4. (i) Whose chariot was seen? When?

What did “you” do

on seeing the chariot?
Answer:
The chariot seen was Pompey’s chariot, in the past, when Pompey returned victorious. The
people (“you” refers to the Roman citizens) used to shout with joy and celebrate when they
saw Pompey’s chariot, showing their admiration for him.

4. (ii) What is meant by “universal shout”? State in your

own words what happened as a consequence of the shout.
Answer:
“Universal shout” means a loud, collective cheer from all the people present. As a
consequence of the shout, the river Tiber seemed to tremble, showing how loud and
enthusiastic the people’s celebrations for Pompey were.

4. (iii) What is meant by “Pompey’s blood”? Who comes

now in triumph?
Answer:
“Pompey’s blood” refers to Pompey’s sons and his family (descendants).
Now, Caesar comes in triumph after defeating Pompey’s sons, even though previously the
people celebrated for Pompey.

4. (iv) How do the people now prepare for the triumphal

entry of the person?
Answer:
The people now prepare for Caesar’s triumphal entry by putting on their best clothes,
declaring a holiday, and strewing flowers in Caesar’s path as he enters Rome.

4. (v) What does the speaker want to achieve by his speech

given in the extract?
Answer:
The speaker, Marullus, wants to make the people realize their fickle and disloyal
behavior. He wants them to feel ashamed for so quickly forgetting Pompey and for
celebrating Caesar, who has defeated fellow Romans rather than foreign enemies.

5. (i) “May we do so?” What was Marullus supposed to

do? Why?
Answer:
Marullus is asking if he and Flavius may remove the decorations and trophies from
Caesar’s statues. He was supposed to do this to stop the people from celebrating Caesar,
whom he believes is becoming too powerful and ambitious.

5. (ii) What was the feast of Lupercal? How was the feast
normally celebrated?
Answer:
The Feast of Lupercal was an ancient Roman festival celebrated on February 15th in honor
of Lupercus, the god of fertility. It involved priests called Luperci running through the
city, striking people with strips of goatskin to promote fertility and good luck.

5. (iii) What is meant by “trophies”? Why does Flavius say

that no images should be hung with Caesar’s trophies?
Answer:
“Trophies” here means decorations and ornaments celebrating Caesar’s victory. Flavius
says that statues (images) should not be decorated with Caesar’s trophies because he wants
to reduce Caesar’s influence and prevent the people from idolizing him, fearing that
Caesar may become too ambitious and threaten the republic.

5. (iv) Who are “the vulgar”? Why are they so called?

Answer:
“The vulgar” refers to the common people or the masses of Rome. They are called so
because they are easily swayed, simple-minded, and follow popular opinion without
thinking for themselves.

5. (v) How does the scene (from which the above extract is
taken) reflect the changing fortunes of men in power and
how does it indicate the behaviour of the common people
in Rome?
Answer:
The scene shows how public opinion is fickle; the people once celebrated Pompey, but now
they celebrate Caesar. It reflects the rise and fall of leaders based on the mood of the
masses. The behaviour of the common people indicates that they easily change their
loyalties and are influenced by whoever is in power at the moment, rather than showing
real loyalty or understanding.
Test and Evaluation

Extract 1

(i) To which question does the Second Citizen give his reply in the first sentence in the
extract? Give one example to show that the Second Citizen makes earlier contact with
the officer by his strange replies.

The Second Citizen replies to the question implied in Flavius's question: "Why are you not in
your shop today?". He gives his reply in the first sentence "Truly, sir, all that I live by is with
the awl". An example of his earlier contact with the officer is his joking manner and
wordplay, showing he is not intimidated and is willing to engage with the officer in a clever
way.

(ii) Give the meaning of: “All that I live by is with the awl.” What subtle humour is
hinted at in this sentence?

"All that I live by is with the awl" means that the Second Citizen's profession and source of
income is working as a cobbler or shoemaker, using an awl (a tool for making holes in
leather). The subtle humor lies in the pun; he lives "by the awl," suggesting that his entire
existence depends on this simple tool, and perhaps hinting that he is of a low status.

(iii) Why does the speaker call himself a surgeon? Explain clearly the implied
comparison.

The speaker calls himself a surgeon "to old shoes" to emphasize his skill in repairing and
restoring worn-out footwear. The implied comparison is that just as a surgeon heals people,
he "heals" shoes, giving them new life and preventing them from being discarded.

(iv) Give the meaning of the following: “As proper men as ever trod upon neat’s leather
have gone upon my handiwork.” What is indicated about the speaker’s craftmanship in
the given sentence?

“As proper men as ever trod upon neat’s leather have gone upon my handiwork” means that
many respectable and well-dressed men have worn shoes that he has made or repaired. This
indicates that the speaker takes pride in his craftsmanship and believes that his work is of
high quality, fit for even the most distinguished citizens.

(v) What answer does the Second Citizen give to the following question of Flavius:
“Why dost thou lead these men about the streets?” Why is the reply humorous?

The Second Citizen doesn't directly answer Flavius's question. He avoids a straightforward
answer and instead says that he is taking the men "about the streets" to wear out their shoes
so that he can get more work repairing them. The reply is humorous because it is unexpected
and absurd; he pretends he is doing it to benefit his own business, rather than for a
celebratory reason.

Extract 2
(i) Who is speaking in the extract? To whom is he speaking in the first part of the
extract, and to whom in the second?

Flavius is speaking in the extract. In the first part, he is speaking to the commoners (citizens
of Rome). In the second part, he is speaking to Marullus (another tribune).

(ii) What advice has the speaker given earlier to these people so that they might show
remorse for their fault? If that advice were not taken, what would happen?

The advice Flavius gives earlier is for the commoners to go home and weep in order to show
remorse for celebrating Caesar after previously celebrating Pompey. If that advice is not
taken, the decorations celebrating Caesar would remain, and Caesar's popularity and power
would continue to grow unchecked.

(iii) Explain in your own words the following lines:

 Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears - Go to the banks of the Tiber
River and weep there to show your sorrow.
 Into the channel, till the lowest stream - Weep so much that your tears fill the river
up to its lowest point.
 Do kiss the most exalted shores of all. - Let your tears reach and touch even the
highest shores of the river.

(iv) Give the meaning of:

 (a) their basest metal - Their lowest or most unworthy qualities.

 (b) vanish tongue-tied - Disappear without a word, speechless, or ashamed.
 (c) deck’d with ceremonies. - Adorned or decorated with celebratory symbols or
trophies.

(v) Why are the images enrobed on this day? What is the reason for the speaker to tell
his companion to "disrobe the images"?

The images are enrobed (decorated) to celebrate Caesar's triumph. The speaker tells his
companion to "disrobe the images" because he wants to diminish Caesar's popularity and
prevent him from becoming too powerful. He sees the excessive celebration as a threat to the
Roman Republic.