The people who hold public office gain status and power in Rome through the appearance of skills in the rhetoric. When Flavius and Marullus rebuke the commoners for celebrating Caesar, they ask accusatory questions to assert their power. The commands and questions that Flavius and Marullus ask sway the commoners' decisions. Flavius tells the commoners to go pray to the gods and "intermit the plague" that awaits them (I.I.59). The purpose of Flavius's command is to make the people feel remorse for celebrating Caesar. Here, Shakespeare inaugurates the rhetoric as a position of dominance. Therefore, commands from positions of authority influence the fickle behavior of the commoners throughout the play. Furthermore, people who command
