Name: _________________________________

Julius Caesar Socratic Seminar

Now that we have finished reading one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, we are going to take some
time to discuss. While perhaps we cannot relate to the plot of the play, the themes and topics that are
discussed have proven to be rather timeless, which is what we will center our conversation around.

Your job for this seminar is to:

-Create ONE discussion question that can be brought up during the seminar. REMEMBER: discussion
questions are questions that CANNOT be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ These questions require
deeper thinking and discussion. You will be graded accordingly.

-Answer the question on your own (this can be either hand-written or typed).

-Bring the question to class on Monday, March 12th, and be ready to participate in the seminar.

 IMPORTANT NOTE: While the themes/topics you choose have to relate to our text,
your questions/answers DO NOT have to specifically relate to Julius Caesar! If you
want to relate it more specifically to our play, feel free to do so, but I also encourage
you to try and make connections to your own life and the world around you!

Examples of ideas/statements relating to Julius Caesar that can help you come up with some questions
(NO, you may not simply take one of these statements and turn it into a question—YOU ARE ALL
CAPABLE OF CREATING GREAT QUESTIONS):

-power corrupts
-disorder (unrest/chaos) corrupts
-leadership
-betrayal
-patriotism
-honor
-friendship
-politics and morality

-it is never right to kill another person

-political leaders usually act in the best interest of their countries
-if a political leader has done something wrong, it is acceptable to get rid of them by whatever
means necessary
-people should never compromise their ideals or beliefs
-no cause, political or otherwise, is worth dying for
-it is fine to betray your friends