CINNA, a Poet. Another Poet. LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, Young CATO, and VOLUMNIUS, Friends to Brutus and Cassius. VARRO, CLITUS, CLAUDIUS, STRATO, LUCIUS, DARDANIUS, Ser vants to Brutus. PINDARUS, Servant to Cassius. CALPURNIA, Wife to Cæsar. PORTIA, Wife to Brutus. Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, etc. SCENE: During a great part of the Play, at Rome; afterwards at Sardis and near Philippi. 2 THE TRAGEDY OF JULIUS CÆSAR ACT I SCENE I.-Rome. A Street. Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and certain Commoners. Flav. Hence! home, you idle creatures, get you home: Is this a holiday? What! know you not, Being mechanical, you ought not walk Upon a labouring day without the sign Act I. Scene 1.] In the Folios each act is headed "Actus Primus, Secundus," etc., "Scana Prima." The scenes are not distinguished from one another, nor are the places specified in which the scene is laid. Marullus] is spelt Murellus or Murrellus, and several other proper names are wrongly spelt in the Folios. In such cases we may leave the wrong spelling unaltered, when it is in accordance with North's Plutarch. As Marullus is spelt correctly by North, the wrong spelling of the word may be attributed to the copyist or the printer rather than to Shakespeare. Therefore the correct spelling is restored in the text. 1. Hence, home] go hence, go home. The ellipse of the verb of motion with adverbs and adverbial phrases is very common. Compare Marmion's last words, "Charge, Chester, charge! On, Stanley, on!" and line 74. 3. ought not walk] For the omission of "to" before infinitives, where we now insert it, and vice versa, see Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar, sec. 351. 4. a labouring day] a working day as opposed to a holiday. "Labouring" would usually be explained here Of your profession ? Speak, what trade art thou? 5 First Com. Why, sir, a carpenter. Mar. Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule? You, sir, what trade are you? Second Com. Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, 10 I am but, as you would say, a cobbler. Mar. But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. Second Com. A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles. 15. soles] soules F 1, 2; souls F 3; as a verbal noun used adjectivally. Craik compares "walking stick" and "riding coat." It may, however, be regarded as an instance of hypallage, and compared with "idle hours," "idle bed," II. i. 117, "thirsty evil," Measure for Measure, 1. ii. 134, "a married life," "hungry prey," 1 Henry VI. I. ii. 28, "lovers' absent hours,' Othello, III. iv. 174, and morientes voces in Cicero. 4. without the sign] There does not appear to have been any law to this effect in Elizabethan England or ancient Rome. There were, however, sumptuary laws in England up to the reign of James I., requiring men to dress in accordance with their rank, and perhaps custom supplemented this by requiring that artisans should on working days show, by clear external signs, what trade they belonged to. 5. what trade] of what trade. Compare ii. 301. 7. rule] a piece of wood used by carpenters to keep their lines straight. Compare "Mechanic slaves with greasy aprons, rules and hammers," Antony and Cleopatra, v. ii. 209. 10. in respect of] as compared with. "Respecting" is used in the same soals F 4. 15 sense in Winter's Tale, v. i. 35: "There is none worthy, respecting her that's gone.' 12. what trade art thou?] The second citizen has already declared his trade by saying that he is a cobbler or mender of shoes. Marullus, however, from the context naturally takes the word "cobbler" in its other sense, as meaning a clumsy workman. 12. thou] in Shakespeare's time was used in addressing near relations or intimate friends, and, as here, in addressing inferiors. When an equal, who is not an intimate friend, is addressed in the singular number, insult is intended. Compare the use of "thou" as a verb in Twelfth Night, III. ii. 48. The citizens never venture to use the singular pronoun in addressing Marullus or Flavius. the other hand, "you" is often used in speaking to inferiors to express anger, as in line 9, where both the "sir" and the "you" show that the speaker is adopting sarcastically the attitude of mock respect. See Abbott, sec. 233. On 12. directly] plainly, in a straightforward manner. 15. soles] The reference to conscience is intended to make Marullus |
