Shakespeare in Bits: Julius Caesar
By Stacy Zeiger,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Accessible app brings the Bard to life with animation, text.
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Shakespeare in Bits: Julius Caesar
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What’s It About?
In SHAKESPEARE IN BITS: JULIUS CAESAR, the play isn't performed on a stage but rather through animated characters who read the text of the play line by line. As the characters speak, readers see lines of dialogue highlighted. Kids also can tap on confusing words that are highlighted to reveal a definition. The play is organized by scene, with the animation and text sitting side by side. Separate tabs contain plot summaries and analyses for each scene, as well as a place to take notes. Those looking for an overview of the play as a whole can find a general summary, themes, and character overviews to help them understand the Bard's classic work.
Is It Any Good?
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar becomes exceptionally engaging in SHAKESPEARE IN BITS: JULIUS CAESAR. Animated characters do more than simply speak the text; they bring to life the backstabbing, jealousy, and other themes explored in the play. The read-aloud aspect shows kids the importance of words and rhetoric, especially during the oft-quoted "Friends, Romans, countrymen" speech and the "Et tu, Brute?" uttered by Caesar during his assassination. Character maps give readers insight into the complex relationships among Cassius, Brutus, Caesar, Antony, and other major characters in the play. Detailed analyses also connect these characters' actions with the actions of their historical counterparts.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the web of troubled relationships explored in Julius Caesar. Ask your kids if they can name any parallels in real life or current entertainment where ambition or bad decisions create big problems.
Ask your kids if they think politics have changed since Julius Caesar's time. What's different? What's the same?
App Details
- Device: iPad
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading, reading comprehension, text analysis, Social Studies: historical figures
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: thinking critically
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: June 9, 2012
- Category: Education
- Topics: History
- Publisher: Mindconnex Learning Ltd.
- Version: 1.1.2p
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 4.0 or later
- Last updated: July 19, 2018
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