Martius And Menenius Character Traits

In the beginning of the play Caius Marius, a partisan general and war hero is portrayed as a courageous of man of action, though he is uncomfortable with words and political dealings. He is described a proud man of deep integrity who dislikes being praised for what he has done as he refuses monetary awards. Caius Martius prefers to be honored for his achievements by being given a high office rather than being applauded and praised, however his lack of social skills prevents him from achieving this.

Plebeians believe that Caius Martius, one of the most distinguished generals of the state, is their main enemy; if they kill him, they believe they will get the liberties they desire. In the first scene of the play Martius and Menenius come upon a mob of common people. The plebeians respect Menenius because of his ability to reason. Menenius is able to settle down the mob, however upon his entrance, Martius he begins cursing the common people, calling them “rogues,” and “curs” and that should not be involved in politics. Martius' insults inflame the anger of the common people. Clearly, he has no knowledge of dealing with problematic situations

Old and Wise Menenius is a man of high intellect with the ability to debate and negotiate; As a result, the plebeians respect him. On the other hand, Martius is a proud, short-tempered young man, and possesses no skills with which he can reason with the inflamed plebeians. Martius possess characteristics of soldier, not a statesman as he lacks the patience and social skills required to work within the senate. Despite his anger, the statements he makes about the plebeians foreshadow events that occur later on in the play. He mentions that the common are easily manipulated to fulfill commands of tribunes. He also predicts that he will be abruptly banished by the common people who will later suffer the consequences of their