16 Questions
What is the speaker accusing the citizens of doing?
Showing ingratitude towards Pompey
What is the significance of the 'livelong day' in the speech?
It emphasizes the citizens' expectation of a great event
What does the speaker want the citizens to do?
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
What is the significance of the 'Tiber banks'?
It represents the citizens' guilt and shame
What does Flavius want Marullus to do?
Disrobe the images with ceremonies
What does the 'feast of Lupercal' signify?
A Roman holiday
What does Flavius plan to do?
Drive away the vulgar from the streets
What is the symbolic meaning of 'Caesar's wing'?
Caesar's power and influence
What is the primary occupation of the Second Citizen?
Cobbler
What is the reason given by the Second Citizen for not being in his shop?
To wear out others' shoes to get more work
What is the tone of Marullus's speech towards the citizens?
Scornful and dismissive
What is the significance of the awl in the Second Citizen's profession?
It is a tool used to repair damaged shoes
What is the reason for the citizens' celebration, according to the Second Citizen?
To celebrate Caesar's triumph
What is Marullus's attitude towards Caesar's triumph?
He is opposed to it
What is the implied criticism of the citizens in Marullus's speech?
They have forgotten their past heroes
What is the tone of Flavius's speech towards the citizens?
Firm but polite
Study Notes
Scene Description
- The scene is set in Rome on a laboring day, where two tribunes, Flavius and Marullus, encounter a group of idle commoners, including a carpenter and a cobbler.
Flavius and Marullus' Encounter
- Flavius orders the commoners to go home, accusing them of being idle and not working on a laboring day.
- Marullus questions the commoners about their profession and attire.
The Cobbler's Response
- The cobbler claims to be a mender of bad soles, using an awl to repair shoes.
- He explains that he is not working on a laboring day to wear out shoes and get more work, but rather to celebrate Caesar's triumph.
Marullus' Criticism
- Marullus criticizes the commoners for rejoicing in Caesar's triumph, asking what conquest he has brought back to Rome.
- He accuses them of being disloyal to Pompey, whom they had previously celebrated.
Flavius' Instructions
- Flavius orders the commoners to disperse and go home, instructing them to assemble with other poor men and weep on the banks of the Tiber.
- He and Marullus plan to remove any ceremonial decorations from Caesar's images.
Context
- The scene takes place during the feast of Lupercal, a Roman fertility festival.
In this scene from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Marullus confronts and interrogates citizens about their occupations on a workday. The conversation reveals the trades of a carpenter and a cobbler.
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