Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Act 1 Scene 1 Close Reading Analysis

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Close Reading Bundle

This close reading bundle features high-order, text-dependent questions; promotes active reading strategies; makes student engagement with text more visible; and supports comprehension and analysis of Shakespeare's *Julius Caesar*. By completing these activities, students will read to identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly, apply literary devices, interpret figurative expressions, and more. All close reads include answer keys and are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. This resource aligns well to Academic Literacy Project teaching principles. These worksheets serve well as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode Shakespeare's language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers' reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT reading question types. Specifically, questions pertain to the following: * Using the context of a passage to discern aspects of the author's craft (the incorporation of trade-related puns among commoners) * Analyzing character statements and behaviors to draw logical inferences about character development and motivations * Analyzing complex vocabulary and phrasing in context to determine meaning and intended effect * Applying knowledge of literary devices to the text with an emphasis on metaphor and hyperbole * Analyzing text to determine its primary purpose * Understanding historical context * Analyzing textual details to discern and articulate their significance to the plot * Articulating ideas with clarity and precision * Comparing and contrasting two characters (Cassius and Casca) and referencing textual evidence in support of claims * Analyzing a passage to discern and articulate its primary purpose(s) * Analyzing the author's craft by applying and articulating knowledge of situational irony to the text * Drawing reasonable inferences based on character statements in context * Analyzing an excerpt to isolate logical and/or correct statements from illogical and/or incorrect statements * Analyzing how complex characters think and articulating flaws in their logic * Analyzing an excerpt to discern the most appropriate description of tone * And more