My first lesson of the year saw my students recapping the poem by Wilfred Owen, Dulce Et Decorum Est. The students were introduced to neologism ( newly-coined word ) and gustatory imagery, two devices found in this conflict poem.
In the second part of today's lesson, the historical figure, Gaius Julius Caesar was duly introduced. Of course, this stateman differs slightly from William Shakespeare's dramatic portrayal of Julius Caesar.
Fellow students, can you remember what I've said about the latter?
Also, what do you think is the significance of the quote below:
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
( Julius Caesar, Act 1 Sc 1: 38 )
Get working, my dear students. Send your response via the comment box asap!
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11 comments:
Mr Chang apologises for being a sociopath, and not having access to a computer long enough to write this out.
When Flavius refers to 'You blocks, you stones, you senseless things!', he is talking about his perception of the commoners, the Plebeians ( I think that's how it's spelt)
'Blocks' are very important in the foundation of a building, like the people in a republic. However, A block's only job is to sit there. So while Flavius IS acknowledging the importance of the Plebeians and the talkative Cobbler, they are still dull and a burden, like uneducated people. They will believe anything with such ferocity and unwillingness to change, but are not properly informed.
'Stones' are not as heavy and dull as 'Blocks', but are often smoother, like those found in the Tiber. However, they offer no resistance to the flow, instead conforming. So while they are not inert like rocks, they instead have no principles, instead believing what anyone tells them.
'Senseless' is another term used by Flavius, where he seemingly acknowledges that he can differentiate the two, and takes pride in knowing so, making him more learned than the Plebeians. To him, their stupidity in not being able to differentiate between the honour of the Pompay and the Treachery of Caesar makes them stupid, and their willingness to celebrate anything Caesar declares makes them either 'Blocks' or 'Stones'
He also comments that their stupidity is beyond the stupidity of man, calling them senseless things
I agree with Mr Chang's comment that Amirul posted..
Now, my take on the quote..
When Flavius (though I thought the one who said the line was Marullus) said 'You blocks, you stones, you senseless things!' he insults the Plebeians in frustration that they have not given any thought to what Pompey has done for them. His sacrifices and such. He is also frustrated that they no sense of loyalty and that they have senselessly chosen to celebrate Caesar's win over Pompey's sons, whom in his eyes is a traitor, instead of celebrating a holy festival that should have been held that very same day. He does not see Caesar as anything that is holy, instead he sees the opposite.Because of that, he thinks the Plebeians are stupid and thoughtless, and deems them as 'blocks', 'stones' which are 'senseless things!' for the people are many, but none of them have any sense and only believe what they are told to believe.
forgot to mention... this is Melissa =P
The answer is mine :P
I just apologised on mr Chang's behalf first :D
And hi Melissa :D
Oh sorry then, my mistake... Hello.. what happened to everyone else??
I think we're the only people jobless enough kut to do this :P
Melor's on hiatus, Chang's a sociopath and everyone else is probably with Melor
Hi! Now it's my turn. :)
The quote 'You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!' represents Shakespeare's cynical view on the Plebians. It is not that they are without brains. On the contrary, they are actually quite intelligent, based on the witty remarks and puns that the cobbler was able to come up with. Marullus is reffering to the Plebians lack of moral, social and political responsibilty. They are celebrating 'Ceaser's triumph' in killing a leader whom they once admired and accepting the transformation of their Republic into a Dictatorship. They are worse then blocks, as they are not able to use their intelligence to carry out their duty to Rome.
-Adib-
Yea yea... Adib's one is better..
Well done my beloved students. Keep em comng..
William Shakespeare’s portrayal of Julius Caesar differs from the historical Julius Caesar in a few ways, chiefly that the fictional Caesar is apparently weak. He is wounded from his war with Pompey, in fact, one of his ears is completely deaf. The fictional Caesar does not resemble at all the strong, unshakeable leader that we know the historical figure to be. In fact, Shakespeare does not seem to think much of Caesar, as his play is centred on Mark Anthony and he poignantly kills Caesar in the beginning of the third act itself.
When Marullus proclaims his famous words, “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!” he is obviously angered by the nature of the Plebeians. He is upset by their “hard hearts”, as they support Caesar and he is a supporter of Pompey, and he is upset by their rejoicing of Caesar’s triumph when he himself is infuriated by it.
Marullus is annoyed by the “saucy” attitude of the Cobbler. When the Cobbler starts to pun, Marullus is quickly irritated as he will not stand to be laughed at by a commoner, as Marullus is a pompous tribune (Latin tribunus for “protector of the people”, which is quite ironic). When he hears that the Plebeians are celebrating Caesar’s return, he is angered even more, and at first glance, his curses appear to be an expression of his annoyance and his allegiance to Pompey. However, his words are interlaced with subtle irony as well as a deeper meaning.
Blocks and stones are dull, inanimate objects; however they are essential in our lives, especially during Caesar’s time. Therefore, when Marullus claims the Plebeians are “blocks” and “stones”, he is inadvertently admitting that the Plebeians are, in fact, a necessary part of the community – they build a firm foundation for the city. However, we take it to mean that Marullus meant to insult the Plebeians, for although they are necessary and in abundance, they are useless, in a way, as they serve no higher purpose. They are inanimate, after all, and merely lie in their positions, wherever the people of higher power place them, and then they sit, wait and rot away- conforming to the norms of society with no individual opinion. Here they support Caesar, because he triumphed. Had Caesar failed, they would probably support Pompey instead. Blocks and stones, although sturdy and firm physically, can be broken, meaning that Marullus may have implied that the Plebeians might be strong together, but alone they can crumble easily. He might be foreshadowing the death of Caesar, as he likens Caesar with the like of his supporters, saying Caesar too could fall easily.
In the second part of his proclamation, Marullus calls the Plebeians “worse than senseless things” which is a big insult. He says that the Plebeians are worse than senseless, meaning they are absolutely meaningless and irrationally dumb. He likens them to “things”, which shows how lowly he thinks of them and how they are not even fit to be called people. His disgust in them is evident, and so is his arrogance in himself, feeling that he has sense for he supports Pompey. He thinks it is common sense to support Pompey and it is senseless to support Caesar, whom he sees as a traitor.
When seen together, Marullus’ lines “You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!” also show a change in thought. At first, he likens the Plebeians to senseless things, such as blocks and stones, but then he changes his mind and calls them worse than senseless. His anger builds up by the minute, climaxing at the point where he says
And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood? Be gone!
Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude.
The End, =)
I really liked all the other answers- and I was a bit strapped for ideas because I replied late and everyone else beat me to the better ideas. =D
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