Introduction

Use this Real-Life Lens Plan to help students dive deep into Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and examine the play’s themes, action, and characters through the lens of leadership. How does Shakespeare portray the influence of leaders? How do different leaders react to conflict? What motivates leaders to rule in particular ways? What is Shakespeare’s larger message about the role of leadership in human behavior?

Materials

  • Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
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Introduce the Lens

To activate students’ thinking, choose one or two of the following Real-Life Links to use in an engagement activity. Have students read or watch the material and discuss the content. Encourage students to jot down notes, or record class notes on the board for future reference.

Pose the Following Big Idea Questions to the Class:

What makes a good leader good, and what makes a bad leader bad? 

How do leaders influence the people who follow them?

Engagement Activity

1. Have students write quick initial answers to the questions.

2. Discuss the questions either as a class or in small groups. Prompt students to consider situations in which they’ve been in a leadership position and how being a leader affects how they feel about themselves and their lives.

3. Encourage students to take a closer look at what makes someone a good leader, contrasting these characteristics with those of a bad leader. Also, ask students to think about how some leaders use their position in negative or destructive ways.

4. Following discussion, give students time to revise their initial responses, and ask volunteers to share what they wrote with the class. 

CCSS

Introduce the Driving Questions

Begin by having students write their own questions about the lesson topic. Encourage them to think about what they already know about leadership and what they are interested in exploring further. 

Hand out the Driving Questions Worksheet. Review the questions as a class. Students should enter initial answers to the questions as they read Julius Caesar. They will revisit the questions and revise their answers following the lesson activities, classroom discussion, and completion of the text. Remind students to support their responses with textual evidence. 

Integrate the Driving Questions into your classroom discussions. Use them to help guide students’ thinking about the Big Idea Questions. 

1. Is Caesar a good leader? How do Cassius’s, Brutus’s, and Antony’s perceptions of Caesar’s leadership differ? 

2. Is Brutus a good leader? Does he always act in the best interest of Rome? 

3. Is Cassius a good leader? How are his motivations presented as different from Brutus’s motivations? 

4. What role do prophecy and omen play in the decision-making of characters in leadership positions? 

5. Is Antony an effective leader? How does his motivation for revenge impact his leadership decisions? 

6. How does Antony use persuasive techniques to position himself as a leader after Caesar’s death? How does he use rhetoric to incite violence? 

7. How do Brutus and Cassius use persuasive language to inspire other characters’ actions in the play?

CCSS

Introduce the "Through the Lens" Activity

Activity: Leadership Qualities 

In this activity, students will be asked to examine their own ideas of leadership.

Ask students to list the qualities of a good leader and come up with some examples of good leaders they know or know of. Then have students list the qualities of a bad leader and provide examples of bad leaders they know or know of with these qualities. 

Have students exchange their lists with a partner. Encourage students to return to the Big Idea Questions and consider how their personal experiences informed their initial answers. 

Invite three or four students to share their lists with the class. Prompt whole-class discussion with questions that focus on the differing opinions students may have on what makes a good leader good and a bad leader bad. Ask students: Why do some people want strong leaders that offer guidance? Why do some people choose leaders who seemingly do not have the qualities listed? Why do people’s opinions about leadership differ? 

Before moving on, explain to students that they will explore Shakespeare’s treatment of leadership through his use of characterization, plot, and language as they read Julius Caesar.

CCSS

Differentiated Instruction

This activity can be modified to help all students access learning.
Decrease difficulty

Begin by having students define leadership. Then, rather than having all students create lists, ask volunteers to make suggestions and record their ideas on the board. Each suggestion can be discussed with the class. Alternatively, have students perform the activity with a partner or in a small group.

Increase difficulty

Have students write short narrative accounts describing what they would do if they held a leadership position in the school. Ask two or three students to read their narratives to the class and proceed with discussion as outlined above.

Introduce the Final Project

Before moving on, introduce the final projects to the class (see below for details). Have students choose the project they will complete and encourage them to keep their project in mind as they read the text. Facilitate the formation of project groups if necessary.

Assign the Midpoint Activities

Activity 1: Nobility and Leadership 

This activity is designed to begin after students have read Act 3, Scene 1. Students will revisit the list of leadership qualities they created in the opening “Through the Lens” activity. They should review these qualities and distill them down to 10 to 15 top qualities, writing these down in their notebooks. Then draw a four-column chart on the board. Label the columns as follows: “Leadership Quality,” “Character,” “Text Evidence,” and “Explanation.” Next to the chart, write “Julius Caesar or Brutus?”  

Using this chart, students will apply the leadership qualities to Caesar and/or Brutus. Have students copy the chart in their notebooks and complete the first column with the top qualities they chose. In the second column, students will record the character to whom the quality applies (Caesar or Brutus). In the third column, they should record text evidence that reflects the leadership quality. In the fourth column, they should write a brief response explaining their choice. 

For example, students might apply the quality “bravery” to Julius Caesar, citing the quote “Cowards die many times before their deaths. / The valiant never taste of death but once. / Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, / It seems to me most strange that men should fear, / Seeing that death, a necessary end, / Will come when it will come” (No Fear: 2.2.32-36) and providing the explanation “Caesar demonstrates bravery when he suggests that he is not afraid to die. He claims other men are cowards for not accepting death. This shows that Caesar is brave because it suggests that he does not fear his death.” 

Students can expand this chart as they continue to read the play, applying the listed qualities to Antony, Brutus, Cassius, and Octavius.

CCSS

Differentiated Instruction

This activity can be modified to help all students access learning.
Decrease difficulty

Students can work in small groups to create their lists and find supporting text evidence. Alternatively, this activity can be completed by the whole class working together.

Increase difficulty

Students can be asked to find more than one supporting text example for each listed quality.

Activity 2: Rhetorical Analysis: Antony’s Funeral Speech 

Students will use the Rhetorical Devices and Appeals Worksheet to complete a chart to identify and explain the function of rhetorical devices from Antony’s speech on the pulpit in Act 3, Scene 2. Students will relate each strategy to its rhetorical purpose. Students will then use the completed chart to write a rhetorical analysis essay that answers the following prompt: 

Review Antony’s funeral speech from Act 3, Scene 2, in Julius Caesar. Write an essay with a clear thesis and two well-developed body paragraphs that identifies and analyzes how Antony uses four rhetorical strategies to persuade his audience that Caesar was not as ambitious as Brutus claimed, but a good leader who loved the people. You must include at least four properly cited quotes in your essay to support your ideas. Each paragraph should focus on two rhetorical strategies, explaining how each is utilized by Antony in order to promote his argument.

CCSS

Differentiated Instruction

This activity can be modified to help all students access learning.
Decrease difficulty

Students may work in groups to complete the worksheet or focus on two rather than four rhetorical devices. The writing assignment can be eliminated, or it can be modified to focus on one paragraph rather than two.

Increase difficulty

Students will write four body paragraphs with each paragraph focusing on one rhetorical strategy.

Final Projects

Students will work on their final projects after they have finished reading Julius Caesar. Project 1 is designed to be completed individually or with a partner, while Project 2 will require students to work individually but within groups.

Final Project 1: Propaganda Campaign 

Before students begin working on the project, explain that propaganda is information that is especially biased, often misleading, and used to promote a particular cause or point of view. Students will create a multimedia propaganda campaign supporting either Octavius and Antony or Brutus and Cassius as the proper leaders of Rome. 

Working individually or with a partner, students will: 

  • Take a position on the rightful and proper rulers of Rome. 

  • Use available technology (e.g., Word, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) to create a propaganda poster that supports their choice. 

  • Develop a storyboard with at least five panels for a live action political advertisement supporting their chosen leaders. 

  • Write a persuasive speech using at least four rhetorical devices or strategies that will be delivered on the pulpit (to the class) in support of their leaders. 


Each element must include supporting text evidence and use appropriate rhetorical strategies and devices in its design. Information and criteria for creating each of these elements are presented below. You may wish to assign characters to the students so that there is an even distribution between students supporting Brutus and Cassius and those supporting Octavius and Antony. 

All elements must meet the following requirements. 

Each propaganda poster must: 

  • Include at least one eye-catching and pertintent visual. 

  • Demonstrate the effective use of language to promote the chosen leaders. 

  • Include at least two correctly-cited direct quotes from Julius Caesar. 

  • Include a clear call to action asking the Roman citizens to support the leaders promoted in the poster.


Each storyboard for the advertisement must: 

  • Include at least five panels depicting the action in the scene. These can be rudimentary images (e.g., stick figures) or detailed sketches, but the panels should clearly demonstrate what would be happening on the stage. 

  • Include two or three sentences scripting and describing the action presented in each panel. 

  • Demonstrate the effective use of at least three rhetorical devices or strategies. 

  • Include a clear call to action suggesting that Roman citizens should support the leaders being promoted.


Each persuasive speech on the pulpit must: 

  • Be at least three minutes in length (approximately 500 words). 

  • Demonstrate effective use of four different rhetorical devices or strategies. 

  • Include at least two direct quotes from Julius Caesar. 

  • Include a clear call to action asking the Roman citizens to support the leaders being promoted. 

CCSS

Differentiated Instruction

This activity can be modified to help all students access learning.
Decrease difficulty

Students may be placed in larger groups to split up the workload. Students may complete one or two of the three portions of the project.

Increase difficulty

Students can be asked to complete all portions of the project individually. Also, the speech length can be increased to five minutes.

Final Project 2: The Republic or Empire Times

In groups of four, students will create a newspaper (on paper, poster board or digitally) highlighting the major events from the play and, using their understanding of rhetoric, spin their stories to support Octavius and Antony or Brutus and Cassius. 

Provide the following contextual information to introduce the rhetorical situation that will shape students’ work. Assign each group one newspaper to create. 

The Republic 

You are a Roman citizen with a deep, patriotic love for the Roman Republic. You have recruited a group of other loyal Romans to do what you can to save the Republic you love; however, your group consists primarily of educated rhetoricians and former politicians, not warriors. Embracing the motto “the pen is mightier than the sword,” you have decided to write a series of articles in support of your ideals. Your group has decided to write four articles it would like to include in the first edition of your newspaper, which will be titled The Republic. 

Empire Times 

You are a Roman citizen who loved and supported Julius Caesar. You were outraged by his betrayal and murder and even participated in the chaos that followed Antony’s funeral speech on the pulpit. You and a group of like-minded Romans who believe in the idea of a great Roman Empire have come together to do your part to support Octavius, Julius Caesar’s true heir. You have decided to write four articles to be published in the newspaper titled Empire Times in order to further your cause and show support for the new Roman Empire.

Each student will be responsible for writing a newspaper-style article using one of the following titles as a guide. You can allow students to choose within their groups, or you can assign each student an article. 

Article Titles for The Republic 

“Peace, Freedom, and Liberty: Why Caesar Paid the Price for His Ambition”: This article will explain the reasons for Caesar’s death, focusing on how it was intended to bring “peace, freedom, and liberty” back to the Republic.

“Antony: A Traitor to the Republic”: This article will spin Antony’s actions to make him look like a traitor to the Roman Republic. It should highlight his broken promise to the conspirators (in Act 3, Scene 1) and include how he incited violence in Rome and led his army against its “true” leaders: Brutus and Cassius. 

“Brutus: A Leader of the People”: This article will emphasize Brutus’s qualities as a leader and his noble purpose for killing Caesar. 

“The Battle for the Republic: How We Can Save Our Society”: This article will report on the final battle for Rome depicted at the end of the play and prompt people to resist the new leaders, Octavius and Antony.

Article Titles for Empire Times 

“The Tide of Times: Corruption and the Death of Rome’s Greatest Leader”: This article will explain the reasons for Caesar’s death, focusing on the event as treasonous and done out of jealousy of Caesar’s power and greatness. 

“Antony: A Hero to the Republic”: This article will shine a light on Antony’s accomplishments and noble acts and highlight his leadership qualities. 

“Brutus: A Traitor to the People”: This article will depict Brutus as a traitor to Rome and Caesar, its rightful ruler. 

“The Battle for the Empire: Caesar’s Revenge”: This article will report on the final battle for Rome depicted at the end of the play and suggest that its result is due to the great leadership of Octavius and Antony, who have righteously avenged Caesar.

Have group members review and provide feedback on one another’s articles before producing final drafts of each. 

Have students round out their newspapers by adding their choice of features, such as relevant pictures, weather reports, a sports page, comic strips, or crossword puzzles. Have each group compile their articles and additional features into one bound newspaper (this can also be done digitally).

CCSS

Differentiated Instruction

This activity can be modified to help all students access learning.
Decrease difficulty

Students may work with a partner to write the article, and articles can be two paragraphs long.

Increase difficulty

Have students do multiple revisions and increase the length of the article.

Assess the Assignments

Use the Rubric for Student Assessment to evaluate student work on the lesson assignments. 

Distribute the Student Reflection Worksheet. Guide students through the self-assessment and reflection questions.

Contents Downloads
Introduction Materials Introduce the Lens Introduce the Driving Questions Introduce the "Through the Lens" Activity Introduce the Final Project Assign the Midpoint Activities Final Projects Assess the Assignments