And you the mutinous members. For examine
Their counsels and their cares, disgest things rightly
Touching the weal o' th' common, you shall find
No public benefit which you receive
But it proceeds or comes from them to you,
And no way from yourselves. What do you think,
You, the great toe of this assembly?"
(Act I.1.146-153).
I really enjoy how Menenius is using this idea of the Senate being a stomach that digests nutrients and returns it back to the people. I chose this passage because I think it is reflective of how a government system should be set up (assuming I am understanding this analogy correctly). Moreover, our government currently doesn't feel that way. The concept of there being a structured higher "power" is to have organization within the community--not just logistically but fundamentally. Considering the current state of our government I find it interesting that I can't really relate what Menenius is saying and apply it to our own higher institution. In fact, I feel that our government is doing the exact opposite of what it should be doing (as everyone already knows and agrees with). But the point of this blog post is not to state the obvious but rather identify how ingenious and effective the Romans actually were hundreds of years ago. Their Senate appeared to be rather democratic and for the people. Maybe I'm wrong.
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