7/25/2019 A Stone Throw

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 A stone throw

LITERAL MEANING

 A crowd has caught a woman. The persona implies to the reader that the woman is not decent. She was

beautiful but scared because she had gotten !roughed up! a little b" the crowd. The persona states that

the woman has e#perienced men!s hands on her bod" before but this crowd!s hands were $irtuous.

%e also ma&es a pro$iso that if this crowd bruises her it cannot be compared to what she hase#perienced before. The persona also spea&s about a last assault and batter" to come. %e 'ustifies this

last assault b" calling it 'ustice and it is 'ustice that feels not onl" right but good. The crowd!s !'ustice! is

placed on hold b" the interruption of a preacher who stops to tal& to the lad". %e s(uats on the ground

and writes something that the crowd cannot see. Essentiall" the preacher 'udges them thereb" allowing

the lad" to also 'udge the crowd leading to the crowd ine$itabl" 'udging itself. The crowd wal&s awa" from

the lad" still holding stones )which can be seen as a metaphor for 'udgments* that can be thrown another

da".

 Julius Caesar

Public Self versus Private Self 

Much of the pla"+s traged" stems from the characters+ neglect of pri$ate feelings and lo"alties in

fa$or of what the" belie$e to be the public good. Similarl" characters confuse their pri$ate sel$es

with their public sel$es hardening and dehumani,ing themsel$es or transforming themsel$es into

ruthless political machines. -rutus rebuffs his wife ortia when she pleads with him to confide in

her/ belie$ing himself to be acting on the people+s will he forges ahead with the murder of 0aesar

despite their close friendship. -rutus puts aside his personal lo"alties and shuns thoughts of 0aesar

the man his friend/ instead he acts on what he belie$es to be the public+s wishes and &ills 0aesar

the leader the imminent dictator. 0assius can be seen as a man who has gone to the e#treme inculti$ating his public persona. 0aesar describing his distrust of 0assius tells Anton" that the

problem with 0assius is his lac& of a pri$ate life1his seeming refusal to ac&nowledge his own

sensibilities or to nurture his own spirit. Such a man 0aesar fears will let nothing interfere with his

ambition. Indeed 0assius lac&s all sense of personal honor and shows himself to be a ruthless

schemer.

2ltimatel" neglecting pri$ate sentiments to follow public concerns brings 0aesar to his death.

 Although 0aesar does briefl" agree to sta" home from the Senate in order to please 0alpurnia who

has dreamed of his murder he gi$es wa" to ambition when 3ecius tells him that the senators plan tooffer him the crown. 40aesar+s public self again ta&es precedence. Tragicall" he no longer sees the

difference between his omnipotent immortal public image and his $ulnerable human bod". 5ust

preceding his death 0aesar refuses Artemidorus+s pleas to spea& with him sa"ing that he gi$es last

priorit" to his most personal concerns. %e thus endangers himself b" belie$ing that the strength of

his public self will protect his pri$ate self.