How far does the first scene in Julius Caesar foreshadow the tragedy.
Or,
"The opening scene in Julius Caesar strikes the key note of the
whole action". Discuss.
In a Shakespearean play the first
scene usually strikes the key note of the action, and Julius Caesar is no
exception. Its opening scene is a kind of prelude to the drama and foreshadows
the tragedy that is to follow.
The theme of the play is the
conflict between Republicanism and Caesarism. It shows how republicanism
triumphs for the time being in the assassination of Caesar but in the end the
spirit of Caesar rises up and frustrates the aspirations of the republicans.
The first scene shows the
underlying forces of the play. It shows a crowd in commotion. The citizens are
out in the street to give an ovation to Caesar who is returning in triumph over
Pompey's sons. Two tribunes, Flavius and Marullus rebuke them for their
ingratitude to the late Pompey to see whom, they stood on the roofs and battlements, as he passed in triumph through
the streets. What makes them so ungrateful that they are preparing today to
give a public reception to the slayer of Pompey's sons? Thus rebuked by the
tribunes the mob disappear, "tongue-tied in their" guiltiness. The tribunes
then proceed to disrobe the images of Caesar, which were adorned for the
occasion.
Now, by this subtle process,
Shakespeare makes us aware of the forces that are at work against Caesar and
Caesarism. We are thus prepared for the conspiracy against Caesar and its
culmination in the assassination of Caesar.
At the same time we are made vividly conscious
of the conspiracy and its ultimate defeat. The hero-worship of Caesar by the
mob shows that Rome was not ripe enough
for republicanism and what the time needed was an absolute ruler like Caesar
who could provide the commoners with food and fun. It is exactly on this point
that Brutus and the conspirators were mistaken. The fickleness of the mob as
revealed here is significant. It is this mob that baffles the attempt of the
republicans to set up a republic in Rome. The people are stirred more by the
prospect of a gay show than by any political idea. They admire Caesar but there
is no suggestion that they are monarchical in sentiment.
Thus the political background is
aptly suggested and the audience has a fore-glimpse of the intrigues and
conspiracies that would follow. There is an unmistakable emotional tension
which sets the tone of the tragedy. Shakespeare creates living characters out
of the nameless multitude. The commoners are all in a holiday mood but each has
a distinct individuality. The tribunes appeal to the emotions of the people. It
is an anticipation of the success of Antony at the Forum.
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