The focus of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is on the following personalities, events and situations:
Personalities: Caesar; Brutus; Cassius; Antony; Calpurnia; Portia and Octavian.
Situations: the expanding Roman Empire; the failure of the triumvirate; the civil war resulting from Caesar’s death and the ultimate end of the Roman Republic.
Events: Antony offering Caesar the crown; the night of omens; Caesar’s assassination; and the battle at Philippi.
Julius Caesar is an essentially political play. An interesting approach to selecting related material would be to consider other political situations that have inspired conflicting perspectives (otherwise known as every political situation ever) and find some texts that portray different perspectives.
Good places to find texts include:
- online newspapers such as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian.
- online news sources such as The ABC or The Drum.
- wikipedia – scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the links.
- for historical documents check out the Library of Congress or the National Library.
Texts can be articles, images, blog posts, news reports or even forum discussions (if they’re well written). You can also usually find books, both non-fiction and fiction, about historical events and, if they were sufficiently interesting or significant, there may be a film. Here are some ideas to get you started searching (try to find something that interests you).
Personalities: Julia Gillard; Bill Clinton; Tony Blair; Margaret Thatcher; Idi Amin; Winston Churchill; Charles de Gaulle; Nelson Mandela.
Situations: The war in Iraq; the Suffragette movement; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the Indonesian invasion of East Timor; the fall of the Ottoman empire; the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
Events: The assassination of President Lincoln; the fall of the Berlin Wall; the coronation of Elizabeth I; the abdication of Edward VIII.
Hi,
Would it be true to assume that with this module students could have a written essay and adapt it any question given that the question at the HSC is quite generic as it is a general question that caters to all the texts in the module?
Also when preparing notes would you recommend that all three aspects personalities, situations and events should be covered and also is it a requirement in the HSC to include all the facets in an essay.
Forgot to mention, this is a good post!
Have a great day, and I look forward to reading your blog 🙂
Hi Ray
I never advise students to go into the HSC with a preprepared essay. In 2009 a number of students took that approach and received a nasty shock when they saw the questions, particularly in Paper 2. Just for reference, the 2009 question for Module C was:
Analyse the ways conflicting perspectives generate diverse and provocative insights.
With a question like this one (and, indeed, with most questions I’ve seen for this module), I would use events, personalities and situations as organisers; writing one paragraph around each idea and using examples from my texts to support my points. My essay plan for this question would go something like this:
Thesis: Conflicting perspectives generate diverse and provocative insights.
Point 1: Conflicting perspectives about events generate diverse and provocative insights into bias in the media.
Point 2: Conflicting perspectives about personalities generate diverse and provocative insights into individual agendas, which are shaped by contextual values.
Point 3: Conflicting perspectives about situations generate diverse and provocative insights into the worldviews of different groups, which are also shaped by contextual values.
Students should have a few thesis-type statements about conflicting perspectives and they should have notes on events, personalities and situations (these are key words in the module rubric) and how these ideas relate to their texts, with quotes and an explanation of the techniques. This kind of summary is ultimately more useful than a prewritten essay as it becomes the basis for writing a number of practice responses and it’s the skill of answering a specific question under time pressure that the HSC really tests.
Wow. Long response. Sorry to overload you with information. Later this week I’ll be doing a post on how to summarise for each module.
Thanks for reading.
Mrs L.
Thanks heaps Mrs. Langford. You are amazing!
Would you suggest that the related text should be about 40% of the essay and in that case should the discussion include events, personalities and situations?
Thanks,
Ray
Ideally, Ray, there should be a balance between your prescribed text and your related text in your essay. However, in this module, some students find it necessary to treat two texts as a single text (because they portray different perspectives from each other). You should aim to cover your related text in as much depth and detail as your prescribed text, including a discussion of events, personalities and situations.
Hello Mrs. Langford! Firstly, thank you SO much! (:
I need help ): I have an assessment task on Julius Caesar but it’s on Acts 1 and 2 only. Could you please suggest one related material that has links with Julius Caesar Acts 1 and 2? I was thinking of news article on Bill Henson issue (art vs. child pornography) because it works well with Brutus and Antony’s speeches but I don’t think it would work for this assessment task because it doesn’t have any links forActs 1 and 2. Or am I wrong? Does it work? I am so stressed here, could you please reply as soon as possible? Please help.. It would be greatly appreciated (:
Hi Nana
Related material for this Module needs to represent conflicting perspectives. That’s it. As long as your chosen related text conveys conflicting perspectives about personalities ( the main one in Acts I & II is Caesar – perspectives from Cassius, Brutus, etc) you should be fine. Remember it’s the quality of the analysis and not the quality of the text that matters.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Thanks for replying!!
Oh okay so it’s the quality of the analysis that I have to worry about. However, we can’t only talk about personalities. We need to talk about all three; personality, event and situation. I understand how personality is Bill Henson and for JC it is Julius Caesar but I can’t think of anything for events and situations. Could you please identify them? For situation, would it be his photgraphy?
For Bill Henson issue, the viewers are conflicting (people who support Henson and people who are against him). Can I use their opinions? If I can, then what am I supposed to say it came from? They’re from the comments on the article website? Also, there are lots of well known/importnat people who commented about this issue (e.g. Rudd) but the statements are not from the article but from other articles. Can i still quote from them?
Ah! What would be the main two ideas for JC and Bill Henson issue?
I’m asking you so much questions, I’m so sorry and thanks!
The event would be the exhibition and the situation would be the moral panic over child images. You may need to use two articles and treat them as a single text (the same way a student might use two Ted Hughes poems or two Robertson essays). Alternately you could find an article that quotes a range if conflicting perspectives. You could compare Caesar and Henson as controversial personalities who inspire conflict. You could compare Antony offering Caesar the crown with Henson’s exhibition and Australia’s concern over the images of children with Rome’s concern over rulership and monarchy.
Wow thanks! I totally understand about the events, personalities, situations now! 😀
However, what do you mean by two articles – same text types? From same place (e.g. smh)? Do I have to inform my teacher about the two articles? Hmm I’m only allowed one related text.
Oh, so I can’t state other opinions AT ALL? E.g. Rudd, viewers. Just because it’s not from the same article?
By the way. Major help here): What should my main two ideas be? That matches the event, personality, situation, you’ve mentioned?
Thanks a lot. You’re a life saver(:
Actually Mrs. L, never mind about the first two questions. I understand what you mean now. However, I still can’t think of any main two ideas! ): It’s preventing me from writing my essay which is due very soon. The more I think about it, the more I get puzzled. I just need your help, please help me. I’m so lost.. Please reply asap! Thank you so much!! (:
Hi Nana
I think the focus ideas you need to consider are
1. Politics is a forum for conflicting perspectives but it also creates them
2. Art is always controversial and also creates conflicting perspectives
Remember that you also need to focus on the idea of REPRESENTATION for this module.
Cheers,
Mrs L.
This an interesting website with some JC essays to ponder over….
Thanks Jack. That’s a great article. I am hoping to make more links to give students more access to resources. I hope that blogs by teachers and tutors can encourage students to seek out knowledge and become more independent learners.
I’m looking for a related text for module c specifically conflicting perspectives
I want to do a film but I want something that has not be over done
Hi Linda. There are two films I’ve thought would be good for Conflicting Perspectives, both tell a story from different perspectives and have some great film techniques: Vantage Point (2008) directed by Pete Travis and Rashomon (1950) directed by Akira Kurosawa.
Hi mrs Langford, i was thinking about using vantage point as a related text, but was unsure- if the different POV just led to better understanding of the event, or if there are conflicting perspectives? I’m confused as to what would be the event, personality and situation- as there are so many view points
Hello
In Vantage Point there is, eventually, better understanding of the event (the assassination of the president); however, the perspectives initially conflict due to differences in values, viewpoints, and beliefs. You could develop a strong thesis that conflicting perspectives are necessary to gaining a panoramic view of events, personalities, situations. The key event in the film would be the shooting and subsequent bombings, the situation would be international politics, and the personalities could be the president or any of the other key characters you find interesting. If you feel a film is too big a text to tackle, there are some great picture books such as David McCauley’s Black and White. I’m going to write a post on picture books for conflicting perspectives soon.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs L,
I really need some assistance in finding a related text for Julius Caesar, it is for an assessment task this is the question; Explore how Julius Caesar and ONE other related text of your own choosing represent conflicting perspectives in unique and evocative ways.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thankyou
Hi Jessica
If you have some time to prepare I recommend looking at one of the films I suggested to Linda above. If you’re feeling rushed, a shorter text would be better. You could look at the images by Escher and Dali that I’ve talked about in another post. The Gotye duet with Kimbra Somebody That I Used to Know would also be interesting if you felt confident analyzing it musically as well as lyrically.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford. Firstly I’d like commend you and thank you on the fantastic blog that has been a great help to me. My only question is to do with choosing the related text; does the related text have to relate to the ideals of Casear or do you pick a text based on how well you know it and can analyse it. Does it also matter what type of related text you pick? Do you get better marks with a movie or an article? Or do you generate a better essay with a song or a documentary?
Thank you
Hi Vipin.
Choose a related text that you feel confident in analysing. It needs to portray conflicting perspectives, preferably on events, personalities, and situations. It is a good idea to choose a text that is unique to you, as this will make your response stand out to the marker. A more sophisticated text (for example, a classic novel) can often be more impressive; however, it needs to be something you’re either already familiar with or something you’re willing to put time into.
Cheers,
Mrs L.
Thank you Mrs L for the quick reply. Most helpful
Hey Mrs Langford, I am studying Julius Caesar for conflicting perspectives, and we have now finshed the module, but I still don’t have any related texts. I have been searching all over the internet to find some, but I dont really know what i’m looking for. I am thinking of doing the personality of Brutus, and his internal and external conflict over betraying Caesar, public Vs private personality e.t.c. Would you be able to suggest some related texts that I could have a look at? I thought about maybe somthing on julia gillard and her ‘betrayel’ of Kevin Rudd
Hi Maddy. I like your idea of comparing Caesar/Brutus to Rudd/Gillard. This article by Annabelle Crabbe in The Monthly might be a good related text: http://www.themonthly.com.au/why-one-year-after-election-voters-still-don-t-know-who-gillard-prime-minister-interrupted-annabel-c
It has lots of interesting techniques. Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hello Mrs Langford. I’m also using a Gillard and Rudd article as a related text.
I’m really stuck on a thesis statement and I really don’t know how I can relate these two personalities to the text.
I was just wondering if you can get me on track again. Thank you 🙂
Hi
Can you include a link to the article? Perhaps something like, “conflicting perspectives lead to political and social change” would work well for your article and Julius Caesar.
Cheers,
Mrs L
Hi, i was just wondering if you had any ideas on how i would specifically relate Ted Hughes’ Birthday Letters to my related text Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye? Thanks
Hi Tahlia
I would focus on the similarities in personalities (a pair involved in a romantic relationship) and situation (the breakdown of the relationship). This kind of situation almost always generates conflicting perspectives. Also similar to Hughes, the representation of the situation is used to assign or avoid blame. Hughes appropriates some of Plath’s language (eg using the American word “kleenex” and echoing her in the final line of The Shot). In the same way, the personae in ‘Somebody that I used to know’ turn their lover’s words against them by repeating them.
Hope that helps.
Sarah
Thanks so much for getting me on the right track, that helped a lot! 🙂
Hi Mrs Langford, Could you suggest some of the techniques that are used in the article by Annabelle Crabbe: http://www.themonthly.com.au/why-one-year-after-election-voters-still-don-t-know-who-gillard-prime-minister-interrupted-annabel-c and how it represents the conflicting perspectives between K.Rudd and J.Gillard? I’m really unsure about analysing articles.
Thanks !
Hi Vincent
Crabbe uses inclusive language, “we engage…particular to us,” to position readers to see political situations from her perspective. She creates a rational tone by using low modality language, “reasonably competently.” The conflicting perspectives here are around a personality, Julia Gillard. Crabbe represents her own perspective but also those of others through the use of quotes. She also allows Gillard herself to speak, through quoting. Other significant perspectives represented here are Gillard’s on Rudd and Howard’s on Gillard. Look at the way humor, slang, anecdote, understatement, and symbolism are all used in this article.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi
I was just wondering if you could help me out with connecting Julius Caesar with the song somebody that i used to know by Gotye + Kimbra.
In class, we ran out of time to fully learn the topic ‘conflictive perspectives’ and i’m not sure what the events/situations and personalities are in both texts if you could help me out it’d be muchly appreciated!
Hi Rachel
I would focus on the event of the death of Caesar and the event of the “death” of the relationship between the couple in the song. Brutus, Antony, Gotye and Kimbra all use repetition and irony to represent their perspectives. Brutus: “not that I love Caesar less but that I loved Rome more” Antony: “Brutus is an honourable man” Gotye and Kimbra: “somebody that I (you) used to know.” You could talk about the way in which conflicting perspectives arise out of both personal and political situations. Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
This has helped me alot, thankyou!
Would you be able to tell me anymore techniques used in the song and their affect?
But again, thankyou.
Hi Rachel
The song has some poetic techniques in addition to repetition. Oxymoron: “lonely in your company” – shows the difficulties inherent in relationships. Hyperbole: “so happy you could die” – foreshadows the death of the relationship. The song has a regretful tone, “addicted to a certain kind of sadness” which is reinforced both musically through light instrumentation in a minor key (minor keys always sound sad) and through the stop motion animation of the video clip, which shows Gotye and Kimbra being symbollically trapped by their relationship as they are painted into the wall and then freed as the paint disappears. Symbol: “have your friends collect your records and then change your number” – the records and the phone number symbolise a shared life and communication which is now cut off. There’s also a lovely juxtaposition between the sweetness of Kimbra’s voice and the harsh tone of her language in “all the times you screwed me over.” Finally, second person is used throughout the song to create a tone of accusation and blame.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs L,
I was wondering if you have any more techniques and thesis statements on this article: http://www.themonthly.com.au/why-one-year-after-election-voters-still-don-t-know-who-gillard-prime-minister-interrupted-annabel-c ? I am doing Julius Caesar and saw you suggested this article.
Thanks so much…
Hi Holly
I just realized that I hadn’t properly replied to your question. If you scroll through the comments here, you should find what you’re looking for.
Cheers,
Mrs L
Hi
thanks so much for the amazing post! this is embarrassing but I am really worried about analyzing my related texts as i always need my teachers to kick start the analyzing and i find it really hard to do it all by myself. But obviously, i have to be independent about this. However, can you please give me some tips and advises on how to analyze related texts effectively? thanks in advance.
Hello.
You inspired me to write a post about analysing related texts. It’s just been published. Hope it helps.
Mrs L.
Thanks for replying Mrs. L. It was a great post. Now i can get started on my related texts. Thank you so much once again!
And i have to ask this qn. i just finished my year 11 and will be starting year 12 after the spring hols. i want to score at least a 94 in English advanced and i have been working really hard the whole year but my marks are not pleasing at all. I have a feeling that i am not a smart worker and probably am not utilizing good study techniques for English and i really do not want to make the mistake i made in year 11. How exactly should i study for English. i usually take down all the notes and my teacher’s analysis of the texts and i use it as a guide to study. i try to analyze the texts myself though and i confirm with my teacher if my analysis is correct. then i use that in the exam. I usually write a lot, like 6-7 pages for an essay which i am not sure if it is right. what should i do to score that 94 for English? i am ready to work even harder and i really need your help. Thanks in advance!
Hi again Jess
It sounds like you’re writing a bit too much in exams. Aim for five pages and focus on answering the question in a sustained manner; this takes practice. You should also make sure that you understand the purpose of each module. This means studying the module rubric as much as your texts. As well as the resources here on my blog (and on Tutor Tales – link on my front page) I also recommend the Charles Sturt HSC Online site: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/english/ This will help you get a head start on understanding what each module is about and how to study for it.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hey Mrs. L, I am trying to find a second related text for conflicting perspectives in Julius Caesar and I’m finding it really difficult. I already have a movie, and for my trial i focused on the personality of Brutus, in particular his continual ingorance of Cassius’ advice, which turns out to be spot on, and the aftermath of Caesars death; Brutus’s guilt and how it is represented, the difference that Caesar’s death makes to the characters treatment of one another. This fits in well with the movie that I have chosen, but I need another text incase they specify two. Do you think you could make any suggestions? A short novel or short story would be fantastic.
Thanks, Maddy
P.S I thought of using the play Equus as my text, but I am unsure if this would be suitable for C.P?
Hello Madison
It sounds like you have a good grasp of the conflicting perspectives in Julius Caesar. I haven’t seen Equus but having read some extracts, I think it would work very well. Remember, however, that there is often a strong focus in this module on textual form so you would need to distinguish a modern play effectively from a Shakespearean one. You might like to consider a graphic novel such as Red Son by Mark Millar or a picture book like Drac and the Gremlin by Jane Tanner, both of which represent the way in perspectives are shaped by context. If you wanted to focus on internal conflict, a poem such as Browning’s My Last Duchess might be interesting. Remember that the most effective related texts are the ones that you find interesting.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford, Great Blog!
I am trying to explore the situation of power/corruption by the characterisation of Caesar, any ideas?
Thank you!
Hi Therese
That’s a great situation to focus on for this text. I would look at the way in which perspectives are shaped by social class and compare the perspectives of the Tribunes and the commoners in the first scene. Then I would look at the two funeral orations and perhaps Caesar’s conflict with Calpurnia directly before he goes to the Senate.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford, I am using the “Prime Minister, Interrupted” article by Annabel Crabb as a related text and I am having some confusion after annotating it. I find it really difficult to be succinct in identifying what is actually conflicting in relation to personalities, events or situations. I am wondering if you could help me identify what exact perspective is conflicting about Julia Gillard? Is it her personality or the situation that she came to be Prime Minister. Thanks and here’s a link to the article http://www.themonthly.com.au/why-one-year-after-election-voters-still-don-t-know-who-gillard-prime-minister-interrupted-annabel-c
Hi Emma
I like the idea of focusing on Crabb’s use of political stories. A thesis statement could be that Conflicting perspectives arise out of gaps in stories. More simply, there are conflicting perspectives over:
Personality: Julia Gillard – what kind of leader is she? (works nicely with Caesar)
Event: The way in which Gillard became PM. Is she a backstabber or a rescuer?
Situation: Broadly this is Australian politics and the way Australians engage with it. Contrast the opening of Julius Caesar with the opening paragraph of the article.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L
Hi Mrs Langford,
Would it be reasonalbe to use a debate regarding conflicting perspectives e.g. Richard Dawkins vs John Lenoxx on god etc. I mean it has personalites, rhetoric, philosophy or is the subject a bit touchy to ensure good marks?
I personally think it would fit in well with Julius Caesar but I am in no means a stellar english student?
Thanks Dan.
Hi Dan
That sounds like a good debate to explore for Module C. You will need to find a text – an article or televised debate – that represents both sides and has lots of interesting techniques. I’m not sure if the controversial nature of the debate could affect your mark. Certainly a fair number of HSC markers are teachers from religious schools (one reason why I advise against swearing in your creative writing) however, in this module you are not arguing a side, you are simply explaining the ways in which conflicting perspectives are represented so I doubt a marker would find it offensive.
Hope that helps,
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford,
How can I best tie in Julius Caesar with the film, JFK? I am considering not only comparing Brutus with Garrison but also the plebeians and the audience throughout the text. How else can I represent conflicting perspectives in these texts?
Thanks, Peter
Hi Peter.
JFK is a great related text for Julius Caesar. Remember that you need to consider conflicting perspectives around events, personalities, and situations. It sounds like you have personalities covered, now think about events and situations. You might like to consider ideas like, “conflicting perspectives are highlighted during times of political and social change” or “strong leaders who challenge the established order can evoke conflicting perspectives”. Because of the retrospective structure of the film, you might also like to consider the way in which different views of JFK and Caesar are out forward by characters after their deaths in each text, particularly the way in which their legacies are co-opted for political gain.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L
Hi Ms L,
I have been searching for a related text for Julius Caesar that needs to have atleast 2-3 conflicting perspectives that is preferably a novel do you recommend anything because I’m not allowed to choose any text from the 2009-2014 hsc prescribed text list so its really hard to find something.
Hi Devon
I’m sorry this response is a little slow, I only just realised I had not yet responded to your question. Here are some suggestions:
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
I Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles
I Claudius by Robert Graves
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (this is a long one, be warned)
Thirteen Days by Robert F. Kennedy
Pure by Andrew Miller
If you want to find novels of literary quality that are a bit different from the ones your classmates might be choosing, I recommend checking out the shortlists for the major literary prizes over the last few years, including the Booker Prize and the Costa Book Awards.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi i was doing Pride and Prejudice as my related text for conflicting perspectives, and was just wondering what actually are the conflicting perspectives between Elizabeth and Darcy? and what techniques show this? Also i was thinking on commenting on the confliciting perspectives between society and Elizabeth in regards to marriage/social status/class and though that Mrs Bennett could be a personified version of societies views on marriage ect. Do you think that is okay?
Thank-you so much!!
Hi John
The first thing you need to do is double check with your teacher that Pride and Prejudice is an acceptable related text. It’s a great text but it’s also one of the prescribed texts for Module A. If it turns out that your school is happy with that, I would focus on the conflicting perspectives in the three areas listed in the module rubric: events, personalities, situations. What is great about Lizzie and Darcy is that it turns out their perspectives don’t really conflict at all – the conflict is born of misunderstanding and fuelled by Darcy’s pride (his unwillingness to share himself or details about his family) and Elizabeth’s prejudice (her willingness to judge quickly). Here are some ideas to get you started:
Events
The ball at Netherfield (specifically the behaviour of the Bennetts)
Lydia’s elopement with Wickham
Situations
Wickhams past with the Darcys
Jane’s relationship with Bingley
Personalities
Jane (Lizzie knows her well enough to appreciate her feelings, Darcy interprets her shyness as coldness)
Wickham (here it is Lizzie who is ignorant and Darcy who’s knowledge let him know the truth)
Bingley (Darcy is forced to re-evaluate his perspective on his friend’s personality when Lizzie challenges it)
You could also look at the conflict between Lizzie and society as you have outlined and I agree that Mrs Bennett is a good example of society’s views (although she is an extreme example). You should perhaps note, however, that the conflict is resolved with the dominant social values winning out: both Lizzie and Jane marry rich men, just like their mother wanted. You might make a statement like: Although conflicting perspectives may challenge social norms, in the end, these prove difficult to change.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi…just wondering if its ok for related text for Julius Caesar/Conflicting Perspectives/ what are your thoughts
1. Yeats Easter 1916
2.Oodergroo Nonncucal Last of His Tribe and No More Boomerang
3. James Moloney Bridge to Wisemans Cove
thank you
Hi Ana
I would not recommend using the Yeats because it is a core text for Module B. The Noonuccal poetry could work well and should be rich in techniques. I have taught Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove to year 9s so I worry that it might be a little bit simple and not as rich in techniques.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
hi,
i was wondering what would be a good related text for julius caesar in relation to the assassination of a political figure, preferably something with abraham lincoln?
thank you!
Hello Tiffany
I haven’t yet seen it, but the 2012 film Lincoln (not the Vampire Hunter one) certainly received excellent reviews and would be a good choice if you are confident analysing film as text. There are also several well-rated biographies of Lincoln that focus on his assassination including Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Lincoln by David Herbert Donald. If you’re after something shorter, Walt Whitman’s wonderful poem ‘O Captain, my Captain’ is about the assassination of Lincoln and is stuffed full of poetic techniques (but might be a bit tricky in terms of conflicting perspectives). If you want to try something a bit different, science-fiction and fantasy author Connie Willis has a novel called Lincoln’s Dreams, which would be a challenge but good, I think, for conflicting perspectives.
Other political assassinations you could consider:
John F. Kennedy
JFK’s last hundred days by Thurston Clarke (non-fiction)
JFK (film)
Archduke Franz Ferdinand (whose assassination sparked a war – just like Caesar’s)
The Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to war in 1914 (non-fiction – you could probably just use an extract)
Pretty much any documentary on WWI (if your school has Clickview, check on there)
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi,
I’m having trouble finding a related text for the conflicting perspectives topic. The prescribed text is ‘Birthday Letters’ and I’ve been looking at the Bill Henson issue and also the song ‘This land is mine’ by Paul Kelly.
I was wondering how I could relate the Henson issue with poems from Birthday Letters. Specifically Fulbright Scholars, The Shot and The Minotaur.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Angus
There were certainly a number of interesting articles about the Bill Henson controversy when it occurred a few years ago. You could look at the conflicting perspectives over what makes something art and the way in which conflicting perspectives are shaped by cultural background and personal experiences. I also have some previous blog posts with suggested related material for this text.
Mrs L.
Hi,
I’m having trouble finding a related text for the conflicting perspectives topic. The prescribed text is ‘Birthday Letters’ and I’ve been looking at the Bill Henson issue and also the song ‘This land is mine’ by Paul Kelly.
I was wondering how I could relate the Henson issue with poems from Birthday Letters. Specifically Fulbright Scholars, The Shot and The Minotaur.
Thanks
Hi Ms Langford,
I was thinking about using the film ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ as a related text for Julius Caesar (or maybe the book). Do you think this is a good choice? I’m a bit hesitant about it because the only conflicting perspectives I noticed were: who was really responsible for Kevin’s psychopathic rampage (nature vs. nurture), Eva’s internal conflicts about her love and hate for Kevin, and the conflicting perspectives of Eva and Franklin in regards to Kevin. I’m not sure if these can be flexible enough to adapt and relate to Julius Caesar and the scope of the rubric.
Hi Elizabeth
I think ‘We Need to Talk about Kevin’ would be a strong text if you feel confident analysing it. You could make your discussion more sophisticated by considering the role of the audience in both texts and the way in which perspectives can be influenced and can change over time. Remember that the module rubric focuses on events, personalities, and situations – I think you should be able to find parallels between the texts by using these categories as organisers.
Hope that helps,
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford, can u please help me on Act 1 and 2. I have to write a feature article and choose 1 scene from JC. The options are:
1. Act 1, Scene 1
2. Act 1, Scene 2
3. Act 1, Scene 3
4. Act 2, Scene 2
5. Act 2, Scene 3
6. Act 2, Scene 4
Which act/scene would best suit the related text “Bill Henson art vs child pornography” and why?
Hi Ariel
I would focus on the first scene of the play because it shows the influence of the mob (the lower classes) as opposed to the views of the upper classes and I think this should work well with the Henson issue.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi, I was wondering how Rashomon (1950) would be connected to Julius Caesar (any suggestions).
Thank you
Hi Ice
Both texts centre on a key event: a murder. The perspectives of the characters are both revealed and change over time. You could develop quite a few strong thesis statements around the idea that conflicting perspectives are fuelled by self-interest or that they thrive in times of larger cultural conflict. You could also discuss the effect the conflicting perspectives have on the audience (the mob in Julius Caesar and the film audience learning the truth in Rashomon).
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hey, I have read the previous posts on Bill Henson article. I was just wondering if you could please, identify more techniques and the effects it generates.
Perhaps, from these two articles.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-05-23/art-community-defends-naked-teen-photo-exhibition/2445836
and/or
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/henson-returns-to-the-most-provocative-landscape-of-all-20120912-25rrv.html
Thanks.
Hi Nate
The first thing to note about these articles is that they both include controversial images. If an article includes images then the images are worth analysing as well. Then you should consider the following techniques (as a starting point only, your own response and analysis is more important):
Quotes (particularly from experts) are an attempt to legitimise perspectives. They can also be used in an ironic way to undermine the perspective of the person being quoted – to misrepresent them (this point could work well with Julius Caesar, Antony’s speech and the way he quotes Brutus)
Emotive language seeks to evoke an immediate and emotional, as opposed to a rational, response from the audience.
Tone in both articles is attempting to be neutral, leaving the emotive language to the quotes. This suggests a balanced approach; however, it is your job to discover the journalist’s perspective.
Hope that helps,
Mrs L.
Hi, how do we write the JC essay like the layout do we just talk about 1 situation and 1 event. Please help on the layout of the essay and like how do we incorporate the sit and event
Thanks.
Hi Ana
I think the simplest way to structure a conflicting perspectives essay is to write a paragraph on each of the following: event, personality, situation. In each paragraph compare the event (or personality or situation) from each text and analyse how it is represented within that text and what that suggests about the nature of conflicting perspectives.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs. Langford,
I was thinking of using the film ‘Freedom Writers’ as a related text for this module, but I’m having trouble finding more than one event/ personality/ situation. I know that the students and Ms. Gruwell have conflicting perspectives on the education system (situation), but I’m not sure of anything else to write about for a second body paragraph. Do you think you would be able to help me? Thank you!
Hi Sarah
I think the film ‘Freedom Writers’ is an excellent choice for Module C. Other situations you could discuss are integration in the school and racial conflict in America more broadly. You could also discuss the drive-by shooting as a key event that expresses the extent of conflict within the community but also acts a catalyst for Ms Gruwell to discover more about her students. You could discuss Ms Gruwell in terms of personality; for example, she sees her idealism as essential to her sense of self but this leads to conflict with her colleagues and her husband.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Thank you for your quick response! I was just wondering if you could give me some hints as to what techniques I could use for those particular issues. I re-watched the movie yesterday but I am having trouble finding techniques. Thank you!
Hi Sarah
You want to look out for film techniques that highlight conflicting perspectives; for example, close-up shots that reveal emotion, and cuts between two characters who are having a conversation. You should also look at the use of colour and setting, particularly the contrast between the classroom and other locations in the film.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hey Mrs Langford, I’ve tried Rashomon as a related text but have difficulties in linking it with Julius Caesar, any help would be great.
Hi Dark
You haven’t said if you’re using the short story or film of Rashomon but either way the main link with Julius Caesar is the way that conflicting perspectives are shaped by personal context and self interest. In Rashomon the perspectives on events conflict, and in Julius Caesar the main conflict is over the personality of Caesar as well the event of his assassination. I would begin by comparing the various versions of events in Rashomon with Brutus and Antony’s funeral speeches. This Wikipedia article on the Rashomon Effect might be useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashomon_effect
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
I’m using the film but cant seem to link it with the opening scene of Julius Caesar, when Murrelus and Flavius have different views on Caesar
Hi Dark
You don’t need to parallel everything in the two texts. One way to discuss the opening scene of Julius Caesar might be to point out that Shakespeare gives us a range of perspectives from people of different classes whereas in Rashomon the perspectives presented are limited to those of the four main characters.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Miss, what could I say about Julius Caesar that I can compare and contrast in Bill Henson’s article?
Hi Connie
I suggest taking a look at my response to Nate for this post. You might also consider the idea that controversial personalities tend to be at the centre of–or are the cause of–events that create conflict between people in different social classes. For example, many fellow artists saw Henson’s work as art, whereas those with a different background viewed it more negatively. Similarly, in Julius Caesar, Caesar’s refusal of the crown is interpreted differently by the lower and upper classes.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
How was the refusal of the crown interpreted differently by the lower class (the mob) and the upper class? I’m stuck on this 😦
Hi Connie
It sounds like you’re struggling with this text. I would suggest contacting your teacher if you need detailed help but I can answer your specific question. In the opening scene of the play, the commoners are celebrating Caesar’s triumph, “But, indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Caesar and to rejoice in his triumph.” During this celebration Antony offers Caesar a crown and the commoners cheer each time Caesar refuses it, believing it to be a sign of his humility and his commitment to Roman democracy, “he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other, and at every putting-by mine honest neighbours shouted.” Casca’s interpretation of this event is different:
“Antony offer’d him a crown…and, as I told
you, he put it by once: but, for all that, to my
thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he
offered it to him again; then he put it by again:
but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his
fingers off it. And then he offered it the third
time; he put it the third time by: and still as he
refused it, the rabblement hooted and clapped their
chapped hands…”
Casca believes that Caesar only continued to refuse the crown because the crowd cheered his refusal and that he actually desperately wanted to take it, to become king of Rome and that he and Antony used the public offering of the crown as a test to see if the commoners would accept it. Of course Casca’s perspective is shaped not only by a love of Roman democracy but by his envy of Caesar. The perspective of the commoner’s (or mob) seems to be shaped by whoever is entertaining them in the moment – see their reaction to Brutus and Antony’s funeral speeches later in the play.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi could you please help me with some techniques and effects when antony offers the crown to Caesar and the conflicting perspectives between the commoner’s and casca? thanks
Hi James
The important thing to remember about this scene is that it happens off stage so we, as the audience, only hear about it through the technique of reported speech. Casca editorialises, commenting on what he believes to be Caesar’s motives and desires, rather than simply telling the story of what happened. Because we don’t actually see the offering of the crown we don’t get to form our own perspective, we must judge Casca’s. Brutus is in the same position as the audience and his reliance on the perspective of others makes him easier to manipulate later in the play.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Thank so much!
Hi,
after reading this page i’ve decided upon using the Annabel Crabb article mentioned earlier.
I just don’t know what exactly I am looking for in this article.
Just a bit confused and unclear about the course and how to use the related text.
Wondering if you can help?
Thanks
Hi Marianne
If you look through the comments on this post (sorry there are a lot), I have put together some notes and techniques on the article. Check out my reply to Vincent or, if you’re thinking of the other article, my reply to Emma (an easy way to find these is to do a CTRL+F search of the page once you have the comments open). For more help for this module, you could also check this post: https://mrslangford.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/analysing-related-material/ and this one: https://mrslangford.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/module-c-conflicting-perspectives-image-and-metaphors/
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Please Ms Langford,
Can you tell me how events, situations & conflicting perspectives are represented in ‘The Bell Jar’ and techniques used to represent them?
Any help is appreciated!
Hi Cinthia
I think the most interesting conflict in The Bell Jar is between Esther’s expectations of what her life should be like and the reality of her situation. If you’re using this text with Birthday Letters, I would compare it closely with Your Paris. The key event is Esther’s time in New York but you should also consider her fixation on the bell jar after seeing it in the lab, and, if you’re comfortable writing about it, her first sexual experience. The key technique is first person narrative, which means that everything in the novel is filtered through Esther’s perspective, which is unreliable and internally conflicted due to her deteriorating mental condition. The use of flashback also means that there is the possibility for her perspective to have shifted over time.
A lot has been written about The Bell Jar. It’s not easy reading but you could start by checking out articles like this one: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ssmith/separativeself.pdf
I hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Please, Ms Langford
Can you help me identify conflicting perspectives, the situation and event in the novel ‘The Bell Jar’ by Sylvia Plath,
Thanks in advance, any help is appreciated!
Hi Eugenie
I received two similar questions on this text last week so I have given you both the same answer.
I think the most interesting conflict in The Bell Jar is between Esther’s expectations of what her life should be like and the reality of her situation. If you’re using this text with Birthday Letters, I would compare it closely with Your Paris. The key event is Esther’s time in New York but you should also consider her fixation on the bell jar after seeing it in the lab, and, if you’re comfortable writing about it, her first sexual experience. The key technique is first person narrative, which means that everything in the novel is filtered through Esther’s perspective, which is unreliable and internally conflicted due to her deteriorating mental condition. The use of flashback also means that there is the possibility for her perspective to have shifted over time.
A lot has been written about The Bell Jar. It’s not easy reading but you could start by checking out articles like this one: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/ssmith/separativeself.pdf
I hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Thank you so much, Ms Langford!
You’re welcome Eugenie.
Good luck this year.
Hi Mrs Langford,
I’m having trouble finding a related text for CP. I want to do something about WW1, I found a novel called The Sleepwalkers but am unable to find any techniques. Do you have any ideas for a related text?
Thanks
Hi Ella
World War 1 texts could work really well for Conflicting Perspectives. I’m not familiar with The Sleepwalkers but I can definitely recommend All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. It’s a popular text so there are heaps of study guides online to help you with techniques (e.g. http://www.shmoop.com/all-quiet-on-western-front/ ). What I like about it is that it’s telling the story of the war from the German side so it’s already a perspective that conflicts with what we’re used to.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs L.,
I was thinking of doing this article (http://www.crikey.com.au/2014/04/10/razers-class-warfare-skinny-models-dont-matter-neither-does-fashion/) to go with ‘Wag the Dog’ for my Conflicting Perspectives essay. What do you think? It fits with the themes we’ve been working on in class, however, I’m concerned about techniques (mainly because I can’t really find any…)
Any help would be much appreciated 🙂
Hi Mandy
I think it’s a good article. Try spending some time with it and treating it like a Section I text. Techniques to look for include emotive language, rhetorical questions, allegory, and extended metaphor. If you’re still stuck, try trading related texts with a study buddy: search for techniques and quotes in each other’s texts.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford. Can you please help me out with choosing a related text for Caesar, I have a task this week and i’m really stressed. We have the question – ‘Central to understanding order and control is an awareness of the perspectives we are shown of situations, events and/or situations’. Which text would be most appropriate to this question: V for Vendetta, Vantage Point or the Bill Henson issue. Would much appreciate your help!
Hi Mariam
I think V for Vendetta would work best for this question as it depicts a society that is both very controlled and on the verge of anarchy as people rebel against the control.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford,
I really need a related text for Julius Caesar within two weeks. I was really interested to use a picture book since I have no time to do a novel or film. Would you please be able to give me some suggestions of a picture book that links to conflicting perspectives in the play and in particular how?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah
A few places have recommended the picture book ‘Black and White’ by David Macauley. A student of mine a few years ago used ‘Picasso’s Trousers’ by Nicholas Allan but that was with ‘The Justice Game’. Something like ‘Drac and the Gremlin’ by Alan Baillie and Jane Tanner could work well but wouldn’t be easy, as you would need to be able to discuss the power of language to influence the perspectives and perceptions of others.
In other blog posts I have recommended using newspaper articles for this module. There are some good ones about Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. Something like that might work if you are looking for a shorter text.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi,
Could you please help me find conflicting perspectives in the eulogy of earl Spencer(speech) at Diana’s funeral and how it would relate to Julius Caesar?
Help would be much appreciated thanks!
Hi Kristie
I would compare Earl Spencer’s eulogy for Diana with Marc Antony’s speech after Caesar’s death. Both Caesar and Diana were controversial political figures who died young. They were controversial because some saw Caesar as wanting more power and some saw Diana as craving publicity while also demanding privacy. Analyse the tone of the Earl’s eulogy carefully, there is some blame being implied. You might like to find a newspaper article that is more skeptical of Diana’s contribution as a companion piece for the eulogy. This might work for you: http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/mar/30/diana-princess-wales-royal-rebel-legacy
Hope that helps
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs. Langford,
I’m really confused about which related text to choose. Would you please be able to refer some articles about Australian politics or any other articles as a related text for Julius Caesar.
Thank you
Hi Alice
If you scroll through the other comments on this post you’ll find some links to articles with some notes on how to analyse them. I think the Annabelle Crabbe article about Rudd and Gillard is particularly good for this module.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hello Mrs Langford!
I’ve chosen Wolf Hall as my primary related text. At the moment, in a practice essay I am tying the novel to these three themes in Julius Caesar: the dichotomy between public and private faces (i.e Cromwell); perspectives of power, and how people can fall (paralleling the cardinal with Caesar); and the fickle nature of the public, particularly their reaction to Wolsey’s dismissal. Is this a good idea, so far? I am also gathering quotes concerning how people view King Henry VIII. It is worth me pointing out that I’m only about half way through the book at this stage! I’d love to know whether I’m on the right track.
Thankyou very much!
Hi Jack
I think Wolf Hall is a brilliant related text for this module and I wish that more students were willing to tackle longer richer texts. Your approach sounds excellent. Given that you haven’t finished the novel (it is a big one) it could be worthwhile reading some literary reviews of it to give you some more context and direction for analysis. I would start with the Times Literary Supplement and the Guardian. Because it won the Booker Prize, there should be heaps of critical reading you can do.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs L,
Firstly thankyou for running this blog, its a major help to students in need of help!
I’ve chosen to do the documentary “JFK a presidency revealed” as one of my related text for Julius Caesar, and im confident in analysing aspects such as public vs private and the differing perspectives on the assassination or even interpretations on his leadership and actions surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. Does this sound good? Any other points I should specialise on instead?
Also, with trials coming up, would you be able to recommend me with something that doesnt take that much time to analyse such as an article, painting or short story ect.. which I could have in store for a tricky question or if the question specifies to use more than one related text?
Thanks!
Also I may add, id much prefer to have a visual source if possible such as a painting or cartoon ect because I find these much easier to analyse than quotes. Although this might be bad since ive already got a movie?
Hi Ben
I think that sounds great. If you scroll through the other comments on this post you can find some suggestions for articles and, in the rest of the blog, I’ve also suggested a couple of complex images that could work well. I don’t think there’s a problem with having two visual texts as, chances are, you’ll only be using one related text per assessment task.
Good luck.
Mrs L.
Hi
So I was planning to do a related text with a religious article with conflicting perspectives “God is dead. Now what?”http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2011/02/01/3126292.htm
Is this okay? I was worried whether I could draw sufficient links between the two texts not just the “both texts have conflicting perspectives” link. Do I have to link the two texts throughout or is only having the “both texts have conflicting perspectives” link ok? This was mainly since my teacher disapproved of the sample essay that did just that – saying that it needed more links than just one to Caesar.
Thankyou!
Hi Cath
It certainly makes your life easier if you can draw more links between your texts. Perhaps with this article (which I think is great, by the way) you could talk about the conflict between Caesar’s belief in his own power and Calpurnia’s belief in her visions. The idea that humans need to believe in something is also clear in Brutus’ need to believe in the Republic, which leaves him vulnerable to manipulation.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Hi Mrs Langford
I am using Michael Moores documentary “Fahrenheit 911” as a related text for Julius Caesar. I am really struggling to find techniques and I’m also not sure if the documentary really offers conflicting perspectives. Can you please tell me whether this is a good text to use and if so please help me to identify some techniques. Do you have any other suggestions for related material that I could use. Also trials are coming up really soon so please reply ASAP.
Thank you!
Hi Cara
The key techniques I would discuss in relation to Moore’s film are juxtaposition (he puts two or more ideas together and lets the audience draw their own conclusions, making us feel like we’ve come to a realisation rather than him just telling us what he wants us to think – he does this visually as well as with words), use of quotes, facts, and figures (this makes him seem reasonable and his points backed up by evidence), and the contrast between emotive languages and flat, factual language. You should definitely do a close analysis of the scene that shows the reactions of New Yorkers to the planes flying into the towers and the impact of that scene being silent.
Here are some reviews/articles that might help you further.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2004/06/unfairenheit_911.html
http://www.overcast.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/f911/hitch-moore.htm
The third article is a response to the second one.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.
Sorry I forgot to mention the question I have been given is “how has your understanding of events, personalities or situations been shaped by their representations in the texts you have studied”
Hello again Mrs Langford,
I have an assessment coming up on conflicting perspectives, and just looked through your very useful site for help. One thing came up that really worried me: in class, we have been told to focus on the conflicting perspectives surround a personality, aka Julius Caesar, and form a response around the themes this allows the author to explore – different attitudes towards sole power, for example, and the various relationships between those in power and the public. However, you and the other students here suggest that we need to examine an event and situation as well! We are not studying this at all in class. Should I do independent study in contrast to my class? Or is it ok to focus on a personality?
Secondly (sorry about the long question), I was wondering whether focusing on Wolsey in Wolf Hall in order to highlight the conflicting perspectives of the text is the right thing to do. In the essays we write, the themes shape the structure of the essay – for example, I would relate my texts to the shared theme of attitudes towards power, looking at how conflicting perspectives are depicted, then the relationship with the public and do the same thing. Is this correct?
Sorry about this small rant, I am stressing a little! Thank you!
Hi Jack
I am going to be like Homer and answer your questions in reverse. Comparing conflicting perspectives around the personalities of Caesar and Wolsey should work well as they are both controversial characters so you have a lot to work with. Structuring your essay around themes as you have described is exactly how I would do it.
In relation to the focus on personalities rather than on events or situations, perhaps your teacher is sticking with that because of the questions in your internal assessments. If you look at past questions for this module, you’ll see the phrase “events, personalities, and situations” fairly frequently so you need to get some handle on the other two ideas before the final HSC exam. That said, it’s not actually adding that much to your study load. For example, if you are confident discussing the personality of Caesar, chances are you’re also confident discussing the situation of his dictatorship and the event of his death.
Hope that helps.
Mrs L.