In most of Shakespeare's plays, the first scene serves many purposes. In Julius Caesar not only does it begin the play on an entertaining note, it also lays down the major themes of the play. The interaction with the citizens and the tribunes provides us with the historical background of the play, telling us that a battle has recently been fought, from which Julius Caesar is returning victorious. This is our first introduction to the man Julius Caesar. As we have not seen him in person, from this information we can imagine him to be a great general, a noble Roman and an extremely popular political figure.

The majority of the working class of Rome seemed to be out making `holiday to see Caesar and to rejoice in his triumph'. After being shown this support of Caesar, we see how Flavius and Marullus react to this. They reprimand...