AkeryEd

Soon, we will begin Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Plays are meant to be seen, heard, and experienced. I will introduce students to a scene through a recorded performance (RSC’s 2012 production is my favorite), then we will go to the text to reflect on the choices directors and actors must make. I will provide my students with a list of essential questions to consider as we move through the play. I developed these questions with restorative practices in mind, which allow students to think deeply about characterization’s impact on the plot.

Essential Questions:

1. What harm occurs in Julius Caesar, and who does it affect?
2. How are relationships impacted by conflicts in the play, and how do they change as it progresses?
3. Are there moments when power dynamics are challenged, disrupted, or restored? How does this impact characters and their communities?
4. What personal transformations do characters undergo as a result of experiencing or addressing harm?
5. What does Shakespeare’s craft reveal about relationships between characters?

Students will also keep a log of the character Brutus’ relationships with other characters in the play. The simplest way to do this is in an electronic document with a simple table that includes observations of the relationships, evidence from the text with citations, and the impact of those relationships on Brutus’ and his downfall. Students can use information from this table to write an analytical paragraph or essay. I will invite the students to consider restorative choices Brutus could make in his relationships and imagine the outcomes with help from the Restorative Compass. I will model giving Shakespeare agency through identifying his choices and their impact.