Exploring Shakespeare: Julius Caesar
Dig into Shakespeare's Julius Caesar from an actor's point of view! In this class, we'll read the play aloud from cover to cover, stopping along the way to discuss plot, character, acting, and production possibilities.
Esther Williamson, MFA
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(18)
What's included
10 live meetings
12 hrs 30 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
In this class, we will read Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar aloud from beginning to end, stopping frequently to dig into the acting clues and opportunities that Shakespeare embeds in the text. Learners will read a different role in each act, and so will have a chance to experience the play from multiple angles. We will ask questions like: - What is the action of the scene? - How can I best paraphrase my lines to make the meaning both clear and personal? - What do the rhythm and structure of the speech tell me about my character? - How would I stage this scene if I were directing it? By the end of the class, students will have an intimate knowledge of Julius Caesar that would serve them well in any testing situation. They will also have a host of tools for approaching Shakespearean roles as actors, directors, dramaturgs, and theatre lovers. Each class varies based on the depth of curiosity of the learners, but here is an approximate idea of how much ground we will cover per week: Day 1: Approaches to Shakespeare: Rhythm, meaning, and acting clues. Read Act 1.1 Day 2: Read Act 1.2 Day 3: Read Act 1.3, 2.1 Day 4: Read Act 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 Day 5: Read Act 2.4, 3.1 Day 6: Read Act 3.2 Day 7: Read Act 3.3, 4.1, 4.2 Day 8: Read Act 4.3 Day 9: Read Act 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 Day 10: Finish reading, revisit favorite scenes and speeches, and review tools and techniques This class is ideal for students who love drama and theatre. Some familiarity with either Shakespeare or acting is helpful, but not required.
Learning Goals
Skills addressed:
- reading Shakespeare aloud
- mining Shakespeare's language for meaning
- scansion (analysis of poetic rhythm)
- investigating Shakespeare's language for clues to character and action
- acting basics: objective, obstacle, relationship, given circumstances
- giving and receiving constructive feedback
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Julius Caesar deals with themes of power, politics, and loyalty (both personal and communal). The main action of the plot centers around the assassination of a head of state and the civil war that follows. While violence is not glorified in this play, it is certainly present. Sensitive topics include murder, suicide, war, omens in the natural world, and ghostly visitations.
Supply List
- Each learner will need a copy of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. I recommend the Folger edition because it provides excellent notes and defines unfamiliar words on each page. It is best to have a paper copy of the play so that learners can easily make notes. - pencil - paper or a notebook to take notes
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Each learner will need a copy of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar. I recommend the Folger edition because it provides excellent notes and defines unfamiliar words on each page.
Joined July, 2020
5.0
18reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am a classical actor and teaching artist. I have taught Shakespeare to high school and middle school students for the past 20 years in many different settings, from single-day workshops to two-week camps to semester-long classes. I have been a teaching artist in theatres around the US, including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC, Imagination Stage in Maryland, and others. I was adjunct faculty for two years at Seattle Pacific University, where I directed the University Players, a touring troupe that wrote two scripts per year and toured them to high schools, churches, and community spaces throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Degrees earned:
BA, Theatre and English, Seattle Pacific University
MFA, Classical Acting, The Shakespeare Theatre Company/George Washington UniversityReviews
Live Group Class
$110
for 10 classes2x per week, 5 weeks
75 min
Completed by 3 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 15-18
1-12 learners per class
