The Common Man's Role In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

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The Common Man's Role In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

In this essay, I will discuss who the common man is, his involvement

in the governing of the city and his effect on the success of the

higher figures.

Shakespeare is renowned for setting a sturdy background to his plays

in their opening scenes as he does most famously in Macbeth where he

introduces the idea of the world being upside down. Here Shakespeare

immediately introduces the upper classes' perception of the common man

as a key theme.

In the streets of Rome in Act 1 Scene 1 we are given an excellent

basis of the position of both the common man and the tribunes. The

common man's first appearance sees him bothered by Murellus and

Flavius, two higher class tribunes. "You blocks, you stones, you worse

than senseless things!" The common man is looked down upon with

complete disrespect and in this scene they prove their stupidity with

weak jokes, inane laughter and dependent behaviour. Cobbler, "A trade

sir, as you would say, a mender or bad soles" After futile attempts at

explaining the meaning and importance of recent political changes,

Murellus and Flavius banish the crowd from the streets. This opening

scene tells us how Rome is at the time and provides the reader (or

play-goer) with a view of the common man against which their depiction

in the rest of the play can be measured.

The key themes of the play are instantly obvious and the common man's

part is immediately recognised by the reader. Rome is torn between

democracy and totalitarianism but early in the play we see that the

common man likes a strong leader. They need to be led because they are

unable to make d...

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...upright man".

This is evidence that the politics of Julius Caesar have definite

contemporary relevance.

In conclusion, I think that despite the common man being shown by

Shakespeare to be stupid, simple and impressionable, their importance

is far more than skin deep. It becomes more and more clear that the

common man is Rome because of the sheer quantity of them, thus making

them the most important people in the play, the public. The higher

figures' success is dependent on his opinion and even though it may

not be difficult to persuade the common man, both Brutus and Antony

both recognise this. But it is their interpretation of what methods

are best for swaying their fickle opinions that separates them and

even though Brutus and Antony can both see that the common man is

powerful, only Antony is able to use them.

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