Julius Caesar--Shakespeare's purpose(s)

What do you think Shakespeare was trying to get across to his readers in the late 1500s and early 1600s in regard to politics and power, especially if you understand that there was some political turmoil during this time in England?
(Shakespeare’s fellow playwrights, well versed in ancient Greek and Roman history, would very likely have detected parallels between Julius Caesar’s portrayal of the shift from republican to imperial Rome and the Elizabethan era’s trend toward consolidated monarchal power. In 1599, when the play was first performed, Queen Elizabeth I had sat on the throne for nearly forty years, enlarging her power at the expense of the aristocracy and the House of Commons. As she was then sixty-six years old, her reign seemed likely to end soon, yet she lacked any heirs (as did Julius Caesar). Many feared that her death would plunge England into the kind of chaos that had plagued England during the fifteenth-century Wars of the Roses. In an age when censorship would have limited direct commentary on these worries, Shakespeare could nevertheless use the story of Caesar to comment on the political situation of his day.)**
**Taken from Sparknotes




 ).What specific evidence supports your ideas?  What messages can YOU take from the play that could apply to your own life?
Be sure to respond to two people this time!

ACT IV-Using words and context

Find a word, phrase or passage from ACT IV where Shakespeare uses a new word or uses a word in a different way that what you have always used it or heard it. Be sure NOT to use words that have sidenotes where they can be easily defined for you.  Tell what lines and page number and then give a brief explanation/definition of the word as you understand it. Then use the word correctly in a new sentence that you write.  (First come. first served: once a word is taken it is taken. Be sure to put the word in ALL CAPS in your post so it will stand out in your response.)

ACT III Antony

How does Antony use persuasive techniques in his dealings with the crowd at Caesar's funeral? What do you think was the most persuasive thing that Antony did or said to win the crowd over? People often use emotional appeals (pathos) to persuade. Why do you think that works well?  How did Antony play to the people's emotions? What happens sometimes when people play to emotions too often? Give a specific example from your own experiences.

ACT II-Julius Caesar

How is Caesar a complex character?  Would you say that he seems to be dynamic, meaning he changes a lot? If so, how? How do you feel about him personally? Do you think he really is capable of being a tyrant and ruling harshly or do you feel some sympathy for him, knowing that the conspirators have plotted to kill him behind his back?  Explain your feelings and use support from the text as evidence.

Brutus-ACT I

How do you feel about Brutus in ACT I? Provide some characteristics that you feel he exhibits. Are you like Brutus in anyway? What about Cassius? If you had to guess which one of these men would be the leader of the conspiracy against Ceasar, which one would you chose and why? Be sure to provide evidence from the ACT (specific lines) to justify your opinions.