Name ______Date ______
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act I, by William Shakespeare
Vocabulary Warm-up Word Lists
Study these words. Then, complete the activities that follow.
Word List A
assemble [uh SEM buhl] v. bring together
It was hard to assemble the wedding party for a photo once the
meal began.
attire [uh TYR] n. clothes
In his cowboy attire, the child looked ready for Halloween.
conceptions [kun SEP shunz] n. general ideas about something
My conceptions about Ireland are based on books, not travel.
conquest [KAHN kwest] n. the act of getting control of land or people by force
The Spanish conquest of the island took place hundreds of years ago.
construe [kuhn STROO] v. to understand something in a particular way
A foreigner might construe that gesture as an insult.
liable [LY uh buhl] adj. likely to do something, usually in a negative sense
Leah and Ken are liable to argue if they talk about their favorite bands.
perilous [PER i luhs] adj. very dangerous
Mountaineering in the Himalayas is perilous for inexperienced climbers.
redress [ri DRES] v. to correct something that is wrong or unfair
The new leader sought to redress the wrongs done by her predecessors.
Word List B
ancestors [AN ses terz] n. members of your family who lived in past times
Koji’s ancestors moved from Japan to the United States 100 years ago.
conscience [KAHN shuhns] n. feelings about what is morally right or wrong
She had a guilty conscience after cheating on the test.
handiwork [HAN dee werk] n. something that someone does or makes
That homemade plant holder is my mother’s handiwork.
impart [im PAHRT] v. to give information or knowledge to someone
The play’s director seeks to impart her ideals through the production.
lamented [luh MEN tid] v. regretted
We lamented the fact that our favorite teacher was moving away.
majestic [muh JES tik] adj. looking very big and impressive
The elegant home had a majestic view of the rugged coastline.
soothsayer [SOOTH say er] n. someone who tries to foretell the future
The soothsayer predicted that I would grow up to be rich and famous.
tyrants [TY ruhnts] n. people, especially rulers, who use power in an unfair or cruel way
Most tyrants do not allow people to protest their harsh rule.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act I, by William Shakespeare
Vocabulary Warm-up Exercises
Exercise AFill in each blank in the paragraph below with an appropriate word from Word List A. Use each word only once.
It will be hard to ever fully [1]______the wrongs committed by the people who took part in the original [2]______of the island. When the ship’s crew called for them to [3]______near the shore, the native people did not understand that they were in danger. In fact, they dressed in their best [4]______to welcome the strangers. It was hard for the native people to [5]______what the crew wanted since they did not speak their language. As they were a peaceful people, they did not realize that the crew was
[6]______to use violence to seize their land. Because they had no guns, the fighting would be especially [7]______for the islanders. Soon, they would experience violence beyond their wildest
[8]______.
Exercise BWrite a complete sentence to answer each question. For each item, use a word from Word List B to replace each underlined word without changing its meaning.
Example: What is your favorite grand building?
My favorite majestic building is WindsorCastle.
1.If you met a fortune-teller, what would you ask?
______
2.Whom do you consider to be the worst dictators in history?
______
3.Could you be friends with someone who has no scruples?
______
4.What lessons would you most like to teach to younger children?
______
5.Have you ever regretted a missed opportunity?
______
6.If your great-great-grandparents were from another country, would you be curious to see that country?
______
7.If you could place your own creation on display, what would you choose?
______
Vocabulary and Reading Warm-ups
Name ______Date ______
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act I, by William Shakespeare
Reading Warm-up A
Read the following passage. Pay special attention to the underlined words. Then, read it again, and complete the activities. Use a separate sheet of paper for your written answers.
Vocabulary and Reading Warm-ups
Name ______Date ______
Many people today have formed their conceptions of Julius Caesar almost entirely through Shakespeare’s play. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare presents the Roman leader as a powerful, arrogant man. While the people of Rome celebrate his victories, other leaders resent him. They worry that Caesar will become emperor and end the republican government of Rome. Yet it is hard to construe from the play what Caesar was really like, as he appears in only a few scenes.
The real Julius Caesar was at least as intriguing as Shakespeare’s creation. From a young age, he drew attention to himself through his charming personality and his unusual attire. Everyone knew that he was liable to spend great sums of money, whether he had it or not. Caesar grew up in a family that was not well off, although he had leaders in his ancestry. Caesar’s fortunes changed when his aunt married a wealthy, powerful general. Through his own marriages, Caesar was able to establish ties to powerful leaders. His first wife, Cornelia, was the daughter of Cinna. This marriage gave Caesar ties to a popular political party. After Cornelia died, Caesar married Pompeia. This marriage gave him ties to the rival political party. Caesar wed his last wife, Calpurnia Pisonis, in 59 b.c.
After Caesar had gained a reputation as a politician and an orator of great skill, he left Rome. Then, he began his famous conquest of Gallic territories. Because he wrote extensively about these battles, and because Rome held onto these territories for hundreds of years, they are among the most famous in history. Caesar took part in those perilous battles, putting himself and his troops in great danger. At the same time, Caesar’s position as a politician was in danger. Though he could effectively assemble armies and conquer territories from Britain to Germany, Caesar’s enemies at home worked to strip him of power. Caesar sought to redress these wrongs when he crossed the Rubicon, a small stream in northern Italy. At that point, he began a civil war. The Roman Republic was never the same.
1.Underline the phrase thattells where many people gottheir conceptions of JuliusCaesar. Then, tell whatconceptions are.
2.Underline the phrase that tellswhat it is difficult to construefrom the play. Then, explainwhat construe means.
3.Circle the word that describesCaesar’s attire. Then, tell whatattire is.
4.Underline the phrase thattells what Caesar was liableto do. Explain what liablemeans.
5.Underline the phrase that tellswhere Caesar’s conquest tookplace. Tell what a conquest is.
6.Circle the word that tellswhat was perilous. Explainwhy these might be perilous.
7.Circle the word that tells whatCaesar could assemble. Then,tell what assemble means.
8.Underline the phrase thattells what Caesar sought toredress. Then, use redress ina sentence.
Vocabulary and Reading Warm-ups
Name ______Date ______
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act I, by William Shakespeare
Reading Warm-up B
Read the following passage. Pay special attention to the underlined words. Then, read it again, and complete the activities. Use a separate sheet of paper for your written answers.
Vocabulary and Reading Warm-ups
Name ______Date ______
One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, has had many important and innovative productions. Each of these has had to deal with basic questions about the characters and how to portray them. For example, is Brutus the only character who acts in good conscience? Are his co-conspirators also acting mainly to save the Republic? Whether we view these men as would-be tyrants or noble, if misguided, activists makes a huge difference in our understanding of the play.
In a famous 1937 production at the Mercury Theater, Orson Welles (now remembered for directing the classic movie Citizen Kane) cut the play so that it ran only ninety minutes. He also sought to impart a topical political lesson. Through costumes and set, he drew parallels between Caesar and Mussolini, the fascist leader of Italy at the time. Some loved the production. Others lamented that it showed more of Welles’s handiwork than Shakespeare’s.
In another famous staging, which took place in 1926 at the Hollywood Bowl, the emphasis was put on grandeur. The majestic production took place on a stage that was nearly a block long. Because the production was targeted at helping unemployed actors, the director added a scene featuring 300 extras as gladiators. Another 300 women acted as Caesar’s dancing captives.
Less famous productions have also been innovative. For example, the soothsayer in one New York City production was imagined as a homeless man ranting. Multimedia elements, such as video and microphones, were added so that the feuding leaders of Rome seemed like feuding politicians of today.
An “anniversary” production was presented at London’s Globe Theatre on a beautiful re-creation of Shakespeare’s original stage. Here audience members could view the play as their ancestors did. The brochure for this production noted, “First recorded performance at the Globe, 21 September—1599. Second recorded performance at the Globe,
13 May—1999.”
1.Circle the character that acts according to his conscience. Explain what a conscience is.
2.Underline the phrase that suggests a way to view the co-conspirators as other than would-be tyrants. Explain what tyrants are.
3.Underline the phrase that tells what Welles sought to impart. Then, explain how he tried to impart that lesson.
4.Underline the phrase that tells what some people lamented about Welles’s production. Explain why this might be so, using a synonym for lamented.
5.Circle the word that tells whose handiwork shaped the 1937 production even more than the author’s, according to some people. Then, tell what handiwork means.
6.Underline the phrase that tells how big the majestic 1926 production was. Explain what majestic means.
7.Underline the phrase that tells how the soothsayer was portrayed in a New York City production. Describe what you would imagine a soothsayer to look like.
8.Underline the phrase that tells what audience members could do as their ancestors did. Explain why this was so.
Vocabulary and Reading Warm-ups