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Study Guide
                        The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
                                         with Connections

     To the Pa rent:

     We strongly recommend that you read all literary works before assigning them
     to determine whether or not they are appropriate for your students. If you are
     teaching two or more students who are close in age, have them read The
     Tragedy of Julius Caesar at the same time so that they may discuss the
     play and work cooperatively. Also, consider collaborating with other
     homeschool families for group activities and projects. Below are some
     suggestions for familiarizing yourself with The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,
     its author, and its context:

     Read E lements of the Play, pp. 17-19: brief synopsis of the plot and an
      overview of the entire play's themes, characters, and other important
      elements.
     Read F ocusing on Background, pp. 3-10: biographical information about
      the author and his works.
     Read C ritical Responses to the Pla y, pp. 11-16: critical analyses that
      provide interpretations of the play.
     Read T eaching the Play, pp. 20-23: suggestions for setting objectives,
      introducing the play, and reading and performing the play.
     Read P lot Synopsis, pp. 30-31: brief overview of the plot by act and
      scene.




                                             Pacing Guide
        Week    1      Introduction and Act I
        Week    2      Act II
        Week    3      Act III
        Week    4      Act IV
        Week    5      Act V
        Week    6      Assessment, Extensions, Projects, and Literary Connections




Lesson Plans for Study Guide  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar                         1
      C = Core Instruction     E = Enrichment Activities      O = Optional Extensions and Connections

       Introducing students to the play: Motivating activities
       Find out if students are familiar with the history of Julius Caesar. Have them tell
  C    you what they have heard about it. To pique their interest, show them a brief
       clip from a film version of the play.
       Discuss the definition of "tragedy" with students. Explain that a tragedy is a literary
       work in which a heroic figure suffers greatly, usually as a consequence of a tragic
  C    character flaw. Explain that T he Traged y of Ju lius Caesa r tells the story of a
       political power struggle over the control of ancient Rome. Have students predict
       tragic events that might occur in this play.
       Tell students that The Tra ge d y of Ju lius C aesar is a play in which one of the
       main characters, Marcus Brutus, finds himself in a moral dilemma. He must make a
  E    choice between two undesirable courses of action. Then have them write a journal
       entry that describes a moral dilemma they have faced and how they decided what
       to do.
       Act I
  C    Have students read Act I of T he T ra ged y o f J ulius C aesa r.
       Use G u id ed Rea ding for Act I, pp. 32-35, to help students interpret and
  C
       understand specific lines in the play.
       Use R e vie w in g t he Te xt, p. 46, to verify basic comprehension of the story. The
  C
       Answer Key is on p. 108.
       The questions in M a kin g Mea nin gs , p. 46, move students from their immediate
  C    personal response to higher-level critical thinking about the play and its themes. The
       Answer Key is on pp. 108-109.
       Gra ph ic O r gan ize r fo r Act iv e R ead in g , p. 45, focuses on the characterization
  C    of Julius Caesar based on how he is portrayed by other characters in Act I. The
       Answer Key is on p. 108.
       Test, pp. 54-55, contains objective multiple-choice and literary analysis questions
  C
       and a short essay question about Act I. The Answer Key is on p. 110.
       Ch oice s: B u ild in g Yo ur P ort folio, p. 47, is a Performance activity. You may need
  E    to adapt the activity by participating yourself, or coordinating with other
       homeschool families.
       Opt io ns fo r Te ach in g t he Pla y, pp. 23-24, offers suggestions for varying the
  O    instruction of Act I in order to meet students' specific needs. This section also
       includes Assessment Tools for Act I.
       Vo ca bu lar y M ini- Less o n, p. 47, provides activities to help students understand
  O
       the use of puns Shakespearean literature. The Answer Key is on p. 109.
       Wor ds t o O w n Wo rk she et, pp. 48-49, has students complete vocabulary
  O
       exercises. The Answer Key is on p. 109.
       Lan g ua ge L ink Wo rks heet , pp. 50-51, offers exercises to help students
  O    distinguish words that are often confused with each other. The Answer Key is on pp.
       109-110.
       Lit era r y E le men ts Wor ksh eet , pp. 52-53, guides students in understanding the
  O
       use of setting and props in a play. The Answer Key is on p. 110.




Lesson Plans for Study Guide  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar                                       2
       Act II
  C    Have students read Act II of T he T ra ged y o f J ulius C aesa r.
       Use G u id ed Rea ding for Act II, pp. 35-38, to help students interpret and
  C
       understand specific lines in the play.
       Gra ph ic O r gan ize r fo r Act iv e R ead in g , p. 56, focuses on the characterization
  C
       of Marcus Brutus in Act II. The Answer Key is on pp. 110-111.
       Use R e vie w in g t he Te xt, p. 57, to verify basic comprehension of the story. The
  C
       Answer Key is on p. 111.
       The questions in M a kin g Mea nin gs , p. 57, move students from their immediate
  C    personal response to higher-level critical thinking about the play and its themes. The
       Answer Key is on pp. 111-112.
       Test, pp. 65-66, contains objective multiple-choice and literary analysis questions
  C
       and a short essay question about Act II. The Answer Key is on p. 113.
       Ch oice s: B u ild in g Yo ur P ort folio, p. 58, is a Performance activity. You may need
  E    to adapt the activity by participating yourself, or coordinating with other
       homeschool families.
       Opt io ns fo r Te ach in g t he Pla y, pp. 24-25, offers suggestions for varying the
  O    instruction of Act II in order to meet students' specific needs. This section also
       includes Assessment Tools for Act II.
       Vo ca bu lar y M ini- Less o n, p. 58, provides instruction and practice for the
  O    Shakespearean style of omitting words and the unconventional use of words in
       different parts of speech. The Answer Key is on p. 112.
       Wor ds t o O w n Wo rk she et, pp. 59-60, has students complete vocabulary
  O
       exercises. The Answer Key is on p. 112.
       Lan g ua ge L ink Wo rks heet , pp. 71-72, focuses on the Shakespearean style of
  O    omitting words and understanding text in modern terms. The Answer Key is on p.
       112.
       Lit era r y E le men ts Wor ksh eet , pp. 63-64, guides students in understanding and
  O
       applying characterization. The Answer Key is on pp. 112-113.




Lesson Plans for Study Guide  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar                                 3
       Act III
  C    Have students read Act III of T he T ra ge d y of Ju lius Cae sar .
       Use G u id ed Rea ding for Act III, pp. 38-41, to help students interpret and
  C
       understand specific lines in the play.
       Gra ph ic O r gan ize r fo r Act iv e R ead in g , p. 67, focuses on comparing and
  C    contrasting Mark Antony's character in Acts I and II with Act III. The Answer Key is
       on pp. 113-114.
       Use R e vie w in g t he Te xt, p. 68, to verify basic comprehension of the story. The
  C
       Answer Key is on p. 114.
       The questions in M a kin g Mea nin gs , p. 68, move students from their immediate
  C    personal response to higher-level critical thinking about the play and its themes. The
       Answer Key is on p. 114.
       Test, pp. 73-74, contains objective multiple-choice and literary analysis questions
  C
       and a short essay question about Act III. The Answer Key is on p. 115.
       Ch oice s: B u ild in g Yo ur P ort folio, p. 68, is a Creative Writing activity. Students
  E    may complete this activity independently or you may want to partner with them to
       perform the scene.
       Opt io ns fo r Te ach in g t he Pla y, pp. 25-27, offers suggestions for varying the
  O    instruction of Act III in order to meet students' specific needs. This section also
       includes Assessment Tools for Act III.
       Wor ds t o O w n Wo rk she et, pp. 69-70, has students complete vocabulary
  O
       exercises. The Answer Key is on pp. 114-115.
       Lit era r y E le men ts Wor ksh eet , pp. 71-72, guides students in understanding and
  O
       applying what they have learned about imagery. The Answer Key is on p. 115.




Lesson Plans for Study Guide  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar                                  4
       Act IV
  C    Have students read Act IV of The Tra ge d y of Ju lius Cae sar .
       Use G u id ed Rea ding for Act IV, pp. 41-43, to help students interpret and
  C
       understand specific lines in the play.
       Gra ph ic O r gan ize r fo r Act iv e R ead in g , p. 75, focuses on the characterization
  C
       of Cassius in Act IV. The Answer Key is on p. 116.
       Use R e vie w in g t he Te xt, p. 76, to verify basic comprehension of the story. The
  C
       Answer Key is on p. 116.
       The questions in M a kin g Mea nin gs , p. 76, move students from their immediate
  C    personal response to higher-level critical thinking about the play and its themes. The
       Answer Key is on pp. 116-117.
       Test, pp. 82-83, contains objective multiple-choice and literary analysis questions
  C
       and a short essay question about Act IV. The Answer Key is on p. 117-118.
       Ch oice s: B u ild in g Yo ur P ort folio, p. 77, is a Creative Writing/Speaking activity.
  E    Students may complete this activity independently or you may want to provide an
       audience to hear a reading of the journal entry.
       Opt io ns fo r Te ach in g t he Pla y, pp. 27-28, offers suggestions for varying the
  O    instruction of Act IV in order to meet students' specific needs. This section also
       includes Assessment Tools for Act IV.
       Lan g ua ge L ink M in i- Less on , p. 77, provides instruction in recognizing and using
  O
       anachronisms. The Answer Key is on p. 117.
       Wor ds t o O w n Wo rk she et, pp. 78-79, has students complete vocabulary
  O
       exercises. The Answer Key is on p. 117.
       Lit era r y E le men ts Wor ksh eet , pp. 80-81, guides students in understanding and
  O
       applying what they have learned about conflict. The Answer Key is on p. 117.




Lesson Plans for Study Guide  The Tragedy of Julius Caesar                                  5

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