Teaching about Brutus in William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, can be an engaging and thought-provoking experience for students. It offers an opportunity to delve into the themes of loyalty, ambition, and morality, while also exploring one of the most famous literary portrayals of a tragic hero. This article discusses ways to approach the character of Brutus in teaching Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, giving students useful context and helping them understand the historical figure and the choices he made.
Background on Brutus:
Before diving into the play, itself, help your students understand the historical context of Marcus Junius Brutus, a Roman senator and a key figure in the assassination of Julius Caesar. Provide students with a simple history lesson about his family ties to Roman nobility and how these connections impacted Brutus’s character. Discuss his initial loyalty to Caesar and how he eventually becomes conflicted about Caesar’s growing power.
Understanding the Character:
- Motivations: Encourage your students to analyze Brutus’s motives in the play. What were the reasons that led him to join the conspiracy against Julius Caesar? Discuss elements such as patriotismand fear for Rome’s future as well as personal motivations such as his sense of honor or jealousy.
- Moral Struggle: Guide your students to explore Brutus’s internal moral struggle throughout the play. How can they see this struggle reflected in his soliloquies or his conversations with other characters? Emphasize that Shakespeare presents Brutus as both an idealist who justifies killing for Rome’s greater good and as someone who reveals doubts about his actions.
- Tragic Hero: Teach your students about a tragic hero in literature by discussing examples from other works—for example, Oedipus or Hamlet. Explain how Brutus can be recognized as a tragic hero by analyzing elements such as his noble intentions, fatal flaw (hamartia), and tragic downfall.
Analyzing Speeches and Rhetoric:
Brutus delivers a series of notable speeches throughout the play. Have your students analyze these speeches, like his soliloquy in Act II, Scene 1, and compare them to those of other characters (e.g., Antony’s famous “Friends, Romans, countrymen” speech). Discuss the impact of these speeches on the plot and how they reveal Brutus’s character. Moreover, have students practice rhetorical techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos in their own writing by creating persuasive arguments from Brutus’s perspective.
Comparing Brutus with Other Characters:
Encourage analytical thinking by having your students compare Brutus to other characters in Julius Caesar, such as Cassius or Antony. How does he differ from them in terms of motives, principles, leadership styles, and outcomes? This can open the door for discussions about betrayal, loyalty, ambition, and more.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, teaching about Brutus grants students an opportunity to engage with timeless themes and explore a richly complex character set against a fascinating moment in history. By doing so, they will be able to critically approach Shakespeare’s text while simultaneously drawing valuable lessons about human nature that continue to resonate today.
