Fact or Fiction: Julius Caesar & Shakespeare

Experience the heart-pounding performance of Julius Caesar by The American Shakespeare Center at The American Theatre on Saturday, March 26 at 8pm!

Enjoy this sneak peak of the breath-taking performance! 

Fact or Fiction: Julius Caesar was married less than 5 times.

FACT: He was only married three times. His first marriage was to Cornelia Cinnilla from 83 B.C. until she died while giving birth in either 69 or 68 B.C. Then, in 67 B.C., he got married to Pompeia, whom he divorced 6 years later, in 61 B.C.E. He got married for the third time, to Calpurnia Pisonis in 59 B.C., and remained married to her until his death.

Fact or Fiction: William Shakespeare was involved in implementing a new calendar system that included leap day.

FICTION: That was actually Julius Caesar. Before Caesar came to power, the Romans used a calendar system based on the lunar cycle, which dictated that there were 355 days in a year. This system was 10 ¼ days shorter than a solar year, the amount of time required for the Earth to make one complete revolution around the sun. Although Roman officials were supposed to add extra days to the lunar calendar every year at their discretion in order to keep it aligned with the seasons, this didn’t always happen and, as a result, the calendar was confusing, out of whack with the seasons and ripe for abuse by politicians interested in extending their terms in office. After consulting with the astronomer Sosigenes, Caesar implemented a new system, the Julian calendar, which went into effect in 45 B.C. and was made up of 365 days in a year. The calendar was intended to be in sync with the solar cycle; however, because the actual solar year is 365 ¼ days long, Caesar also added an extra day, called a leap day, every four years to make up the difference.

Fact or Fiction: ‘Shakespeare’ is the only way the great writer’s last name has been spelled.

FICTION: Sources from William Shakespeare’s lifetime spell his last name in more than 80 different ways, ranging from “Shappere” to “Shaxberd.” In the handful of signatures that have survived, the Bard never spelled his own name “William Shakespeare,” using variations or abbreviations such as “Willm Shakp,” “Willm Shakspere” and “William Shakspeare” instead. However it’s spelled, Shakespeare is thought to derive from the Old English words “schakken” (“to brandish”) and “speer” (“spear”).

Did You Know? Shakespeare’s parents were probably illiterate.

Nobody knows for sure, but it’s quite likely that John and Mary Shakespeare never learned to read or write, as was often the case for people of their standing during the Elizabethan era. Some have argued that John’s civic duties would have required basic literacy, but in any event he always signed his name with a mark. William, on the other hand, attended Stratford’s local grammar school, where he mastered reading, writing and Latin. His wife and their two children who lived to adulthood, Susanna and Judith, are thought to have been illiterate, though Susanna could scrawl her signature.

Fact or Fiction: Julius Caesar wasn’t born by caesarean section.

FACT: Gaius Julius Caesar arrived in the world on July 13, 100 B.C., but, contrary to popular belief, it’s unlikely he was born by caesarean section. Although the procedure existed at the time, it was usually fatal to the mother and therefore only performed when a pregnant woman was dead or dying, in an effort to save a child. In fact, Caesar’s mother, Aurelia, lived until 54 B.C., nearly half a century after her son’s birth. According to some sources, the origin of the Caesar name is attributable to one of Caesar’s forebears who was “caesus,” (Latin for “cut”) from his mother’s womb. Other origins of the name have been suggested, including the possibility that the founding member of Caesar’s family branch might have had “caesaries,” or long, flowing hair.

Fact or Fiction: Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates.

FACT: In 75 B.C., Caesar, then in his mid-20s, set out from Rome for the Aegean island of Rhodes, a noted center of learning where he planned to study. Along the way to Rhodes, Caesar’s ship was hijacked by pirates off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. When his captors named a ransom price for his release, Caesar thought the number was insultingly low and insisted a greater sum be demanded. Eventually, the higher figure was raised and Caesar was freed.

Fact or Fiction: William Shakespeare’s father drank beer for a living.

FACT: John Shakespeare was nothing if not upwardly mobile. He dabbled in various trades, selling leather goods, wool, malt and corn. In 1556 he was appointed the borough’s official “ale taster,” meaning he was responsible for inspecting bread and malt liquors. So basically, he drank beer for a living. 

Well that cleared things up! A Shakespearean play can be satisfying to read, but that doesn’t compare to a live performance! Experience The American Shakespeare Center: Julius Caesar at The American Theatre on Saturday, March 26 at 8pm.

Purchase tickets here: http://bit.ly/1O6Omfy 

Need more Shakespeare? Come enjoy the screening of West Side Story, a classic film re-telling the story of Romeo and Juliet at The American Theatre on Thursday, April 7 at 7:30pm!

Source: www.history.com