Introduction
Themes of Julius Caesar
By:Brandon Taylor and Sabrina Jones
The epic play Julius Caesar depicts the events surrounding the Ides of March, famous (or infamous) for being the period which Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of his peers. During this span of time, his dear friend Brutus and others conspire against him for what they view to be for the good of Rome itself. However, the group creates great unrest with the death of Caesar. Throughout the play, numerous motifs are evident, including the importance of being courageous, loyalty, and the recurring conflict between the ideas of free will and fate.
Task
After reading the play, you have been asked to explain the meanings of some of the themes and motifs in Julius Caesar.
Use what you know to answer the questions:
1. What is your idea of true Bravery? How is Bravery important in Julius Caesar and other situations?
2. How was the significance of Honesty portrayed throughout the play and do you believe that everyone was totally honest in the play.
3. Friendship is a recurring theme within the play. How do you believe you would react if you were put into the same situation; choosing the well-being of your people over your own personal loyalties?
4. The ideas of Fate and Free-will are expressed multiple times in Julius Caesar. What are some examples of how fate is shown in the play?
5. Power is a very integral theme of the play, causing most of the conflict throughout. How do you believe Caesar gaining absolute power would be detrimental to Rome? How would a leader gaining complete power be bad today?
Process
Use this website and what you know from the book to answer your questions:
http://www.shmoop.com/julius-caesar/themes.html
Evaluation
You will be graded on how well-thought-out your responses are (how accurate they are, how well they're written, how honest they seem etc.). 1-1.5 paragraph minimum.
Answers are well-thought-out and exceeds the minimum length criteria: GRADE A
Answers are somewhat lacking in creative thinking. Length criteria are met, but only just: GRADE B
Answers have numerous mistakes. Length criteria not quite met: GRADE C
Answers either contain frequent mistakes or completely misunderstand the questions. Length criteria are severly lacking: GRADE D
Answers are abhorrent in construction and blatantly miss the questions' central meaning. Length criteria aren't even close to being met: GRADE F
Conclusion
The play Julius Caesar is among some of the greatest examples of theater, and seems to be an allegory in numerous instances. The themes expressed by Shakespeare are explored throughout the play, from the existence and significance of fate and free-will to the importance of friendship. Through this webquest, you have worked toward a deeper understanding of some important motifs present throughout the play. Some of them you may not have known in the first place! In studying these themes you should have recognised the real world application of them.
Credits
Source of theme information: http://www.shmoop.com/julius-caesar/themes.html