Julius Caesar: Solo/Duet Performance Assessment

Julius Caesar - Act one, Scene 1, line 35~ 76.

Context: Marullus and Flavius are worried about Caesar, how he is going to debase the pride of Romans and take away the freedom and liberty - on the day of Lupercal.

Meaning of the passage: Marullus complains Flavius, how Caesar is treated like a savior and God of the Rome as he is disgusted on commoners that they '...put on your best attire' to see Caesar. Marullus believes that he 'came in triumph over Pompey's blood', and he shouldn't be celebrated nor be welcomed. He certainly disagrees with the commoners who praised Caesar, and said "You blocks, you stones, you wrose than senseless things!". This was the first time that Romans have turned back to Caesar and go against him. Even though this passage is short, but still has lots of meanings since it foreshadows that there will be conflict between Caesar and others like Flavius and Marullus who will go against him.

Significance of the passage: This passage is significance because this was the first time that Romans went against Caesar, so that represents that there are people who go against Caesar. This whole passage tells (foreshadows) that this is going to build up a climax conflict between favor of Caesar and against Caesar. Since this gives clues to audiences that there will be more people who will go against Caesar, as later on Brutus and conspirators go against Caesar. Without this passage, there will be less tension to the book at the beginning of the book, and therefore, it wouldn't hook the readers to read more if this passage wasn't written. Thus, this passage is very significant.

MARULLUS:

Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?
What tributaries follow him to Rome,(35)
To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,(40)
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The live-long day with patient expectation
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome.
And when you saw his chariot but appear,(45)
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks
To hear the replication of your sounds
Made in her concave shores?
And do you now put on your best attire?(50)
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
Be gone!
Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,(55)
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude.

FLAVIUS:

Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fault,

Assemble all the poor men of your sort,

Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears(60)

Into the channel, till the lowest stream

Do kiss the most exalted shores of all.

(Exeunt all the Commoners.)

See, whether their basest metal be not moved;

They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness.

Go you down that way towards the Capitol;(65)

This way will I. Disrobe the images,

If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies

MARULLUS:

May we do so?

You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

FLAVIUS:

It is no matter; let no images(70)

Be hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about,

And drive away the vulgar from the streets;

So do you too, where you perceive them thick.

These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing

Will make him fly an ordinary pitch,(75)

Who else would soar above the view of men

And keep us all in servile fearfulness.

Partner: Insung Jung