William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Elizabethan World Picture

The play Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (1599), pinpoints at the activities relating to the Elizabethan age. Despite being a play about Julius Caesar, the character remains absent in the first scene. Nonetheless, the people are in a merry mood given the triumph attributable to Caesar for defeating his enemies. The first scene has embraced low humor as it denotes the larger picture with regards to the setting of the play, just as E.M.W Tillyard’s Elizabethan World Picture (1992) gives the context of Shakespeare’s career.  According to Tillyard, “Elizabethans loved order, they feared disorder.” Also, he asserts that “To them, chaos meant cosmic anarchy before creation and the imminent end of the world” (Tillyard). The purpose of the opening scene is to introduce disorder and mutability as thematic motifs that run throughout the play. 

            Chain of being relates to adhering to a specific authority as far as rules and instructions are concerned. Although it is a routine among the Elizabethans in the play to celebrate the victories of the leaders, disorder arises as they are compelled to put on their work clothes and resume work (Shakespeare). Compelling the people to resume work rather than celebrate contradicted with the norms of the society as far as the king’s position was concerned.

            In the play, Flavius causes disorder by undermines the people’s celebratory mood as he asserts, “Hence! Home, you idle creatures, get you home!” Also, Marullus question’s the people’s attire yet they are in celebration mood. Similarly, he questions their authority to rule. For instance, “Where are thy leather uproan and thy rule?” (Shakespeare). Flavius causes a stir as he questions the authority of Caesar, an aspect that was viewed as derogative among the Elizabethans “Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?"

Similarly, Flavius causes disorder by pitying the populace that was in a celebratory mood. He asserts “Go, go, good countrymen, and for this fault, assemble all the poor men of your sort; Draw them to Tiber banks and weep your tears to a channel until the lowest stream. Do kiss the most exalted of all” (Shakespeare). Flavius also belittles Caesar’s authority by underlining that no images should be hanged with his trophies, “Let no images be hung with Caesar’s trophies” (Shakespeare).

In conclusion, the Elizabethan principles played an integral role in the lives of the people in the play. Nonetheless, Flavius and Marullus’ activities regarding Caesar’s triumph and the people’s subsequent celebration caused and are bound to create future disaster to the original Elizabethan audiences in the play.

Work cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Vol. 5. Methuen, 1902.  

Tillyard, Eustace MW. The Elizabethan World Picture: A Study on the Idea of Order in the Age of Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton. Alfred A. Knopf, Incorporated, 1961.