All the Worlds a Stage
Write Create production designs of costumes and sets for the play if it were set in different eras or governments. How does the time in which the play is set affect it’s meaning. For instance if we place Rome in 1930’s Germany and give Caesar a small mustache his murder changes the course of modern history.
Era’s to consider:
1963 USA, JFK
1918 Russia, Nicolas II
1649 England, Charles I
1788 USA, George Washington
Caesar 2.0
After having read the play have students brainstorm a list of powerful personalities (politicians, celebrities, socialites) in today’s world. Compare these people to characters in the play. Try and make a cast list with the characters and their modern day equivalents. This could also be done with fictional characters.
Roman ABC’s
Have students prepare an alphabet of words from A-Z, either from the text or related to Julius Caesar. For maximum points, the alphabet must be in dictionary form—phonetic spelling, part of speech, definition, origin, and an illustration (preferably textual).
Ex: Ides: [ahydz] noun (used with a singular or plural verb). In the ancient Roman calendar the fifteenth day of March, May, July, or October, and the thirteenth day of the other months. Old French. “Beware the ides of March.” Soothsayer 1.1.20
You’re the Actor
Pick out any speech from any character after Caesar has died. What do you have to do to be as convincing as possible? How can you convince others that you are right?
And So Fell Caesar
Write your own speech about Caesar to address the public with after he died. What side are you on? How can you bring more people to your side?
Create Your Own Prophecy
Pair up into groups of two. Have each person describe a dream to his or her partner, and then the partner decides what it meant. Then see if you can make the exact opposite deduction, like Decius did for Calphurnia’s dream. Then trade roles.
