Et Tu, Bestie? | A Modern Reading of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Schedule
Sun May 17 2026 at 11:30 am to 01:30 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Vancouver Central Library | Vancouver, BC
About this Event
🏛️ Power, Plotting, & Prose: A Julius Caesar Discussion
We've all seen the memes, but have you actually sat down with the story lately? Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is the ultimate study in "cancel culture," political spin, and what happens when your best friend takes "backstabbing" literally. We're reading a modern English version to strip away the 16th-century barriers and get straight to the grit of the story.
The link to the modern English translation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nacnsJF6rkQ7jBSMUYi5E6n6SDdM4eJu/view?usp=sharing
📖 The Assignment To make the most of our time, please read the play in full before we meet. We recommend using a modern "side-by-side" translation (like No Fear Shakespeare or SparkNotes). It makes the political maneuvering way easier to follow when you aren't stuck wondering what "wherefore" means.
Key Themes to Think About: The PR Spin: How does Mark Antony's funeral speech hold up as a masterclass in gaslighting? Brutus vs. Cassius: Is it "noble" to do a bad thing for a good reason? Modern Mirrors: Which characters remind you of today's political figures?
📍 Event Details Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026 Time: 11:30AM - 1:30PM Location: Central Library - Meeting Rooms - L6 North (690) Meeting Room The Vibe: Deep-dive discussion. Think of it as a book club, but with more daggers.
💬 Discussion Flow The "Vibe Check": Initial impressions of the modern translation. Did it make the characters more or less relatable? Character Trial: We'll put Brutus on "trial" to decide if he was a patriot or a traitor. The "What If?": How would this story play out in 2026 with social media and 24-hour news cycles?
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves..."
Translation: "We can't blame fate for this mess; it's on us."
Please RSVP so we can get an accurate headcount for the table!
Where is it happening?
Vancouver Central Library, 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 0.00
