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Julius Caesar: NOT Targeting Plutarch (on purpose)

As I mentioned last month, the primary source material Shakespeare used in the composition of Julius Caesar was Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans by the Greek historian Plutarch. Lives was translated into French by writer Jacques Amyot in the early 1560’s. Thomas North then translated it into English, with his first edition appearing in the late 1570’s. Shakespeare used North’s translations, particularly those sections on Brutus, Julius Caesar, and Antony.

And a couple of days back, I noted that contrary to Shakespeare’s usual modus operandi of appropriation then mutation of his sources, he hewed pretty damn close to his sources in Julius Caesar.

So if Shakespeare made such a point of specifically using (or some might say “copying”) Plutarch, what does it say when he deviates from the source?

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Podcast 90: Julius Caesar: the Mastery of Antony’s Funeral Oration

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This week’s podcast continues off our two month-long discussion of Julius Caesar, with a deep dive into the mastery of Antony’s funeral oration. Plus, I’ve got the announcement of a contest.

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Julius Caesar: Targeting Plutarch (the hits)

As I mentioned last month, the primary source material Shakespeare used in the composition of Julius Caesar was Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans by the Greek historian Plutarch. Lives was translated into French by writer Jacques Amyot in the early 1560’s. Thomas North then translated it into English, with his first edition appearing in the late 1570’s. Shakespeare used North’s translations, particularly those sections on Brutus, Julius Caesar, and Antony.

Usually, Shakespeare’s appropriation of his sources is subtle and mutated. Here, however, some of his borrowings seem more wholesale than understated. Let me show you what I mean…

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Julius Caesar: Ghosts and Spirits

As I reread Julius Caesar as part of the deeper dive into the play, I’ve been finding something of note: the prevalence of the words “ghost” and “spirit” in the play.

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Julius Caesar: tragical-historical parallel / flashback

Think of a Shakespearean character who is a notorious party boy, a man-child who (while second-in-command) is still hanging out with the wrong crowd. An impressive speaker who’s not above using that skill to threaten his living enemies and eulogize his dead ones.

Know who he is?

Good.

Now think of his adversary. A too-serious, single-minded idealist, with a caring wife who is desperate to know his secrets, but a wife whose constancy is in enough question for him to keep things close to his vest. A man not above insulting an ally in conflict.

Know who he is, too?

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Win an Autographed (!) Copy of Shakespeare for Kids: Julius Caesar, signed by editor Brendan Kelso

A couple of days back, I reviewed Shakespeare for Kids: Julius Caesar, edited by Brendan P. Kelso. It’s a fine, fun piece of work, something you will want if you have kids, either personally or professionally (as a teacher).

So, how would you like a copy, autographed by Kelso?

Playing with Plays presents Shakespeare's Julius Caesar for Kids (edited by Brendan P. Kelso)
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar for Kids (thanks to its editor Brendan P. Kelso providing a review copy!)

I think I can make that happen…

Here’s how:

Let me know about the best production/version/adaptation you’ve ever seen of this month’s play, Julius Caesar. Give me the basic W’s: when and where was it, who was in it, and–most important of all–what made it so good.

Drop it into the comment thread below… I’ll read ‘em all in the last podcast for Julius Caesar, and the first of the New Year on January 4, 2015. I’ll pick the best (in my own humble opinion), and if it’s yours, then you get the book!

Submission deadline is midnight, Wednesday, December 31… good luck (and win a great book)!

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Julius Caesar Funeral Orations, Part Five: Brutus (Redux)

As I’ve spent the last few days diving deep in Antony’s oration in Julius Caesar, paying close attention to clues in both the diction and meter of the lines, I began to wonder: What if you took Brutus’ speech and tried to break down the 27 lines of prose into verse lines of some rough approximation of iambic pentameter? What would happen?

A headache. That’s what.

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Julius Caesar Funeral Orations, Part Four: Antony (sections 4-6 in detail)

For the past few days, the focus has been the dual and dueling funeral orations in Act Three, Scene Two of Julius Caesar. I started with Brutus’ oration, followed that up with an overview of Antony’s, then yesterday took a deeper dive into the first half of Antony’s masterful rhetoric.

Today, let’s finish up with the last half of the oration (sections four through six–speeches six through ten)…

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Review: Julius Caesar for Kids, edited by Brendan P. Kelso

OK, so you all know my educational background (or if you don’t, Reader’s Digest version: I taught high school English, Shakespeare, and Drama [among other things]) for 10 years a long time ago; plus, my wife still teaches elementary school). You know I love a good educational resource.

Well, a few months back, I found a kindred spirit on Twitter (honestly, I don’t remember who started following whom first… not that it matters), @shakespeare4kid, the moniker for Brendan P. Kelso, who has written a number of “Shakespeare for Kids” books (collections of play-lets) as well as other literature classics for his site, PlayingwithPlays.com. And when I checked out the site, I found that he has a book on our current (at that point, upcoming) play under discussion, Julius Caesar. So I asked him for one.

Brendan delivered. Just got the book a few days back.

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