crown.

the rabblement hooted and clapped their chapped hands and threw up their sweaty night -caps and uttered such a deal of stinking breath
His derision is conveyed by the pejorative adjectives: chapped, sweaty, and stinking. The fact that Brutus can easily s way the crowd to approve of the assassination of Caesar and then they swing back following Antonys oration, illustrates how easily they can be manipulated by conflicting perspectives of language. Politicians, advertisers and other propagandists appreciat e the mass persuasive techniques to radically change perception and manipulate public opinion.

Language of Julius Caesar

Shakespeare was fascinated by language. He couldnt resist playing with words, rhythms and styles. He loved to invent words, and to gi ve existing words new meanings by fresh uses and unexpected twists. Shakespeares language is still very much in use, but we just dont notice it because its so familiar it appears clichd. Here are just some memorable expressions coined by Shakespeare i n Julius Caesar.

"Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous" Julius Caesar (Act I, Scene II).
"Beware the ides of March". - ( Act I, Scene II).

There is a tide in the affairs of men Which taken at the flood lea ds on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. BRUTUS IV 3 217 - 220 Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds: BRUTUS (Act II, Scene I 173 - 5). "Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come" . Julius Caesar (Act II, Scene II). "Et tu, Brute!" (Act III, Scene I). "Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of war" . Antony (Act III, Sc. I). "Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more".
Brutus (Act III, Scene II).

"As he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him" . (Act III, Sc. II). "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him". III, Scene II).
(Act

"For Brutus is an honourable man; So are th ey all, all honourable men". - ( Act III, Sc. II). "When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff". - ( Act III, Sc. II). "This was the noblest Roman of them all". - ( Act V, Sc. V).
Shakespeares language is v ivid and memorable. Antony's vicious description of Lepidus, Cassius' resentful characterization of Caesar, Brutus's reference to tides in the affairs of men to spur action, Caesar's insufferable self -descriptions, Antony's masterful speech at Caesar's fun eral, all of these make Julius Caesar not just a play of "one -liners," but a play of sustained eloquence. Many passages are worth memorizing, reciting and incorporating into educated conversation on subjects quite distinct from this play.
Three Arresting Lines
"The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it With lusty sinews, throwing it aside, And stemming it with hearts of controversy " (1.2.107-09).

Anachronisms: Because Shakespeare is writing for an audience of 17 th century English people, he refers to and uses many images that did not necessarily apply to a Roman one. Especially the first tradesmen scene is more British than Roman. Biblical Allusions: Much of the language has biblical resonance merely because it was written in the same period as the King James Version of the Bible. Puns combined with antithesis: Second Commoner indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles. I.1. 8.

The language of Conflict Shakespeare gives expression to moments of strong emotion in the play. Caesar uses strong imperial authoritative language to attempt to assert his authority and control events: Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see The face of Caesar, they are vanished. As drama thrives on conflict fo r its tension, much of the language is dialectical polemical - language of extreme opposites or antithesis often suggesting two contradictory meanings that contribute to the thematic ambiguity of the play. As one of Shakespeares more balanced plays, he gives us the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of the characters and parties.
Antithesis is used to indicate internal conflict. Elsewhere linked opposites ( oxymoron) are used to convey the clash of opposing emotions: I come to bury Caesar, not to pra ise him" . Antony (Act III, Scene II).

Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds: Brutus (Act II, Scene I 173 - 5).
"Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more". Brutus (Act III, Scene II) Oxymorons: (incongruent words side by side loving hate, /bitter sweet) Consistent with the clash of opposites is the use of oxymorons that reveal inner turmoil and confusion especially in youth.

Conflicting Perspectives Each of the characters can be seen in opposing lights or differing perspectives. can be seen positively or negatively.
As Antony tells the murderers:

You can look at how each

My credit now stands on such slippery ground, That one of two bad ways you must conceit me, Either a coward or a flatterer. 3.1. 191 - 3

Caesar Caesars name has become synonymous with the power of an absolute ruler in various languages; in Russia its title became Tsar or Czar, in Germany, Kaiser. He was all powerfu l.
It is believed that his mother endured agonising surgery in order to extract him at birth. This belief gave rise to the term " Caesarean birth" Shakespeare gives us a fairly balanced account of most of the characters which can lead to an ambivalent response from us. There are two sides to each character.

Positive His military greatness 1,1, line 53; 2,2, line 66; 3,1, line 149. One of Romes most famous Generals who conquests include Gaul (France) and England. His power in Rome 1,2, line 10; 1,2, line 135. Why, man, he doth bestrid the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonourable graves. His popularity BRUTUS It must be by his death: and for my part, I know no persona l cause to spurn at him, But for the general. He would be crown'd: ANTONY O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! Thou art the ruins of the noblest man That ever lived in the tide of times. 3.1 224 - 8 Good judge of men Cassius Anthony.

Negative His arrogance pride, boastfulness, megalomaniac? BRUTUS So let high-sighted tyranny range on, Till each man drop by lottery. His last words hubris Pride goeth before the fall: Caesar: But I am constant as the northern star And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive; Yet in the number I do know but one That unassailable holds on his rank Unshakd of motion; and that I am he III.i. 60-70 11,2, line 10; 3,1, line 58. His fear of being thou ght afraid 2.,2, 100. His love of flattery 11,1, line 207. His ambition. He wants an heir to succeed him as king. He shows his longing for the crown. His physical weakness he has fits he is deaf in one ear, etc. Superstition 2,1, lines 195 198.

BRUTUS One critic has said in a quotation that, He was a good man in the worst sense of the word . He was essentially noble of soul but his very virtues made him a failure.
Positive He 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). Negative He was not at all practical. He was a philosopher rather than a man of action. There are many references t o his bookishness, notably his reading when the ghost appears, to him. He was

CASSIUS Yes, every man of them, and no man here But honours you; and every one doth wish You had but that opinion of yourself Which every noble Roman bears of you. 2.1. 90 - 93 He expresses it to the people, Not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more . Servant of Mark Antony Thus did bid me fall down; And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say: Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest; Finally Antony admits it in his final speech over the dead body of Brutus. His gentleness is perhaps his most beautiful trait. This is shown in his scene with P ortia and more particularly in his two scenes with Lucius. He is no match for Anthony in cleverness, nor for Cassius in the administration of affairs, but he towers above them both in moral goodness. He is an idealist, but becomes a victim of his own idealism as he cannot entertain using pragmatic means to achieve his ends. He attempts to turn the murder of Caesar a ritualistic event to make it appear a sacrifice to the gods

an impractical politician. He was a theorist in government. He could no t compromise. He believed in the republican form of government and could not see that the people wanted a monarchy. He was an absolute failure as a leader in the war because he would not raise money by any questionable means when it could be raised by no honourable means. Note his charges against Lucius Pella and Cassius in Act 4, Scene 3. He cannot make the best of things as they are and consequently cannot get on with other men. He is a vain man, deeply conscious of his own rectitude. See 1,2, Lines 85 89, If it be aught -death. So too in the quarrel scene with Cassius he rather flaunts his own incorruptibility. His vanity is shown in another way where he is willing to let Antony speak at Caesars funeral. He is sure that Antony can do no harm after h e, Brutus, has spoken. Moreover, it is his vanity which makes him susceptible to Cassius solicitations to enter the conspiracy. He misreads the characters of all with whom he comes in contact. He failed to see that Caesar was the one man who could save Rome. He under valued Antonys power and ability. He was surprised to find Cassius taking bribes. Note also how little he understood the mob when he delivered his oration. He is a very poor general and makes the great mistake which results in their defea t at Philippi. On the other hand he has personal bravery to a very high degree as witness his bearing on the battlefield and the coolness with which he addressed Caesars ghost. He was a stoic as he reminds us on several occasions but went against the stoic belief when he committed suicide rather than face capture. Thus his pride and fear of shame were stronger than his philosophy.

Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods, Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds: (Act II, Scene I 173 - 5).
BRUTUS

There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats, For I am arm'd so strong in honesty That they pass by me as the idle wind, Which I respect not. I did send to you For certain sums of gold, which you denied me: For I can raise no money by vile means: By heaven, I had rather coin my heart, And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash By any indirection There is a tide in the affairs of men Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. IV 3 217 - 220
While he is noble in his private life, he is hopeless in public life.

The power of persuasion is a very complex and crafty art. Machiavelli, an Italian power broker of the 15 is regarded as the authority on it and the adject ive Machiavellian 1 is associated with devious and

th

C.

pragmatic power machinations. Mass persuasion and psychological warfare can be very damaging to ones opponents. Politicians can be: idealists or visionaries with altruistic values or they can be corrupt selfseeking power mongers without any scruples. People who fall in between these two extremes are called Pragmatists or Realpoliticians. Their Machiavellian 1 philosophy is that the ideal i s seldom attainable so the compromise is that as you work toward the ideal, you may use questionable means. They believe in expediency ; the ends justify the means. They may play dirty politics as long as the end result is worthy. The machinations and ch icanery of politics are committed with impunity. Cassius uses a number of devious underhanded tactics to manipulate situations to his advantage justified by his determination to get rid of Caesar. Though motivated by sheer self -serving envy, he masks his motivations in public dressings of patriotism and appeals to Brutus vanity by distributing pamphlets critical of Caesar and flattering Brutus. Vested power derives from either: position, achievements or external imposition. A proud, arrogant, disdainful leader can often enjoy an image of a strong leader, however, if they become smug and complacent and do not fully understand and appreciate the strength of their opposition they become vulnerable. A good example of this is Julius Caesar. He gained power through his military exploits, his triumph over Pompey and ruled Rome in a variety of positions for many years including being a leading Senator. Rome was unsettled due to changes in leaders and many people agitated for a more permanent stable form of government such as an hereditary monarch might provide. Caesar did not clearly reject this possibility and shows no humility in this statement:

But I am constant as the northern star And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive; Yet in the number I do know but one That unassailable holds on his rank Unshakd of motion; and that I am he III.i. 60-70 This sounds a bit too confident and it is no wonder that Cassius and Brutus can find supporters who wish to defend the Republic against such an arroga nt autocratic egotist. It is easy for them to present a case to kill Caesar, and within a few minutes of voicing these dramatically ironic words, the unassailable star has fallen from the sky.
Brutus is not an evil man, he is considered honourable a nd a friend of Caesars but he is totally committed to the ideology of the Republic, controlled by the Patrician class, which the Romans had fought for five hundred years. Brutus, Cassius and the other conspirators are so convinced that Caesar will turn t he republic into a popular monarchy that they decide not to debate the issue with Caesar, but to act. They defend their action on ideological grounds:

not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, rather than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him III.ii.21 27
While we accept the right of the conspirators to act, it is the brutality of the action that we reject. It was certainly peremptory retribution. Further is was full of intrigue, treachery, clandestine, backroom machinations and motivated by jealousy. A prudent, considered and measured response was called for.

The Power of Persuasion

In the art of persuasive power we have learned a great deal. Mark Antonys funeral speech is an exemplary masterwork of persuasion. Had he stated at the outset what his intentions were, he would have been ambushed and killed. Rather he carefully adopted a cautious lateral approach; adapted his approach by appearing to go along with the conspirators and ironically using Brutuss words to make it appear he

accepts their justifications for the brutal slaying of Caesar. To turn the fickle crowd around to his way of thinking he continues to use the words of the conspirators against themselves and instead of lofty abstract principles, appeals to concrete examples of Caesars generosity and goo d governance. While Shakespeare has Brutus speak in prose, Antony speaks, as most great Shakespearean speeches; in poetry; high, classical iambic pentameter. He is out to win their hearts and minds and subtly appeals to their personal self interest. His first statement Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears has become a time cherished phrase of intimacy and a call to patriotism. Antonys disarming and disingenuous statement I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him is followed by a subtle shift:

The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

3.2. 79 - 80

The small word if casts the first doubt on the claims of the conspirators. This is followed by proclamations of friendship; he was my friend, faithful and just to me. On firmer ground Antony turns his attentions to concrete undeniable evidence of Caesars benevolence and altruism;

He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general co ffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? Further, Caesar was in tune with the people; When the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; Ambition should be made of sterner stuff

3.2. 89 - 91

3.2. 92 - 93

Yet, Antony admits, Brutus says Caesar was ambitious and Brutus is an honourable man. It is the repetition of this ironic mantra that gradually becomes hollow and sways the audience against the conspirators. While Antony assures his audience I speak not to dispro ve what Brutus spoke this is exactly what he is doing. Combined with his self deprecation as a speaker, and his emotional breakdown (..Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me.), these tactics work in tandem to endear him and his cause to a malleable fickle mobs mentality. Continuing to appeal to their emotions, Antony plays his highest card, his produces two tangible pieces of evidence to clinch is argument; Caesars will and his brutally massacre d body. All his tactics have had one aim in mind; to incite the mob to riot, and to revenge Caesars brutal murder. His exploitation of group psychology by appealing to their non -rational aspects yet providing them with rational proof of Caesars generosity and selfless deeds, work together to achieve his ultimate objective. Brutus is the most ambiguous and perplexing of Caesars assailants. Shakespeare portrays him in a sympathetic light. We can not doubt his sincerity as he alone of the conspirat ors acts out of altruistic motives as Shakespeare lends weight to this view by having Antony express this eulogy: This was the noblest Roman of them all; All the conspirators, save only he, Did that they did in envy of great Caesar; He only, in gener al honest thought And common good to all, made one of them. His life was gentle, and the elements So mixd in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world This was a man. V.5. 68 - 72 Brutus has a number of admirable character traits; hi s idealistic purity demonstrated in his indignation at Cassius accusation of betrayal before the battle of Philippi, his mutually respectful relationship with his wife Portia and a rather stoic acceptance of the vagaries of life when he expresses this sen sible philosophy:

There is a tide in the affairs of men Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

IV 3 217 - 220

Brutus has his power from an exemplary standing in his community based on his integrity, honesty and incorruptibility.

A further source of power is opportunity or providence. Some are born with power, some attain it and some have it thrust upon them. It is this power that Octavius relies on and in his fi rst power struggle with Antony he simply asserts his dominance by insisting on taking the right side of the battlefield; that reserved for the commander-in-chief. ANTONY Octavius, lead your battle softly on, Upon the left hand of the even field. OCTAVIUS Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left. ANTONY Why do you cross me in this exigent? OCTAVIUS I do not cross you; but I will do so. Power struggles are evident in all organisations from the earliest playgroups to the highest offices in the land. As long as they are accomplished through legitimate means, it is something we have to live with.

FAQ: Unpacking Advanced Module C: Conflicting Perspectives

What do we write about besides the obvious, which is that e conflicting perspectives always existf ?

Someone asked this question on the BOS forums and it is a very good one. It is essentially asking what ideas can you have based around e conflicting perspectivesf ? I mean, in Blade Runner/Frankenstein, you can have ideas about the act of creation, the nature of humanity, creation/creator, curiositya thered s just so much to talk about! But what can you say about e conflicting perspectivesf ? The key is not to oversimply the concept. Unpack the idea by asking WHY and HOW questions.
1. What does e perspectivef mean? 2. Why do conflicting perspectives always exist? 3. How do they arise? In other words, how is it that two people viewing the same event can have such different views? 4. How do composers represent a particular perspective (or different perspectives) to ach ieve a certain purpose? 5. How can perspectives be manipulated so that one prevails? 6. Is your perspective shaped by the perspectives of others?

Your answers to these questions can form the basis or beginning of your ideas about e conflicting perspectivesf .

Do we need related texts?

Yes you should have 2 related texts of different text types to each other and your prescribed text. For example, if your prescribed text is Wag the Dog, which is a film you should not choose another film. You should choose a newsp aper article, or a cartoon, or a poem etc. Importantly, these related texts do NOT have to relate directly to the event, personality, situation in your core text. For example, if your prescribed text is Julius Caesar you are NOT restricted to other texts about Julius Caesar. You CAN choose say a film about Julius Caesar, or you can find an article about 911.
What does the syllabus require?

This is what the syllabus says about Module C: This module requires students to explore various representations of events, personalities or situations. They evaluate how medium of production, textual form, perspective and choice of language influence meaning. The study develops studentsd understanding of the relationships between representation and meaning. Okay, firstly to clarify this does not mean that the structure of your essay is separated into paragraphs about events, personalities, situations. The syllabus does not dictate how your essay is to be structured. I have read the syllabus to mean that this is what you should have done in your study of this Module, as a preliminary exercise before you write your essay. So after you finish reading the text, it is a good idea to:
1. Identify the events, personalities and situations represented in your texts. 1. For example, an event is Michael Xd s trial or Caesard s assassination; a personality is Princess Diana or Caesar; a situation is basically a e theme ie. in Julius Caesar it is emocracy. politics an 2. I enti y the con licting perspectives about each o the above. 3. Analyse how these con licting perspectives have been represente by the composer.

An excellent example is HSC Online s part on Julius Caesar. It provi es a clear example o how to view your text through the requirements o the syllabus!

The secon
1. 2. 3.

part o the syllabus recognise how the ollowing in luence meaning: Me ium o pro uction: or example, is it a play or ilm? Textual orm: is it a rama or non iction? How oes The Justice Game being e non iction in luence the meaning conveye to the au ience? Perspective: what perspective oes the composer/au ience take an how is this shape by
their context?

4. Choice of language: techniques.

So you need to mention or refer to these things (eg. medium, textual form, context) in SOME part of your essay. It does not need to be a major part you simply need to show that you have thought about and are aware of how the above influence meaning. Number 4 is the most obvious and will make the bulk of your essay.
How do I structure my essay?

Different students may adopt different approaches, but this is how I have recommended my students do:
1. Introduction 2. Idea 1 about conflicting perspectives. 1. Discuss prescribed text in relation to Idea 1 2. Discuss 1st related text in relation to Idea 1 3. Idea 2 about conflicting perspectives. 1. Discuss prescribed text in relation to Idea 2 2. Discuss 2nd related text in relation to Idea 2 4. Conclusion

I do not recommend structuring it text by text (this often results in an disjointed argument that fails to link texts in a fluid way). You should not structure it by an event, personality and situation either. As stated above, identifying the events, personalities and situations represented in the text should only be a preliminary exercise.
What is the biggest mistake I could make?

Writing an essay about WHAT the different perspectives are. For example, if you were writing about Michael X do NOT write about the different perspectives about the death penalty etc. If youd re writing about Diana at the Docks, o NOT write about Princess Diana an the issue of privacy.

Your essay shoul be abouta .conflicting perspectives an the 1st question above.
What is the har est thing about this Mo ule?

all

the i eas

iscusse in

This is REALLY important to grasp. In this Mo ule, you examine both:

1. The content of the text what the text says about conflicting perspectives. 2. The construction of the text how the text is a e perspectivef in itself.

Let me reiterate the i eas about conflicting perspectives that the composers express ALSO apply to the composers themselves. For example, Robertson in The Justice Game comments on how emotional subjectivity affects an objective perspective. This is the CONTENT of the text.

Yet at the same time, we can see in his writing that HIS own emotional subjectivity (strong feelings against the death penalty) affects the objectivity of The Justice Game. This is the CONSTRUCTION of the text. Essay questions may ask you to discuss BOTH. Otherwise they may direct you to look at more at the 2nd how do the composers of your texts use techniques to create their e perspectivef of the event, personality, or situation.

Rubric instruction Students explore various representations of events.

y

What you have to doa Identify the key events in Julius Caesar o assassination of Julius Caesar o Brutus funeral speech to the plebians o Antony s funeral speech to the plebians

Analyse the ways in which Shakespeare represents these events focusing on textual form, features and language. Explore how these events have been represented by other composers in different contexts and different textual forms (mediums of production). Compare and contrast the conflicting perspectives of these events in terms of: Shakespeared s perspective, character perspectives, and the perspectives of other composers. Identify the key personalities in Julius Caesar o Antony o Julius Caesar o Brutus o Cassius Analyse the ways in which Shakespeare represents these personalities focusing on textual form, features and language. Explore how these personalities have been represented by other composers indifferent contexts and different textual forms (mediums of production). Compare and contrast the conflicting perspectives of these personalities in terms of: Shakespeared s perspective, character perspectives, and the perspectives of other composers.

Students explore various representations of personalities.

Students explore various representations of situations.

Identify key situations in Julius Caesar o Power o Democracy vs. Dictatorship o Politics Explore how these situations have been represented by other composers indifferent contexts and different textual forms (mediums of production). Representations of significant historical events that interest you, comparing these with Shakespeare s metho of representation.

Evaluate how:
y y y y

medium of production textual form perspective choice of language

Medium Julius Caesar is a play that was written to be performed, but you will be most familiar with the script. Over the course of your study you may see a theatre production and view a film version how do these mediums of production influence meaning? Textual form Your prescribed text is a drama (play script), you must evaluate the consequences of performance choices such as staging, casting and appropriating. Perspective Your context, Shakespeared s context, the context of the viewing public of any appropriation of the text or any text that deals with the same events/personalities/situations, the perspective of the characters within the text. Choice of language Shakespearean language needs to be considered in terms of verse, prose, iambic pentameter, imagery, allusion, figurative language, irony, etc.

influence meaning.

The study develops studentsd understanding of the relationships between representation and meaning.

Explore how the technical choices made by the composer have positioned you to understand what is going on in the play. Question what you understand do you think it is what Shakespeare intended or are you readingd the text alternately or in opposition? Being lear on your perspe tive will ensure you are personally responding.

In their responding and omposing, students onsider the ways in whi h onfli ting perspe tives on events, personalities or situations are represented in their pres ribed text.

Confli ting Perspe tives A perspe tive an be defined as a way of regarding a situation or set of fa ts, often involving a level of judgment. Perspe tive is subje tive; therefore, onfli t inevitably arises. In referen e to Julius Caesar,you need to onsider a

variety of perspectives within and around the text:

o

Shakespeare sperspective of the historical events surroun ing the assassination of Julius Caesar. An understandingof his perspective is only possible if you consider the possible influence of Plutarchd s historical records and the techniques used byShakespeare to represent these events to entertain an Elizabethan audience. Conflicting character perspectives. What perspective (opinion, point of view) does each character have of each other, of the events and of the situations in the play? In your search for related material, how do other composersd representations of the events, personalities or situations depicted in Julius Caesar conflict? Does your perspective conflict with that of other students, evenyour teacher, in the class? Explore the world you live in! Our society is information rich,information (especially news) can reach us almost instantly. How can events, personalities orsituations be represented differently resulting in conflicting perspectives? (remember the importance of medium of production, textual form and choice of language).