Celebrating the victory of Julius Caesar over Pompey's sons.
celebrating the victory of Caesar over poprey's sons.
They are tribunes who don't think that it is appropriate to celebrate one side's victory in a civil war.
Flavius is critical because the workers are taking the day off to celebrate Caesar's victory. Flavius doesn't believe this is anything to celebrate because he doesn't think this is a real victory.
In Act 1 Scene1 of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar we see ordinary folks decorating statues in the street in honour of Caesar's victory in the civil war. Marullus and Flavius protest, telling them that they have no business celebrating a victory in a civil war, since a Roman lost the war as much as won it. Flavius then tells Marullus that they should "disrobe the images" if they find them "deck'd with ceremonies." Marullus then asks, "May we do so? You know it is the feast of Lupercal." Flavius retorts, "It is no matter; let no images be hung with Caesar's trophies." So off they go and do it.Was what they did illegal? Marullus seems worried that it is against the laws of the Lupercalia. But it was not. The Lupercalia had nothing to do with military victories. Nor was it a proper triumph, not being a victory against the enemies of Rome. But even if it was legal to do it, it was not a wise thing to do with a dictator (both in name and action) like Caesar around. Casca reports in the next scene, "Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Caesar's images, are put to silence."
Marullus and Flavius was very upset to see the way the citizens were behaving. when Pompey was alive they praise him and now that Caesar killed him, they started praising Caesar. They go along with anyone who wants to rule.
The commoners, never wanting to miss a chance for a day off work and a party, are celebrating the defeat of the sons of Pompey by Caesar. The tribunes are angry because this is a civil war and those that died in it were Romans, and therefore no reason to celebrate.
They tried to motivate the Roman mob against Julius Caesar by citing various instances when the people had been loyal and yearning for Pompey and now they should not celebrate with Caesar's victory over Pompey. They did so in order to disperse the crowd so that Julius Caesar is not motivated or become high-headed on seeing so many of his supporters.
The cobbler's opinion of Caesar is positive and he mourns Caesar's death, while Flavius and Murellus condemn Caesar's rise to power and view him as a threat to Rome's liberty. The cobbler represents the common people who benefited from Caesar's rule, while Flavius and Murellus are part of the aristocracy who oppose Caesar's populist policies.
The 'Robot'
A major victory (over 5,000 enemy dead on the battlefield) might be rewarded by a Triumph (a triumphal procession through the city with army, spoils and the vanquished leader, followed by religious ceremony, strangling of the vanquished leader and a feast).A lesser victory might be rewarded by an Ovation in the Senate.
They are angry because Caesar's victory was not against barbarians or enemies of Rome but against Pompey and his sons, who were great Romans. It is no triumph for Rome to see the defeat of one of its greatest citizens.