JULIUS CAESAR

ACT 1 SCENE 1
Extract 1
1. Flavius and Marullus are two high-ranking officials in the government of
ancient Rome. They are on the streets of Rome. They are there to rebuke the
citizens of Rome for celebrating Julius Caesar‘s recent victory over Pompey in a
triumphal parade. Flavius and Marullus believe that the citizens are being fickle
and disloyal to Pompey, who was once their beloved leader. They also fear that
Caesar is becoming too powerful and popular, and they want to prevent him
from becoming a dictator. They order the citizens to disperse and remove all the
decorations and symbols of Caesar’s triumph, hoping to quell his growing
popularity and prevent him from gaining too much power.
2. The “idle creatures” referred to are the commoners or citizens of Rome who
are celebrating and taking the day off from work. They are called “idle” by Flavius
because he sees their celebration as frivolous and unproductive, and he believes
that they should be working instead. The speaker asks if it is a holiday to mock
the citizens and to emphasize that they are wasting their time instead of doing
something productive.
3. Give the meaning of the following :
a) Being mechanical : Workmen who use manual tools for their profession. Like a
carpenter uses a leather apron and a rule.
b) A labouring day : A working day.
c) Sign of your profession : A tool pertaining to your line of work.
4. Marullus addresses a commoner in the last line of the extract, asking him why
he is not working and why he is participating in the celebration. The commoner
replies that he is taking the day off to celebrate the feast of Lupercal. Marullus
reacts with disdain and disbelief, questioning the commoner’s loyalty to Rome
and accusing him of being fickle and easily swayed by the whims of the
government. Marullus believes that the citizens of Rome should be working and
that their celebration is a waste of time.
5. Flavius and Marullus are men in authority who exercise their power in
different ways. Flavius uses his authority to scold and rebuke the citizens of
Rome for celebrating and taking the day off work. He says, “Hence! home, you
idle creatures get you home”
On the other hand, Marullus exercises his authority by questioning and
challenging the commoners who are participating in the celebration. He says,
“Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home? What tributaries follow him
to Rome, to grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?”
Between the two, Marullus appears to exercise greater authority due to his
ability to question and challenge the citizens’ actions and beliefs. He is not afraid
to express his opinions and to criticize others, even in the face of opposition
EXTRACT 2
1 The term “trade” refers to a person’s profession or occupation. The second
citizen mentioned in the scene is a cobbler, who works with leather and shoes.
When Marullus asks him what his trade is, the cobbler replies, “Sir, a mender of
bad soles.”
The pun involved with the word “soles” is a play on words. “Soles” refers to the
bottom part of shoes that the cobbler repairs. However, it also sounds like
“souls,” which means a person’s spirit or essence. The cobbler is making a joke
about his profession by suggesting that he is not just repairing shoes, but also
the souls of the people who wear them. The pun adds a bit of humor to the
scene and shows the cleverness of the cobbler.
2. In Act 1, Scene 1 of Julius Caesar, the citizen says that he “may use” his trade
with a safe conscience because he is doing an honest day’s work and earning a
living through his profession as a cobbler. He is proud of his trade and sees it as
a legitimate way to support himself and his family.
3. The expression “naughty knave” is a derogatory term used to refer to the
cobbler by Flavius. It suggests that the Romans looked down on artisans and
craftsmen as being of lower social status. Two more examples of such
expressions from the scene are “mechanical slaves” and “you blocks, you
stones.”
4. In the line “be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you,” the
cobbler is using a pun to make a joke. “Out” can mean either “angry” or “worn
out.” The cobbler is saying that if Flavius is angry with him, he can calm him
down. But if his shoes are worn out, he can also mend them.
5. Two character traits of the common people in the scene are humor and
loyalty. The cobbler is witty and makes jokes, such as the pun about “soles.” The
common people are also loyal to Julius Caesar, as evidenced by their excitement
at his upcoming triumph and their eagerness to celebrate his victories. For
example, the second citizen says, “Why, there was a crown offered him; and
being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the
people fell a-shouting.”
Extract 3
1. The lines are spoken by the second citizen. These words are addressed to the
first citizen. The extract refers to the rejoicing of the people on the occasion of
Caesar’s victory over Pompey.
2. “He” in the first line of the extract refers to Caesar. The speaker wants to
convey to his listeners that they are foolish to rejoice over Caesar’s victory as it
has not brought any personal gain to them.
3. The conquest referred to in the first line of the extract is Caesar’s victory over
Pompey. The conqueror has not brought any territory to Rome by his conquest
as Pompey was a Roman general, and his defeat has created political instability
and chaos in Rome.
4. The lines mean that Caesar has conquered many territories, and now the
conquered people are following him to Rome as prisoners of war. They will be
displayed in Caesar’s victory parade, and their captivity will
glorify Caesar’s chariot wheels.
5. The custom referred to in question (iv) is the tradition of the triumphal
procession, where a victorious general parades through the streets of Rome,
displaying his spoils of war, followed by his captive prisoners.

Extract 4:
1 Pompey’s chariot was seen when Pompey came home triumph from various
battles.
Marullus asks the commoners if they remember the time when they saw
Caesar’s chariot appear and made a universal shout. The specific time is not
mentioned in this extract. It can be assumed that Marullus is referring to a time
when Caesar returned to Rome in triumph after his victory over Pompey. On
seeing the chariot, the commoners made a universal shout that was so loud that
it made the Tiber river tremble underneath her banks.
2. “Universal shout” refers to a loud cheer or outcry that is made by everyone
together. The people are being asked if they remember the time when they
made such a shout upon seeing the conqueror’s chariot. The consequence of
the shout was that the sound of it was so loud that it caused the Tiber river to
tremble.
Pompey’s blood refers to the bloodshed in the civil war between Julius
Caesar and Pompey, in which Caesar emerged victorious. The conqueror who is
now coming in triumph over Pompey’s blood is Julius Caesar himself.
4. The people are putting on their best attire, declaring a holiday, and strewing
flowers in the way of Julius Caesar’s triumphal entry.
5. The speaker, Marullus, wants to remind the people that just a short while ago,
they were celebrating Pompey’s victory, and now they have turned to celebrate
Julius Caesar’s victory. He wants to emphasize the fickleness and inconsistency
of the people and their tendency to blindly follow whoever is in power. He also
wants to prevent the people from glorifying Caesar too much and making him
appear greater than he actually is.

Extract V.
Answers:
1. Marullus is asking Flavius if they can stop the common people from
celebrating Caesar’s triumph because it is the feast of Lupercal.
2. The feast of Lupercal was a festival celebrated on February 15 in ancient
Rome. It was a fertility festival, dedicated to the Roman god of fertility and
agriculture, Lupercus. The festival involved animal sacrifices and rituals to purify
the city and ensure fertility.
3. Trophies are the spoils of war, such as weapons, armor, and banners, that
were displayed as symbols of victory. Flavius says that no images should be
hung on Caesar’s trophies because he wants to prevent the people from
glorifying Caesar too much and making him appear greater than he actually is.
4. The vulgar refers to the common people or the masses. Flavius wants to drive
them away because he sees them as fickle and easily swayed by popular
opinion. He wants to prevent them from becoming too enamored with Caesar
and forgetting their loyalty to Rome.
5. The scene reflects the changing fortunes of men in power because it shows
how quickly public opinion can shift. The common people were originally
celebrating Caesar’s triumph, but they are quickly swayed to stop celebrating by
Flavius and Marullus. It also indicates the behaviour of the common people in
Rome, who are shown to be easily influenced by those in power and prone to
changing their minds.

term used to refer to the cobbler by Flavius. It suggests that the Romans looked
down on artisans and craftsmen as being of lower social status. Two more
examples of such expressions from the scene are “mechanical slaves” and “you
blocks, you stones.”
4. In the line “be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you,” the
cobbler is using a pun to make a joke. “Out” can mean either “angry” or “worn
out.” The cobbler is saying that if Flavius is angry with him, he can calm him
down. But if his shoes are worn out, he can also mend them.
5. Two character traits of the common people in the scene are humor and
loyalty. The cobbler is witty and makes jokes, such as the pun about “soles.” The
common people are also loyal to Julius Caesar, as evidenced by their excitement
at his upcoming triumph and their eagerness to celebrate his victories. For
example, the second citizen says, “Why, there was a crown offered him; and
being offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the
people fell a-shouting.”
Extract III
Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?