The Roman Forum, including the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Temple of Saturn. “Friends, Romans,

The Roman Forum, including the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Temple of Saturn. “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend me your ears,” are the beginning lines to Mark Antony’s eulogy speech in Shakespeare’s play about the Death of Julius Caesar. In my first year of honors english in high school, I had an inspiring teacher named Mrs. Muhlestein. Her passion for English was undeniable, and near the end of the year, she took a leave of absence while vacationing in Europe. Appropriately, in our class, we had to read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and memorize this speech for a grade. In reality, Julius Caesar’s funeral was held at the Roman Forum. After Mrs. Muhlestein had returned from her trip, she admitted to having recited the speech where he had died. I admired her dedication to literature and learning about different cultures, and vowed to follow suit when I visited Rome one day. We explored the glorious Roman Forum in all its curiosity and endless delight when it began to rain. Although I had become accustomed to the daily short-and-sweet rain that would greet us in Scotland, I had never experienced rain like this before. Before we knew it, the clouds released powerful drops of rain that beat against the earth. We found a place of cover among many other tourists, as Lindsay predicted the aggressive rain would soon cease. Although I no longer had Mark Antony’s speech memorized, I had saved a copy of it in my notepad on my iPod to read over when finding an appropriate spot in the forum. Under the covering, we stood on a small pathway that bridged over a thirty- foot long opening in the ground with fragmented roman ruins. As we overlooked the ruins with damp skin, we could hear the rain thud against the soil. I turned to Lindsay with a smile as I pulled up my speech on my phone. This was the perfect environment. With concentrated enthusiasm, I read each line while overlooking the dark opening below us. I was empowered and limitless. With her experience in high school drama and plays, Lindsay asked if she may follow suit, and I watched as she articulated each word with strong intention. The rain lightened, and we headed towards one of the exits. From here, we would find the Fontana Di Trevi. -- source link

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