Julius Caesar - Act I, scene i Notes

Julius Caesar - Act I, scene i

1. Setting:

a)    Ancient Rome (a Roman street)

    Between 44-42 BC

b)

2. Characters:

a)    Flavius

b)    Marullus (F&M are Tribunes – officials appointed to administer the law)

d)    commoners

 

3. Background Information

    a) Flavius and Marullus don’t know why all the commoners are out in the street dressed in   

a)

        very nice apparel.

    b) F&M order the commoners to go home.  

“Hence! Home you idle creatures, get you home! Is this a holiday? What you know not, being mechanical, (working class) you ought not walk upon a laboring day without the sign of your profession?” (Work clothes and tools)

c) Marullus gets into a long conversation with a cobbler – misinterpreting his puns.

d) Cobbler – shoemaker OR clumsy worker

 

M - “What dost thou with thy best apparel on? You sir what trade are you?

C – “Truly sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but, as you would say, a cobbler.”

M – “But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.”

 

e) Puns by the Cobbler:

i. cobbler –shoemaker or clumsy worker

ii. “a mender of bad soles.” (souls)

with the awl” - a tool used for making holes in wood 

iii. “All that I live by is or leather. (withal)

f) The commoners are taking a holiday to observe the triumph – a lavish parade for celebrating  

    military victory.

g) Caesar has recently defeated his rival, Pompey – another Roman General.

   

Cobbler. “But indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Caesar and to rejoice in his triumph.”

   

4. Conflict

a) Marullus believes  Caesar’s victory is insignificant  because he only  conquered another

    Roman general, not a foreign enemy.

b) Marullus reminds  everyone about past parades where they celebrated Pompey’s                  

    return from battle. (Ironic) He chastises them for their disloyalty.

“You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things! O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, know you not Pompey?”

 

c) Flavius tells Marullus to go to the Capitol – temple on a hill where victorious generals offer  

    sacrifice – and remove any crowns placed on Caesar’s head.

d) F tells M to join him at the triumph.

e) Flavius’s idea: If they can regulate Caesar’s popular support, they can regulate his power!

 Flavius.

“These growing feathers plucked from Caesar’s wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch.”

1.Where does the first scene take place?

2.What are Flavius and Marullus doing?

3.Who claims to be a “mender of bad soles?”

4.Why have the people left their shops and assembled?

5.Who was Pompey?

6.How do F&M scold the people?

7.What does F tell M to do at the Capitol?

8.What is a Tribune?

9.What is the significance of this quote: “These growing feathers plucked from Caesar’s wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch.”

10.Who is the speaker of the previous quote?

11.BONUS: Name one of the cobbler’s puns, and explain.