Cowards Die Many Times Before Their Death. Caesar Dies in a Few Hours

Today’s quote of the day is one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, which naturally makes it one of the most famous quotes in Literature.

Quote: Caesar: 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. (II, ii, 32-37).

Analysis: Caesar shows bravery in these lines. His actions, however, demonstrate recklessness. Little does Caesar know, his death will come in the next act. This is irony, which we’ll talk more about in a few minutes.

That’s because Caesar is not showing bravery. He’s showing pride and arrogance and stupidity. It’s ironic that this quote is oft quoted for those trying to rally others to bravery. That’s one of the many delicious things about Shakespeare is that some of his best lines are said by his most tragic and foolish characters (I’m looking at you Polonius).

Takeaways

1. Although Caesar is wise in his assessment of cowards dying many times before their death, it’s safe to say he didn’t realize his one death was coming so soon.
2. Sometimes backing down is the more courageous act. It takes humility.
3. Let’s not take unnecessary risks by not having good lesson plans.

Resources

• Julius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
• Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm
• Complete Lesson Plans Collections: https://trent-media.myshopify.com/
• Julius Caesar Lesson Plans https://trent-media.myshopify.com/products/julius-caesar-lesson-plans-unit-plan-and-teaching-guide?_pos=1&_sid=47f2fed56&_ss=r