English Unit: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

I remember being introduced to William Shakespeare's work as a freshman in high school. We all knew it was coming and dreaded the day when our teacher would hand us that little book filled with outdated, confusing, and difficult words. We were expected to read the text and come to class prepared to discuss the language, characters, plot, setting, theme, and style. But, we were lost, barely able to understand a word and forced to use Cliff's Notes in order to participate in class. At different points in the unit, our teacher showed us scenes from the movie version, which helped. But, generally, this unit of 9th grade English was a disaster. Each year after, we had to read another one of Shakespeare's plays, and it did get better over time. By my senior year, I was able to see Shakespeare for what he was - a literary genius. Many classmates, however, were scarred by the experience in 9th grade and were never able to appreciate the great works of William Shakespeare. I want your experience with Shakespeare to be as positive as possible so that it will enrich your life and motivate you as a reader.

True, Shakespeare is difficult to read. His works are written in early modern English, which might as well be a foreign language, but his language is rich with poetic devices; his characters are complex and offer great psychological insight; he offers interesting perspectives on historical settings; and his themes are timeless. Most importantly, he is considered to be the greatest literary genius in the history of English literature. Your education is not complete without exposure to the works of William Shakespeare.

As we begin our unit on Julius Caesar, students should choose a book from the following list of trade books in order to better understand Shakespeare and Julius Caesar:

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood. 2002

• This book is not very challenging but provides a great story and insight into the language and culture surrounding Shakespeare and his theatre. 

Kill Shakespeare: The Complete Edition by Conor McCreery, Anthony Del Col, & Andy Belanger. 2012

• This is more of a graphic novel taking the characters from shakespeare's plays and creating a modern, action packed drama. 

History of Julius Caesar by Jacob Abbott. 2011

• This book provides a clear history of Julius Caesar and provides important historical, background information that will allow you to understand and appreciate the play more. It offers a perspective that may differ from Shakespeare's.

Julius Caesar by Philip Freeman. 2009

• This is similar to the one above.

The Life of Julius Caesar by Nicholas Sauders. 2006

• Appropriate for ages 8 and up, this book provides a good background information.

Julius Caesar: Dictator for Life by Denise Renaldo. 2010

• This book uses images and graphics and takes an original approach to explaining the history od Julius Caesar.

Here are some websites to help you understand and appreciate William Shakespeare:

http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/

• This site will be used to provide students with supplemental essays, quotes, summaries, trivia, and other information that can be used for discussions and essay assignments.

http://www.shakespearehigh.com/library/surfbard/

• This site includes interactive components such as games and a chat room for discussing the play with people outside the school.

http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/

• This site provides very good information about the Globe Theater, and it also contains an excellent collection of essays and reviews of Shakespeare's works.