Jack Bathke

Lesson Plan: Julius Caesar

Teaching Shakespeare Institute 2006

“This Was the Noblest Roman of Them All”

Play Section Covered in This Lesson:

5.5 The Final Scene. Brutus begs four of his followers to assist him in his suicide. All but a fourth decline. Brutus kills himself. Antony praises Brutus as the only honorable conspirator, and Octavius orders Brutus’ funeral rites.

Specifically, this lesson will cover 5.2.49-87 in which Brutus runs upon his sword, and Antony calls Brutus “the noblest Roman of them all”.

NCTE Standards Addressed:

What Do You Need?

Copies of the final scene

Copies of the various promptbooks

Mankiewicz’s 1953 film

Pages:

What’s On For Today And Why?

In this lesson, students will not only have a chance to create promptbooks for the final scene of the play but also to view the work of professional actors and directors and respond to it. Students will focus on the problems of staging and character, specifically Brutus’ death, the characters of Lucius and Octavius, and the final moment of the play.

Since very few productions of Julius Caesar exist on film, students will focus their attention on two film versions (Mankiewicz’s 1953 film starring Marlon Brando and Burges’ 1970 film starring Charlton Heston) as well as several stage productions. However, with each production, several differences exist. For example, in the Joseph Mankiewicz’ version (1953), he gives Antony, not Octavius, the final speech of the play, and in the Orson Welles stage production (1937), Welles not only gives Antony the final speech but he also does not show Cassius’ death and merely suggests Brutus’ death. And in the recent Broadway production starring Denzel Washington as Brutus, the director chose to have Lucius kill Brutus.

This activity will take two days to complete.

What To Do?

Day One

1) Begin by summarizing the final scene of the play. Next, divide the class into groups of five, and distribute to students (or have them copy for the board) a list of some of the issues that a film or theatre company must address when staging this scene. Specifically, they will need to focus on:

· Who has the final speech in play? What effect does it have on the play as a whole?

· Is Antony speaking ironically or seriously when he refers to Brutus as the noblest Roman of them all?

· What minor characters are included in the final scene?

· How does Brutus die?

2) Show the two film versions of the play and ask the students to not only pay close attention to elements listed above, but also comment on the text, noting any omissions, additions, and/or rearrangements, the cinematography, the sound and lighting design, set and costume design, and acting.

3) After viewing each of the film versions, have the students share their observations about how the performance dealt with the specific issues of the play as well as the elements listed above.

4) Next, distribute copies of the promptbooks from three theatrical productions (Henry Jewett 1915, Charles Kean 1843-1846, and John Moore 1850-1870). Have the students look at the final moments of the play, paying close attention to the specific issues listed above.

5) Conclude today’s lesson with a general discussion of the scene, asking the students to evaluate the various’ directors’ decisions based on what the lines in play suggest. You may wish to have the students either discuss the scene orally or in writing.

DAY TWO

1) Review yesterday’s lesson by looking once again at the promptbooks. Remind the students that as a director prepares a script for the stage, he/she constructs a promptbook, noting choices for the set, props, movement, etc. Directors will also research previous productions, as the students have done, to see how certain directors have solved certain issues in the play. In today’s activity, students, working in groups, will construct their own promptbooks for the final scene. Remind them that there are no right answers, only substantiated and unsubstantiated answers. All choices should be supported by the script and knowledge about the characters.

2) Ask the students to prepare their promptbooks for the final scene of the play. Circulate to see that they are following instructions.

3) Have the groups present their scenes according to their promptbooks. Collect promptbooks.

How Did It Go?

Were the students able to demonstrate a complex knowledge of characters and their relationships? Did the students use lines from the text to justify the choices they made for their promptbooks? Did the students pick up on subtle nuances, shifts, and inflections in the film productions? Were the students able to explain the director’s choices using the text? Did the students, in their comments, connect camera techniques to the director’s purposes in staging the scene? Were the students able to see the characters in their head while preparing their promptbooks?