Julius Caesar Act 1 scene 3

This full lesson presentation guides students through the scene in detail, explaining the weather allusions, Cassius’s techniques of persuasion, the gathering of the conspirators and the increasing threat of Caesar to the Republic of Rome (as seen by the conspirators). The character of Brutus is also considered, as well as Shakespeare’s dramatic use of him and the conspirators in the development of the tragedy - presenting their apparent nobility of purpose but also placing them within the nexus of the tragic inevitability of their deaths. Dramatic irony is also explained. The lesson ends with another practice question, this time focusing on Cassius as a loyal Roman. The prompts provided help students consolidate their understanding of the context of Rome as well as the craft of Shakespeare in presenting the conspirators in this way.