Second Commoner in Julius Caesar

The Second Commoner appears in the opening scene of Julius Caesar as one of the unnamed masses of Rome—a cobbler by trade who becomes the target of Marullus’ sharp rebuke. When the tribunes Flavius and Marullus encounter him on the streets during what should be a working day, they demand to know his profession. His responses are playful and evasive at first, full of wordplay about his “awl” (his tool) and his work mending worn shoes. He is proud of his craft, noting that “the finest men who ever walked on leather shoes have stepped on work I’ve done”—a modest boast that speaks to honest labor and its dignity.

What makes the Second Commoner memorable in his brevity is his casual honesty about why he and the crowd have abandoned their work: they are there to see Caesar and celebrate his triumph. He explains that they are “wearing out their shoes” and taking the day as a holiday specifically to witness Caesar’s parade through Rome and “rejoice in his triumph.” This simple statement reveals how completely Caesar has captured the imagination and devotion of the common people. The cobbler’s willingness to set aside his livelihood, his tools, and his responsibilities speaks to the magnetic pull of Caesar’s power and popularity—precisely the condition that troubles Marullus, who launches into his famous tirade about how Rome has forgotten its republican values and Pompey in favor of fawning over a single man.

The Second Commoner is swiftly silenced and sent away, along with the crowd, to “run to your houses, fall upon your knees, / Pray to the gods” for forgiveness of their ingratitude. He represents the common Roman, neither noble nor conspiratorial, simply caught in the current of events beyond his control. His few lines establish a crucial truth about the play’s opening: Caesar’s power is not merely political or military, but deeply rooted in the affection and admiration of ordinary people. The cobbler’s innocent celebration of Caesar will soon be echoed, inverted, and exploited in the Forum when Antony moves the crowd to rebellion. In this way, the Second Commoner embodies the volatile masses whose loyalty and emotion drive the play’s tragic events.