THE SPEECH OF BRUTUS AND MARK ANTONY                                                    

 What was Brutas’ explanation to the listeners with regard to the assassination of Julius Caesar?

Brutus made his speech justifying the need to kill Julius Caesar. He told the people listening to him that if in the gathering there was anyone who loved Caesar, he would like to let him know that his love for Caesar was no less than his. Now as for the question why he still went against him, he would like to say that it was not because he loved Caesar less but his love for the country was greater than his love for an individual. He further said that he regarded Caesar as a tyrant and wanted to nip the possibility of his emergence as a tyrant in the bud. He did so by killing Caesar even though he was his beloved friend only to ensure the liberty of the people. He then hurled the question to the people to tell him if it would be better to allow Caesar to live at the cost of the freedom of the people or to kill him to ensure their freedom. He said that if there was anyone who did not love his country or did not honour the dignity of a true Roman, then he was really guilty of killing Caesar.

What did the people tell him in response to his question?

 The people listening to Brutus told him that there was not among them anyone who did not love his country or did not consider the value of the dignity of the free life of a Roman precious.

In what way did Brutus want the people to treat him in future?

Brutus told the people listening to him that in future if he was found to be an enemy of the people, they should not hesitate to kill him with the very sword with which he had killed Caesar.

What did Brutus tell the people before he left the pulpit?

 Before Brutus left the pulpit he told the people that they should show reverence to the dead body of slain Caesar and listen to the speech of Mark Antony relating to the glory of Caesar. He also told the people that in the archives in the capitol the merits of Caesar would not be underplayed nor his offences be exaggerated.

How did the people react to the speech of Marcus Brutus?

The people who held Brutus in high esteem were further swayed by his speech. This was evident from the way they talked about him with honour and enthusiasm. They wanted to celebrate the killing of Caesar as a tyrant and lead Brutas to his house in that spirit. They in their enthusiasm proposed to have a statue of him installed beside that of his celebrated ancestor, Lucius Junius Brutus.

What did Mark Antony say at the very beginning of his speech?

At the very beginning of his speech Mark Antony told the people that he had appeared to make a speech on the occasion of Julius Caesar’s funeral with the permission of the likes of Brutus who were very honourable and he was grateful to them for the permission given to him.

What were the very charges against Caesar that Brutus had contradicted?

The charges that Brutus had contradicted were those of greed, lack of compassion and ambition.

What did Mark Antony say about Caesar not being greedy?

Mark Antony contradicted the charge of greed against Caesar. He said that the amount of money collected from the prisoners Caesar had brought with him in return for their freedom had not been appropriated by Caesar. On the other hand he had put the entire amount of money in the public treasury for the welfare of the people.

What did Mark Antony say highlighting the fact that Caesar was compassionate?

Mark Antony told the people that Caesar was very sensitive to the sufferings of the poor and miserable people. He said that when he saw people in miseries, he was moved to pity and shed tears. According to him a man who was a tyrant should be of a severe nature and not that of the soft and tender nature of a man like Caesar.

What did Antony say contradicting the charge of ambition brought against Caesar? What was his tone?

Mark Antony told his audience that one of the charges that were brought against Julius Caesar was that he was ambitious. He contradicted the charge by telling the people about how they had been witness to the fact that one the festive day of Lupercal Caesar had turned down the kingly crown that he had presented to him three times.

The tone in which Mark Antony spoke was one of apparent allegiance (loyality) to Brutus and he kept referring to him as an honourable man. He said with humility that he did not intend to oppose what Brutus had said in his speech but he wanted to express what he knew about Caesar.

Why did Mark Antony pause in the middle of his speech for some time?

Mark Antony paused in the middle of his speech for some time to mourn the brutal killing of Caesar and said that his heart was in the coffin with the corpse of Caesar. He said that he would resume his speech when it would come back to him.

 Did Mark Antony succeed in swaying the minds of his listeners by contradicting the charges brought against Caesar?

When Mark Antony contradicted the charges brought against Caesar by the conspirators and expressed his feeling of profound grief over the brutal murder of the man who cared for the people, the people began to see Caesar in a different light. This was evident from the words of the different members of the audience. The first citizen said that he was of the opinion that there was much substance in the words of Mark Antony. The second citizen expressed his opinion saying that a proper consideration of the matter related to Caesar would prove the fact that a great wrong had been done to him. The third citizen expressed his apprehension saying that the one who would come in the place of Caesar would only be worse. The fourth citizen said that judging by the words of Mark Antony one could learn that Caesar had refused the crown and that proved beyond doubt that Caesar was not ambitious.  The first citizen was excited enough to point it out that if it was really proved that Caesar was not ambitious those responsible for painting him as one would heavily bear the consequence of it. There was also an outpouring of sympathy for Mark Antony and this was evident from the way the second citizen referred to Mark Antony as poor soul whose eyes had been red from weeping. The third citizen lauded him saying that there was not a nobler man in Rome than Mark Antony.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

How did Mark Antony use the will of Caesar? What did Mark Antony think would be the reaction of the people if he had read out the contents of Caesar’s will to them?

The will of Caesar was an ace up Antony’s sleeve and he wanted to use it to play on the emotions of the people to win their support.

Mark Antony told the people that he had found a will of Caesar but he did not want to read it out to them as they would be greatly moved by the contents of the will. The contents of the will would have such an effect on the people that they would rush to kiss the wounds of Caesar and dip their napkins in his sacred blood. They would keep with them strands of Caesar’s hair as a precious heirloom and at the time of their death would mention it in their will bequeathing it to their successors as a rich legacy.  

What did Mark Antony tell the people to do when he had been able to arouse interest in them to know the contents of the will?

When Mark Antony became certain that the people wanted to know the contents of the will and insisted that he read out the will to them, he told them to have patience for some time and make a ring round the corpse of Caesar so that he could descend from the pulpit and show to them the manner in which Caesar, the friend of the people, had been murdered by the conspirators.

What did Antony tell the people showing them the corpse of Caesar? D

Drawing the attention of the people to the corpse of Caesar, Mark Antony told them to be moved and get ready to shed tears if they had any.  He showed the cloak in which Caesar had been clad when he was murdered. He said that he still remembered the day he wore it. He put it on a summer evening in his tent and that very day he had conquered the fierce Nervi tribe. Mark Antony showed them the hole made by malicious Casca and the one in which Brutus who was so loved by Caesar had plunged his dagger. When Brutus plucked the dagger out the blood of Caesar flowed out as if to be sure if it was really Brutus who was stabbing him in such a cruel manner. Caesar had the reason to feel that way as he loved Brutus from the core of his heart. Antony wanted Gods to judge this action of Brutus in the light of Caesar’s profound love for him. He described the attack of Brutus as the cruelest because when Caesar saw Brutus stab him in such a monstrous manner, he was overcome with the feeling of ingratitude coming from none other than his dearest Brutus stronger than the cruelty of the conspirators or traitors. This realization defeated him and shattered his mighty heart and he fell at the base of the statue of Pompey covering his face in the cloak. Mark Antony compared that fall of Caesar to the fall of the whole country including all of them. He also said that as Caesar fell it was treason that triumphed over them. Then he told the people that he could see tears in their eyes due to a feeling of pity and described their tears as gracious drops. He further told them that they when they wept at the sight of Caesar covered in his cloak having the rents, they would be beside themselves with grief when they would see the very body of Caesar scarred by the stabs of the traitors. Mark Antony then removed the cloak of Caesar to allow the people to have a better view of the body of slain Caesar.

How did the people react when Mark Antony had show the body of Caesar to them?

When Mark Antony had shown the body of Caesar to the people, there were greatly shocked. They described the sight of slain Caesar as being extremely tragic and hailed Caesar as being noble. They described the conspirators as traitors and wanted to avenge the assassination of Caesar. They shouted their determination to kill and burn down the traitors and not spare anyone.

Why did Mark Antony pacify the people? What did he tell the people?

Mark Antony pacified the people to drive them to the height of frenzy by telling them about the contents of the will of Caesar which were in their interests and incite them to mutiny against the conspirators in an indirect manner.

He told the people that he did not intend to provoke them to be initiated in a sudden action of mutiny as the people who had assassinated Caesar were honourable. He said that he did not know what personal grievances had motivated them to murder Caesar but he knew that they were honourable. He said that it was not his intention to win them over secretly. He emphasized the fact that he was not an orator like Brutus. He said that people listening to him knew it very well that he was a plain and blunt man who was genuinely loved his friend, Caesar, as was known to those who had given him permission to speak him in public. He did not have intelligence, rhetorical style, eloquence, action and the power of speech to provoke people to be vindictive. He said that he only spoke straight out what the people themselves knew to be right. He only showed them wounds of sweet Caesar which were poor speechless mouths, making them speak for him.  In an extremely cunning tone he told them in an apparent show of emotions that if he were Brutus and Brutus were Antony, he would certainly be there before them to stir them up and make every wound of Caesar speak for revenge stirring every stone of Rome to rebellion.