Teach Characters in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
The Difference Between Direct and Indirect Characterization
Mar 26, 2009
Shakespeare’s plays offer many opportunities to teach complex characterization development, and The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is certainly no exception. When teaching characterization, start by explaining the following two characterization techniques:
- Direct characterization: a technique used to directly reveal characters, including overt descriptions of their appearances, relationships and interests.
- Indirect characterization: a technique used to indirectly reveal characters through their thoughts, actions, and speech.
Use Venn Diagrams
Once they have a general understanding of these two definitions, students should identify ample examples of each type. You may want to instruct your students to complete a Venn diagram to visually represent the similarities and differences between direct and indirect characterization of specific characters in the play. A new diagram can be completed for each major character.
Provide Examples of Direct Characterization
Teaching direct characterization is fairly simple. Although you can encourage students to search for explicit descriptions of characters, be sure to inform them that in drama audience members need to observe the play to view much of the direct characterization expressed in the costumes, appearances, and gestures of the characters. To start analyzing the text, however, you can ask students which lines help them conjure a mental image of each character. They should highlight in their text several examples of direct characterization. In fact, one simple way to learn new characters is to highlight their descriptions when they are first introduced in the play.
For example, Caesar directly describes Cassius in the following lines:
"He is a great observer, and he looks/ Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays, As though dost, Antony; he hears no music;/ Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort / As if he mocked himself” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 212-215).
Here, the audience is explicitly told, for instance, that Cassius does not love plays, listen to music, or smile much. These facts can be taken at face value to understand Cassius.
Provide Examples of Indirect Characterization
Since drama minimizes narration, students will likely identify more examples of indirect characterization than of direct characterization in this play. Because this exercise requires students to make inferences about the characters and read in between the lines to determine their significance, it provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop their critical thinking skills. To begin, encourage your students to search for lines that contain hints about a character’s personality or motives. They should keep in mind the following questions:
- Why does the character speak these lines?
- What is the purpose of this monologue or soliloquy?
- What can we learn about a character based on what others say about him or her?
- How do a character’s actions reveal what he or she is thinking?
When answering these types of questions, students analyze characters through indirect characterization. Opportunities for this type of study are nearly limitless in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, a play brimming with secrecy and surreptitious motives.
For instance, Cassius is frequently indirectly characterized by his actions and speech. Consider the following lines:
“Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world/ Like a Colossus, and we petty men/ Walk under his huge legs and peep about/ To find ourselves dishonorable graves” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 142 - 145).
Here, Cassius indirectly reveals his jealous and calculating nature through his speech. He is trying to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy by changing his opinion of Caesar. He also suggests that men who allow Caesar to gain power are “dishonorable,” knowing that Brutus prides himself as an honorable man.
Analyzing different characterization techniques help students improve their comprehension of challenging texts such as The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. By identifying a variety of examples in the play, students will also develop close reading and critical thinking skills and prepare to explore various model of tragedy terms specific to the play.
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