Julius Caesar Lesson Plan

The source material for Julius Caesar, Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, epitomizes a “great men” approach to history. Does Shakespeare fully comply with this kind of historical narrative or are there ways in which you feel he might be problematizing or subverting it?

It may be helpful to discuss this question in conjunction with the Plutarch activity included for this day’s lesson. Students should recognize that narratives centered around “great men” are only one, problematic way of conveying history. As a historical approach, it precludes a thorough consideration of the disenfranchised, including women, the working classes, slaves, and anyone else without...