Why are Flavius and Marellus angry with the common people celebrating at the start?

• A. The people once supported Pompey but now celebrate Caesar
• B. The people pay taxes
• C. The people supported Caesar previously
• D. The people are kneeling to Pompey

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is understanding how a change in public allegiance reveals a character’s concerns about order and power. Flavius and Marellus are angry because the common people have shifted their support from Pompey to Caesar and are openly celebrating Caesar’s victory. That switch signals fickleness and upends the political balance, since Pompey had been the rival and a symbol of the old order the tribunes are trying to uphold. They view the celebration as not just a shout of triumph, but a sign that Caesar’s rising power is gaining real momentum and that respect for Pompey (and for the Senate) is fading.

This is not about taxes or kneeling, and it isn’t simply that the crowd supported Caesar before. The crucial point is the abrupt change—from supporting Pompey to praising Caesar—which the tribunes see as dangerous public sentiment that could threaten republican tradition and stability.