JULIUS CAESAR:A SCENE BY SCENE SUMMARY //((DISCONTINUED))\\

ACT 1 SCENE 1

This scene occurs on the roads of Rome,mostly in front of the Capitol building. This gives us a brief insight into the nature of the Roman people and mainly acts as a prelude to the play. Flavius and Marullus enter this scene along with a few Roman citizens. Flavius speaks first asking the people what they were doing wearing colourful clothes as there was no holiday on that day. Also being workmen ("mechanical "),they should carry some sign of their profession as was the norm in ancient Rome. Eg:a carpenter wearing a leather apron and carrying a rule. He then asks a citizen near to him what his profession was to which he gets a reply," Why a carpenter." Marullus speaks next reprimanding him for not wearing his leather apron and carrying a ruler. He then proceeds to ask the next citizen his profession. Now this particular citizen is shown to be a very witty fellow as he plays a game of words with Marullus which frustrates him to no end. He first replies that he is a cobbler which meant two things,a)unskilled workman,b)someone who mended shoes. When asked further by Marullus he says that he was a "mender of bad soles", which in turn could mean either of the two things,a)he mended the worn out soles of shoes b)he was a conjuror who worked with souls and mended them(he also wanted to teach Marullus a lesson which is why he replies that he could do so[teach him a lesson] in a twisted manner.) This reply aggravates Marullus further who responds by calling him a "naughty knave". He then replies to Marullus by saying that " be not out with me but if you be out I can mend you." He means that if Marullus gets too angry(out with me), he can,a)mend his shoes which will be worn out by being outside and walking, b)he can cool him down. This makes Marullus almost incandescent with rage and he calls him a "saucy fellow". He also demands to know what he meant by that. The citizen replies that he could cobble him. Flavius catches on and asks to confirm whether he was a cobbler(one who mends shoes). He replies that he works with the awl[another pun,a)all meaning everyone, b)awl meaning his tool] and that he meddled in no tradesman's matters nor women's matters and that all men who have trodden upon kneat's leather had gone upon his handiwork. Flavius then questions him what he was doing leading all the men into the streets today. He jokes first with" Indeed to get myself into more work" and then informs him that this holiday was on the occasion of Caesar's triumph over Pompey. Marullus get enraged and calls them"Blocks,stones,you worse than senseless things,oh you hard hearts you cruel men of Rome." and demands of him "what triumph brings he home?" This is because he has not not added any new territories to the Roman Empire, merely has won in a civil war between him and Pompey's sons. He then scolds them by saying that often when Pompey would return from a battle victorious or just merely pass the Roman streets,they would climb up towers, chimneys, battlements and rooftops with their babies in their arms and wait the entire day patiently just to catch a glimpse of Pompey. When he would appear they would shout so loudly that even river Tiber(a river on the banks of which the Roman civilization was established) trembled. He then instructs them to run to their houses,fall upon their knees and pray to the gods to intermit the catastrophe which was bound to happen as a result of the people's 'ingratitude' to Pompey.  Flavius then adds on and tells them to gather at the banks of the river Tiber and cry so much that the river got flooded. The people leave quietly without uttering a single word. Flavius then tells Marullus that he believed that the people left silently due to remorse and that they should go separate ways and disrobe any and every images or statues of Caesar which were decorated. Marullus is a bit hesitant as there was the Feast of Lupercal on that day. Lupercus was the Roman goddess of fertility. Flavius says that it was necessary and that it would show Caesar that the people did not support him and that withdrawing the people's support from Caesar would be like plucking feathers from an eagle's wing which will make him stay at a normal  level and not go beyond the reach of others keeping them in servile fearfulness. Marullus's statement when scolding the people reveals their fickle mindedness. They will stay on whichever side which is in power,before it was Pompey and now it is Caesar. Also Marullus's hesitation shows that he is not as straight forward as Flavius is. The real drama begins in the next scene.