ACT-1/ SCENE-1 -
MCQs (ONLY CORRECT ANSWERS) -
1. What is the rule that Marullus refers to?
Ans: (b) A carpenter's foot rule.
2. What sarcastic reason does the cobbler give Flavius for leading citizens on the street?
Ans: (a) To get himself more work.
3. What does the cobbler say to show that he is a master craftsman?
Ans: (c) Every shoe-wearing gentleman has worn his handiwork.
4. Why, according to Marullus, would there be a plague?
Ans: (b) Due to the ingratitude of citizens.
5. Why did Flavius consider it necessary to remove all the decorations with Caesar's statutes?
Ans: (c) To quell Caesar's ego and popularity.
6. According to Marullus for whom had the citizens of Rome waited patiently earlier?
Ans: (c) Pompey
7. What did Marullus ask the commoners of Rome to do?
Ans: (d) Both (b) and (c)
8. Why did Falvius ask the commoners to shed tears of remorse?
Ans: (a) For the dishonour shown to Pompey.
9. Which quality of the common man is reflected in this scene?
Ans: (b) Fickleness
10. Which type of atmosphere in Rome is seen in Act 1, Scene 1 of the play?
Ans: (b) Confusion and chaos
11. What is the central theme of the play reflected in this scene?
Ans: (a) Conflict between monarchists and republicans
12. The opening scene of the play reflects on which of the following causes that led to the development of the play?
Ans: (c) Mounting hostilities to Caesar's rule
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CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Flavius:
Hence! home, you idle creatures, get you home.
Is this a holidays? what, know you not,
Being mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a labouring day without the sign
Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?
First Citizen:
Why, sir, a carpenter.
Marullus:
Where is thy leather apron, and thy rule?
what dost thou with thy best apparel on?
You, sir, what trade are you?
i) Who are Flavius and Marullus? Where are they and what are they doing there? why?
Ans: Flavius and Marullus are tribunes. they are at a street in Rome where people are gathered in their best clothes to celebrate Caesar's victory. They are dispersing the crowd as they detest Caesar's growing popularity.
ii) Who are the 'idle creatures'? why are they called so? what makes the speaker ask if it is a holiday?
Ans: The 'idle creatures' are commoners. They are so called because they are not wearing the tools of the trade. They are dressed up in their best clothes. Hence, the speaker asks them if if is a holiday.
iii) Give the meaning of the following:
a) Being Mechanical = it means being manual workers.
b) A labouring day = it means a working day.
c) Sign of your profession = it means working clothes with tools of their profession.
Pick out from the extract an example of a sign of a profession.
Ans: Leather apron, rule etc.
iv) Whom does Marullus address in the last line of the extract? What reply does he get? How does he react to the reply?
Ans: Marullus addresses to the second citizen who is a cobbler in the last line of the extract. He replies that he is the mender of the bad soles. He gets angry and calls the man a rascal.
v) Giving an example each, show how Flavius and Marullus are men in Authority? who among them, do you think, exercises greater authority? why?
Ans: Flavius demands of the first citizen the name of his trade. Marullus asks the citizen where are his tools. Both of them show that they are men of authority. But Flavius has greater authority than Marullus as later in the scene Marullus is unsure of removing the decorations on Caesar statues and Flavius dismisses him saying they must quell Casesar's popularity.
2. Second Citizen:
A trade, sir, that i hope i may use with a safe conscience;
which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.
Marullus:
What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade?
Second Citizen:
Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet, if you be
out, sir, I can mend you.
i) What is meant by a 'trade'? Of which trade is the second citizen? what is the pun involved with the word 'soles'?
Ans: 'Trade' refers to occupation or profession. The second citizen is a cobbler. so his occupation or profession is cobbler. He is the mender of the bad soles. The pun involved with the word soles is - soles of shoes and of human souls.
ii) Why does the second citizen think that he may use the trade with a safe conscience?
Ans: The second citizen thinks that he may use the trade with a safe conscience because he is a cobbler, 'the mender of soles'. So, as a mender of soles, he also can mend the souls of bad people, and this is the pun used here. He may use safely mending the souls in his trade.
iii) What is meant by 'naughty knave'? what does this expression tell us about the attitude of the Romans towards artisans? give two examples of such expression from the scene.
Ans: "Naughty knave' means good for nothing or useless fellow. The expression tells the naughty attitude of the Romans officials towards the artisans. The other examples of such expressions are- 'Thou saucy fellow'. 'You blocks' and You stones etc.
iv) Give the double meaning intended in the following expression: be not out with me: yet, if you be out, sir, i can mend you.
Ans: The double meaning intended here in this expression is that-
i) Do not be out at heels if your shoes are worn out. I will mend them for you.
ii) Do not be angry with me, if you are, i can improve your character.
v) Give two characteristic traits, each with an example, of the common people in this scene.
Ans: The two characteristic traits of the common people in this scene are- they wear signs of their trade which helps in identifying them. They are fickle minded as they have gathered to celebrate Pompey's defeat. Similarly, the same way they had gathered to celebrate Pompey's victory earlier some time before.
3. Wherefore rejoice? what conquest brings he home?
What tributaries follow him to Rome,
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?
i)Who speaks these lines? to whom are these words addressed? what type of rejoicing is referred to in the extract?
Ans: Marullus speaks these lines. These lines or words are addressed to the commoners at the street in Rome. They are rejoicing at Caesar's victory over the Pompey's sons.
ii) Who is 'he' referred to in the first line of the extract? what message does the speaker want to convey to is listeners through these questions?
Ans: "He" is referred to Julius Caesar. The people of Rome are fickle minded because one day they celebrated Pompey's victory and later they celebrated Pompey's defeat with the same fervour. The speaker wants to convey the message that they need to repent for their ingratitude.
iii) What is the conquest referred to in the extract? why has the conqueror not brought any territory to Rome by his conquest?
Ans: The conquest is referred to Julius Caesar's Victory over Pompey's sons in the extract. It was a victory over a rival in the same county. Therefore, no territory was brought to Rome by this conquest.
iv) Give the meaning of: what tributaries follow him to Rome, To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?
Ans: It means that no taxes or fines were paid by the losers, nor were there any prisoners tied with chains to the chariot of the conqueror. All marks of respect were given to the conqueror.
v)Who are referred to as' the cruel men of Rome'? why are they called so?
Ans: the common people who had gathered to celebrate Julius Caesar's victory over Pompey's sons are referred as the cruel men of Rome. They are called so because they had celebrated Pompey's victory in the same way some time ago.
4. Marullus:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
have ........................................................... shout,
that -----------------------------------------------------
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That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood?
i) Whose chariot was seen? When? What did 'you' do on seeing the chariot?
Ans: Pompey chariot was seen. When Caesar returned victorious. By seeing the chariot, people of Rome cheered in a single voice that was so loud that the vibration could be felt at the river Tiber.
ii) What is meant by 'universal shout'? state in your own words what happened as a consequence of that shout.
Ans: 'universal shout' refers to a loud cheer made by people of Rome together. The consequence of the shout was so loud that the vibration of the shout could be felt at the river Tiber and it seemed the river trembled at the sound.
iii) What is meant by 'Pompey's blood'? Who comes now in triumph?P
Ans: 'Pompey's blood' means Pompey's sons whose blood has been shed. Julius Caesar now comes in triumph after defeating Pompey's sons.
iv) How do the people now prepare for the triumphal entry of the person?
Ans: The people have put their best clothes to see the triumphal entry of Julius Caesar. They have declared holiday. They celebrate the day as a festival, throwing flowers on the way of Julius Caesar's triumphal entry path.
v) What does the speaker want to achieve by his speech given in the extract?
Ans: The speaker wants to achieve by his speech is that he wants to make common man realize his/her thoughtless and fickleness and also wants them to repent for it.
5. Marullus:
May we do so?
you knokw it is the fest of Lupercal.
Flavius:
It is no matter; let no images
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And keep us all in servile fearfulness.
i) 'May we do so'? What was Marullus supposed to do/ Why?
Ans: Marullus was supposed to remove the decorations placed on the statues of Caesar to quell th celebrating mood of Romans at the triumph of Caesar's victory over Pompey's sons.
ii) What was the feast of Lupercal? How was the feast normally celebrated/
Ans: The feast of Luperca was the feast to honour Lupercus a god believed to be the protector of flocks and herds. On this day, young men ran through the city and touched spectators with leather straps. It was believed that if a barren woman was touched by them then she could be cured of her infertility.
iii) What is meant by 'trophies'? why does Flavius say that no images should be hung with Caesar's trophies?
Ans: 'Trophies' referred to the decorations on the statutes of Caesar which are the token of victories of Caesar. Flavius believes that suppressing people's mood for Caesar, it will be like pulling feathers from a falcon's wings; it will make him fly at a normal height, instead of soaring out of sight to treat men like slaves.
iv) Who are the vulgar'? why are they so called?
Ans: 'Vulgar' are the common people. They are workers and artisans. They are called so because they are fickle minded. they celebrated Pompey's victory once and now Julius Caesar's victory over Pompey's sons. They needed to be dispersed before they crown Caesar as their king.
v) How does the scene reflect the changing fortunes of men in power and how does it indicate the behaviour of the common people in Rome?
Ans: The scene reflects the changing fortunes of men in power because it shows how quickly public opinion can be changed; that is the fickleness of the crowd. It also indicates that the behavour of the common people or Rome who are shown to be easily influenced by those who are in power and prone to change their mind set.
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