I Come to Bury this Podcast not to Praise it

Shakespeare makes it clear that Caesar was a very popular ruler of Rome. It’s also clear that Mark Antony uses this to incite the people to rebellion. But does the literature represent reality?

Act III is one of the greatest acts in the history of drama, full of famous lines, such as “ET tu Brute?” but one must look to Marc Antony for the greatest lines in the plan and the greatest speech in all of literature. For those of you who haven’t ever seen a young Marlon Brando as Marc Antony, you really haven’t experienced the full Shakespeare experience.

Life Lesson

The assassination fallout would have gone much better for the assassins had Brutus gotten off his high horse just a little. It’s like, Brutus, you just stabbed your freaking best friend. You’re not all that honorable, dude!

Although I’ve never stabbed anyone, I sometimes get on my high horse in the classroom and act like I’ve never made a mistake. This could get you in trouble, alienate colleagues, and make you look like a total cornhole.

I’d also like to add a bonus life lesson. Caesar thought these people over whom he ruled were his friends. He was mistaken and paid for this mistake with his life. Too often, I’ve seen colleagues think his or her students were friends and the repercussions of such thoughts have brought trouble and disgrace upon many a teacher. Your students are not your friends. They are your students. I’ve always urged young teachers to maintain strict boundaries between themselves and their students. This includes social media.

Takeaways

1. Smart people do stupid things.
2. Watch Marlon Brando’s Julius Caesar speech. I’m sure it’s on YouTube.
3. Your students aren’t your friends.

Resources

• Julius Caesar Blog Post at ELACommonCoreLessonPlans.com
• Free Video Course Sign Up : https://forms.aweber.com/form/34/1733538234.htm