Breakdown: Act 1
Uploaded by lotr_freak2004 on Jan 29, 2002
Scene 1
Setting: Opens in Rome in 44 B.C. on February 15 during the Feast of the Lupercal. Shakespeare takes about 3 years of history and makes it all happen in about 6 days.
The purpose of this scene is to set the mood of the play and introduce the main conflict. The mood, is rather violent, and the main conflict is Rome vs. Caesar. In this scene the tribunes, a magistrate who protects the rights of the lower class citizens, Marullus and Flavius were not very kind to the commons. They call them things such as "saucy fellows," "naughty knave," and "idle creatures." The commons smart back at them, which shows them to be very witty. In this scene we learn that Marullus is an excellent orator, public speaker, because he speaks so well and he hadn't had time to plan this speech, but ut flows so well. This shows us that the higher people will speak in poetry throughout the play, and the commons will be using puns more or less throughout the play. In Marullus' speech there are three main sections. The first is rhetorical questions to the commons, the second is accusatory tones. In this section he accuses the commons because they were just not long ago cheering for Pompey whom the commons are now cheering on his conqueror. The final section of his speech is a call to repent. After this speech the commons leave and this proves that the commons opinion should not be trusted because they are easily swayed. At the end of this scene we see Flavius and Marullus seperate to tear down decorations celebrating Caesar's victory.
Scene 2 (Divided into 5 sections)
Section 1: Lines 1-24Caesar has a superstitious belief that the winner of the Lupercal race can touch a woman and make her fertile, this shows that he is concerned for his wife's fertility. In line 12 Antonius states that if Caesar asks anything, the people will do it. A soothsayer shouts to Caesar and he listens showing us that he is willing to listen to the commons and this makes them like him more. The soothsayer, a fortune teller, tells him to "Beware the ides of March." Caesar dismisses this remark showing that he won't believe any superstition about harming or bringing danger towards himself.
Section 2 Lines 25-180:Two new characters emerge, Cassius and Brutus. Cassius is a former follower of Pompey...