In+The+Beginning

The Opening Scene of //Julius Caesar// reveals how people in the political system in Rome feel as though Caesar may take away their power. The senators do not want Caesar to "soar above" (1.1.79) in his political status and power. They want to make sure Caesar remembers how much power they hold, so they plan to remind him of that power they possess. Shakespeare opens //Julius Caesar// with commoners and senators instead of opening with Caesar himself; furthermore, his point in opening in this way is to let the reader and the audience members see the viewpoints of the people in Rome instead of Caesar's image of his own popularity. Shakespeare wants to show how people in Rome truly feel about Julius Caesar. The commoners in Rome "make holiday" (1.1.34) for Caesar's return, but the senators see Caesar as a "vulgar" (1.1.75) leader and person. Caesar is detailed in this sense because Shakespeare's purpose in opening this way is to represent the viewpoints on Julius Caesar. Commoners in Rome popularize Caesar in the Opening Scene, but Shakespeare is also setting up for Caesar's death by giving the hateful viewpoints of the senators. Though many of the readers and audience members already know the story of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare wants to build up to his death, and he also wants to make it clear who is on Caesar's side and who is not for him in the story. Some people see Caesar as a hero and a saint as shown through the viewpoints of the commoners, but other groups in Rome see Caesar as a bad and vulgar man. The senators also despise the commoners for glorifying Caesar in his return for killing Pompey and his sons. This separation between the social classes is also seen in //A Tale of Two Cities// by Charles Dickens, and Shakespeare is giving the reader and the audience members a look at how the two different social classes act.
 * __ The Opening Scene Is Important As Always! __**