The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is full of important literary elements for students to explore. One of these elements is the tragic hero, a protagonist who seems to be ill-fated, and destined for doom. In this play, Brutus is the tragic hero as he leads himself and many others to their ruin and deaths.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle first articulated the specific attributes or principles of a tragic hero. For the storyboard above, students can use a template to storyboard the qualities that make Brutus a tragic hero. The finished product outlines each of Aristotle's principles with a detailed explanation of the specific attributes.
ATTRIBUTE | DESCRIPTION | Example from Julius Caesar |
---|---|---|
Hamartia | Hero's Flaw that Causes Downfall | Brutus’s love of Rome demands he do anything required to preserve it. |
Hubris | Excessive Pride | Brutus was so certain of his justness in killing Caesar, he didn’t anticipate that the people of Rome would follow Antony against him. |
Peripeteia | Reversal of Fortune | Antony turns the crowd against him during Caesar’s eulogy. |
Anagnorisis | Moment of Critical Discovery | He discovers that the people of Rome have turned on the conspirators and they must prepare for battle. |
Nemesis | Fate that Cannot be Avoided | Once Caesar has been killed, it is inevitable that Brutus will go to war with Antony. Caesar’s ghost foreshadows this defeat. |
Catharsis | Audience's Feeling of Pity or Fear After the Hero's Fall | Antony finds Brutus’ body and requests that he be buried as a hero. The audience is sad that a noble man, with good intentions, suffered such a tragic fate. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows how Brutus can be considered a tragic hero.
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Needs Improvement | |
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Tragic Hero Characteristics | The six tragic hero characteristics are correctly identified and portrayed from the story. The explanation provided explains how the scenes depict each characteristic, and shows effective analysis. | Four or five tragic hero characteristics are correctly identified and portrayed from the story, or some of the elements may not be identified correctly. The explanations give context to the scene, but may be minimal, and there is some attempt at analysis. | Two or three tragic hero characteristics are correctly identified and portrayed from the story, or most of the elements are inaccurately depicted. The quotes and/or explanations are too minimal. | One or fewer tragic hero characteristics are correctly identified and portrayed from the story, or most of the elements are inaccurately depicted. The quotes and/or explanations are minimal or missing altogether. |
Artistic Depictions | The art chosen to depict the scenes are accurate to the work of literature. Time and care is taken to ensure that the scenes are neat, eye-catching, and creative. | The art chosen to depict the scenes should be accurate, but there may be some liberties taken that distract from the assignment. Scene constructions are neat, and meet basic expectations. | The art chosen to depict the scenes is inappropriate. Scene constructions are messy and may create some confusion. | The art chosen to depict the scenes is too limited or incomplete. |
English Conventions | Ideas are organized. There are few or no grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors. | Ideas are mostly organized. There are some grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors. | Ideas may be disorganized or misplaced. Lack of control over grammar, mechanics, and spelling reflect a lack of proofreading. | Storyboard text is difficult to understand. |