Lesson video

Hello, and welcome back to the Oak National Academy for English.

My name is Mr. James, and today we're going to be continuing with our series of lessons on William Shakespeare's wonderful "Julius Caesar." So let's begin by having a look at what we will learn in today's lesson.

Well, first of all, we're going to learn about foreshadowing.

Secondly, we're going to learn about dramatic irony.

Third, we're going to read the text.

Fourth, we're going to answer some questions on the text, and last but not least, we will do the end of lesson quiz.

But before we do any of that, there is a few things you will need before you begin the lesson.

You're going to need a pen, some paper, and you will also need, as always and most importantly, your brain.

So if you are missing any of those things, please pause the video now, go and get your equipment, and come back when you are done.

Okay, welcome back.

So now you've got your pen, paper, and brain, the first thing I would like you to do is write today's title on your paper.

It's on the screen now.

Pause the video while you write the title and come back when you are finished.

Right, we're going to begin today's lesson by looking at this word, foreshadowing.

First of all, we're going to look at a couple of sentences that use the word foreshadowing in a typical way you might experience in an English classroom.

The first sentence says, in stories, stormy weather often foreshadows that bad things will happen.

And then the sentence below that says, the weather in Act II, Scene ii of "Julius Caesar" foreshadows Caesar's death.

What does this word foreshadowing or foreshadow mean? Well, foreshadowing is a little sign or a hint of what is going to happen later in a story or later in a text.

It's a little sign or hint of what is to come.

Foreshadowing helps the reader to build expectations and anticipate what will happen.

So it keeps the reader engaged and interested by making them think about what might happen as the story continues.

And foreshadowing does not tell what will happen.

It suggests what might happen.

And that's quite an important point.

It doesn't tell exactly what is going to happen.

It tells what might happen.

So we can go back to our example of stormy weather.

It might suggest something bad will happen.

Stormy weather can't tell us the exact bad thing that will happen, but it might suggest something bad is going to happen.

And we'll use our knowledge of the story, what we already know about the story, to guess perhaps what that bad thing might be.

Now, let's look at some examples of foreshadowing.

As we've already said, stormy weather can be an example of foreshadowing, and it often foreshadows bad or dark events.

It suggests something bad or dark might be about to happen in a story.

Also creaking doors or floors can foreshadow things in stories.

Now, what do you think a creaking door or a floor might foreshadow? Have you got any idea? Well, it can foreshadow a number of things, but typically, it might foreshadow that there is an intruder in the house or there is horror to come.

That's typical.

And lastly, there might be a gun in a story.

Imagine someone cocking a gun, like in the picture on the screen now.

And what might that foreshadow? Well, typically it might foreshadow that there's going to be some kind of violence in the story, and the gun might even be used.

But even if the gun isn't used, this is probably a certain type of story that will have violence in it.

So what I would like you to do is pause the video now and copy and complete these sentences, filling in the missing words.

When you've done, unpause the video and come back to me.

Off you go.

Okay, welcome back.

Let's have a look at how you did.

Well, hopefully you got these answers.

Foreshadowing is a little sign or hint of what is going to happen.

Foreshadowing helps the reader build expectations and anticipate what will happen.

Foreshadowing does not tell what will happen.

It suggests it.

Now, I'm sure he did that really well and you got some great answers.

Well done.

So we've looked at foreshadowing, and now we're going to move on and look at dramatic irony.

Now, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony in "Julius Caesar" because the audience know that Caesar is killed by the conspirators.

The dramatic irony and Act II, Scene ii increases the tension because the audience knows Calpurnia is right.

Caesar should not go out.

So there's an example of how dramatic irony is used in "Julius Caesar," but what is dramatic irony, exactly? Well, dramatic irony is when the audience know more about what is happening, or what will happen, than the characters.

I'm just going to leave that there for a minute.

Read it again, because it is a little bit complicated, sometimes, dramatic irony.

Have a read through it again.

It's when the audience know more about what is happening or what will happen than the characters do.

So let's have a look at how dramatic irony works in "Julius Caesar." Well, the audience are likely to know the history of what will happen, of what happened, sorry.

So the audience are likely to know that Julius Caesar was in fact assassinated by the conspirators.

Now, also in "Julius Caesar," the audience see the conspirators making their plans, making their plots, planning the conspiracy.

They see Cassius trying to manipulate Brutus into joining the conspiracy.

So the audience both know the history, and they can see what the conspirators are planning.

But of course, Caesar doesn't know any of this in the play.

Caesar doesn't know he's going to be assassinated.

He doesn't know he's going to be murdered, and he doesn't know that the conspirators are plotting against him.

Although, of course, he does suspect that Cassius is the kind of man who would, he doesn't know that he actually is.

So the audience know both of these things that Caesar doesn't know.

They know that he was in fact assassinated in history, and in the play, they can see the conspirators plotting against him.

So this means the audience know when Calpurnia has her dream, that she's right, and it would be best for Caesar not to go to the Senate, because the Senate, for Julius Caesar, is going to be dangerous.

So the audience know things that the characters don't in that scene, and the audience are hoping, in some ways, the Caesar listens to Calpurnia, and does not in fact go to the Senate.

So it increases the tension of the scene for the audience, because the audience know that if Caesar ignores Calpurnia, he's going to face his death.

So there is dramatic irony in "Julius Caesar" because, and I want you to read through these options as I go through them, and you're going to pick two that are correct.

So there's dramatic irony in "Julius Caesar" because Caesar dies.

That's option one.

The audience know that Caesar will die.

That's option two.

Option three, Calpurnia doesn't want Caesar to go to the Senate.

Or option four, the audience knows Calpurnia is right not to want Caesar to go to the Senate.

Now, two of these options are correct.

I'm going to give you about 10 seconds to read through them again and choose which two you think are correct.

Okay, welcome back.

Have you made up your mind? Which ones did you choose? Well, hopefully you chose option two and option four, because they are the correct ones.

So there's dramatic irony, because the audience know that Caesar will die.

So they know things the characters don't.

And also because they know that Caesar, that Calpurnia, sorry, is right not to want Caesar to go to the Senate.

So these are things the audience know that the characters don't.

So what I would like you to do now is pause the video, copy and complete this sentence, filling in the gaps about dramatic irony.

Off you go.

Okay, welcome back.

How did you do? Well, let's have a look.

Hopefully you wrote, dramatic irony is when the audience know more about what is happening or what will happen than the characters.

I'm sure he did that really well.

Well done, guys.

So we've learned about foreshadowing and we've learned about dramatic irony, and now it's time to look at the play in Shakespeare's original language.

So just before we do, what I would like you to do is copy and complete these sentences, filling in the gaps.

Now, it shouldn't be too hard, because we did look at this scene yesterday, but in modern English, rather than Shakespearian language.

So pause the video now, copy and complete the sentences, and come back to me when you are done.

Okay, welcome back, and let's have a look at how you did.

Hopefully you wrote number one, Caesar was due to go to the Senate.

Number two, Calpurnia asks him not to go.

Number three, Caesar agrees not to go.

Number four, Decius tells Caesar he should go.

And number five, Caesar changes his mind, and indeed he does go in the end.

So let's have a look at the scene in Shakespeare's original language.

And we begin with these stage directions.

It says, "Thunder and lightning," and immediately we get some foreshadowing, because we said that dark and stormy weather might foreshadow dark or bad events.

So perhaps Shakespeare has set this scene in thunder and lightning to suggest that Caesar is going to make that bad decision.

He's not going to listen to Calpurnia, and he will go to the Senate.

And then Caesar enters and he is in his nightgown, so he's obviously been asleep, and he says, "Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace tonight.

Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out, Help, ho! They murder Caesar! Who's within?" So at the end, he just hears some sounds there.

He says, "Who's within?" and Calpurnia enters.

And Calpurnia says, "What mean you, Caesar? Think you walk forth? You shall not stir out of your house today." So here Calpurnia is saying, "I do not want you to leave the house today." So, Caesar responds by saying, "Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see the face of Caesar, they are vanished." Now, dramatic harmony here is creating tension, because Calpurnia is saying to Caesar, "Do not go out.

Do not go to the Senate," but Caesar is saying, "No, actually, in fact, I will go." And of course the audience know that he shouldn't go, so there's dramatic harmony here, because we know he shouldn't.

He doesn't know that, and it creates tension, because we know that if he does go, he's going to be assassinated, so we're hoping he doesn't go.

So Calpurnia responds to Caesar by saying, "Caesar, I stood on ceremonies, yet now they fright me.

There is one within, besides the things that we have heard and seen, recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch." Now here, she's saying, "Look, I don't.

Caesar, I don't usually care about omens or listen to them or superstitious things, but I am a little bit superstitious about this, and in fact, there's someone who's told me about terrible things he has seen, in addition to the horrible visions I have seen in my sleep." So Calpurnia continues speaking, and she now explains the things that this person has told her, the visions that he has seen, and she says, "A lioness hath whelped in the streets; and graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead; the noise of battle hurtled in the air, horses did neigh and dying men did groan, ghosts did shriek and squeak about the streets.

O Caesar! These things are beyond all use, and I do fear them." So she's saying, "Do not go out, because of all these terrible visions and terrible things that have been seen." And again, we've got dramatic irony here, creating tension, because we know that Calpurnia is giving good advice.

Even if we don't believe the superstitions and the visions and the dreams, we still know that season would be best to listen to Calpurnia and not go to the Senate, because that will save his life.

So again, Caesar responds and he says, "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant," that means brave, "the valiant never taste of death but once.

Of all the wonders that I yet have yielded, it seems to me most strange that men should fear seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come." So here Caesar is saying, "No, I'm not going to be a coward.

I am going to be brave and go to the Senate.

I'm not going to listen to what you say." So here, the dramatic comedy is really moving from tension to add suspense to it, and we're thinking, is Caesar going to make the right decision? Is he really going to ignore Calpurnia and to go to the Senate and seal his death? So again, the audience are in a state of suspense, because they're hoping that Caesar makes a right decision and listens to Calpurnia.

So Calpurnia responds to Caesar.

She says, "Alas, my lord, your wisdom is consumed in confidence." And remember we said last time she's straight up calling him arrogant, really, here.

"Do not go forth today." Do not go to the Senate.

"Call it my fear that keeps you in the house and not your own." So she's giving him an excuse.

She's saying, "Blame it on me.

Say it's because I'm scared." She says, "We'll send Mark Antony to the Senate House, and he shall say you are not well today.

Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this." So she says, "Let me beg you of this on my knees." That's what she means, "Upon my knee prevail in this." So again, Calpurnia is begging Caesar not to go.

So she's given him excuses, and Caesar says, "Mark Antony shall say I am not well, and, for thy humour, I will stay home." And at this moment, the audience are thinking, yes, we're celebrating.

Caesar has made the right decision.

He's not going to die.

He's listened to Calpurnia.

He will not go to the Senate.

So the audience is in a state of celebration, because the dramatic irony means that they know that Caesar should not go to the Senate.

So at this point, everything's looking great for Caesar.

Unfortunately, Decius turns up.

"Enter Decius." And Decius, one of the conspirators, says, "Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar! I come to fetch you to the Senate House." To which Caesar replies, "I will not come today.

Tell them so, Decius." And Decius says, "Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause," let me know a reason, "lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them." So he's saying, "Please give me a reason why you're not going to the Senate today, because I'll be laughed at if I just say, oh, no, Caesar didn't decide to turn up." And remember, Decius is going through everything in his power to get Caesar to go to the Senate, because he's one of the conspirators, and it's his job to make sure Caesar is at the Senate, so the conspirators can assassinate him.

So Caesar says to Decius, "Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home," asks me to stay at home.

"She dreamt tonigh she saw my statue, which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, did run pure blood, and many lusty Romans came smiling and did bathe their hands in it.

And these does she apply for warnings and portents and evils imminent, and on her knee hath begg'd that I will stay at home today." So Caesar's explaining that he will not go to the Senate because Calpurnia has had these dreams and she takes them for warnings of something bad to happen, or portents, which is the same.

So it's a warning for something bad to come or evils imminent.

Some evil is imminently about to happen.

Calpurnia sees these as bad omens.

So Decius replies to this.

He listens to it and very quickly comes up with an answer.

He says, "This dream is all amiss interpreted." So he's saying, "Oh, no, Calpurnia's interpreted the dream wrong.

She's got it all backwards." And again, dramatic irony here is creating tension, because the audience are hoping that Decius is not going to be able to convince Caesar that Calpurnia is wrong.

And we're hoping that Caesar makes the right decision to ignore Decius and listen to Calpurnia.

So he says, "This dream is all amiss interpreted.

It was a vision fair and fortunate," meaning beautiful and lucky.

"Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, in which so many smiling Romans bathed, signifies that from you great Rome shall suck reviving blood, and that great men shall press for tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance.

This by Calpurnia's dream is signified." So Decius is saying, "No, she's got it all wrong.

In fact, this is a good dream and shows you are going to offer life to Rome.

You know, blood is the stuff of life, and you're going to be giving life to Rome through your great leadership.

And that is why you shouldn't be worried about the dream and should come to the Senate with me." And of course, the reason we have this dramatic irony and this tension is because we know Decius is a conspirator and he's trying to manipulate and influence Caesar into going to the Senate so he can assassinate him.

To which Caesar says, "And this way you have expounded it How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia! I am ashamed I did yield to them.

Give me my robe, for I will go." So Caesar's saying, "Oh, Decius, your interpretation is much better, and I therefore will go.

Calpurnia, you are stupid." As the audience, we feel like this guy up here, the ancient facepalm, really, because Caesar, well, he's not listening to Calpurnia.

He is listening to Decius and he's signing his own death warrant, and we know this because of dramatic irony.

We know because we've seen the conspirators making their plot, and we know the history of what actually happened, so we know that by making this decision, Caesar is basically consigning himself to death.

So it's the dramatic irony that adds the interest to the scene.

We know Caesar is making the wrong decision and he will be assassinated.

Okay, so we've read the text for today, and it is now time to answer some questions on the text.

So there's a question here.

It says, complete the two sentences below, or a task here, I should say.

And the first sentence simply begins, There is dramatic irony in Act II, Scene ii of "Julius Caesar" because.

And the second sentence says, there is dramatic irony in Act II, Scene ii of "Julius Caesar" but.

I want you to copy, complete, and finish each of those two sentences.

Pause the video, come back when you're done.

Off you go.

Okay, welcome back.

Well, what did you write? I'm sure you've got some great things down on your paper, but here's the kind of thing you might have written for your answers.

For sentence one, you might've said something like, there is dramatic irony in Act II, Scene ii of "Julius Caesar" because the audience knows that Caesar is going to be killed by the conspirators, but Caesar does not know this.

That would be a good explanation of why that is dramatic irony in Act II, Scene ii.

For sentence two, you might have written something like, there is dramatic irony in Act II, Scene ii of "Julius Caesar," but the audience still hopes that Caesar will listen to Calpurnia and decide not to go to the Senate so he doesn't die.

And if he wrote something like that, that's really great.

That's a really impressive sentence, because you're saying, although the audience knows what's going to happen, they still hope it doesn't happen.

And that's one of the strange things about stories, isn't it? Even when we know the end, even when we know the bad thing that's going to happen, we still cross our fingers and hope it isn't going to, because we ended up caring about the characters.

So, great work on that.

Let's have a look at what you might do for your next task.

It says, do you think Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony makes Act II, Scene ii more exciting for the audience? And then it says, give reasons for your answers.

So you're going to need to think back to everything I said, when I was explaining and talking through the extract, and use those things to write your answer.

Pause the video now, have a go, and come back when you are done.

Okay, welcome back.

So let's have a look at the kind of thing you might have written.

So you might've said something like this.

Yes, I think Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony makes Act II, Scene ii more exciting for the audience because the audience knows that Caesar will die if he goes to the Senate.

This means the audience hopes that Calpurnia will be able to influence Caesar to stay home.

There is tension because at first Caesar wants to go to the Senate, but the audience are relieved when Caesar chooses to stay.

However, Decius turns up at the last minute and persuades Caesar that Calpurnia is wrong and that Caesar should go to the Senate.

The audience feels frightened for Caesar because they know he will be assassinated.

And if you wrote anything like that, that's an absolutely great answer, and I'm really pleased and really proud of you.

Now, if you're looking at your answer and you think you might've missed some bits, you can pause the video now, take your pen, and improve your answer using some of the things that I included in mine.

Okay, so welcome back.

And the next question we're going to have a look at is this one, and it begins with a quotation that is actually some of the stage directions where it tells us that there will be thunder and lightning.

Now, the question below says, at the beginning of the scene, a stage direction says there is thunder and lightning.

What do you think this is foreshadowing? And there's a hint of the bottom, and it says, think about what happens in the scene.

Now in a minute, you're going to answer this question, but just have a look on the right of your screen.

There is a vocab box that contains some words, Senate, ignore, Calpurnia, atmosphere, dark, and ominous, that might help you to answer this question.

So if at any point you get a little stuck, look at the vocab box and see if they can help you.

And even if you don't get stuck, see if you can use any or all of those words in your answer.

So pause the video, have a go at answering the question, and when you are done, come back to me and I'll go through the kind of thing you might have written.

Okay, welcome back.

So let's have a look at the kind of thing you might have written.

So here's the kind of answer that you might have down.

It says the, quote, thunder and lightning mentioned in the stage directions is foreshadowing Caesar's decision to ignore Calpurnia and go to the Senate.

The thunder and lightning is used to create a dark and ominous atmosphere because this decision will lead to Caesar's death.

Now, if you've got anything like that up to that point, that is great.

If you've got anything like this last sentence, it could also be foreshadowing Decius' evil trickery when he influences Caesar to ignore Calpurnia's warnings.

If you've got anything like that final sentence as well, it's absolutely fabulous and a really impressive answer.

Now, if you want to add anything from my answer to yours, pause the video now and do that quickly, then come back when you are done.

Okay, guys, welcome back.

So we're at the end of today's lesson, and the only thing left really for me to do is remind you to do the quiz at the end that's down below, to make sure you can see everything you've learned in today's lesson.

Now, that also brings us to the end of this unit, so I'm going to encourage you to share your work with Oak National.

If you'd like to, please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, tagging @OakNational and hashtag #LearnwithOak because we know you've done some great work and we really want you to celebrate it, and to be able to celebrate it with you.

So it's been a pleasure teaching you for unit two of "Julius Caesar." If you're joining me for unit three, I'm really looking forward to that.

If not, you've done really well, and hopefully I'll see you again soon.

Bye bye.