Question

CASSIUS. Come down; behold no more.

O coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend ta’en before my face!

[PINDARUS descends]

Come hither, sirrah: in Parthia did I take thee prisoner,
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do
Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath.
Now be a freeman, and, with this good sword,
That ran through Caesar’s bowels, search this bosom.
Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts,
And when my face is covered, as 'tis now,
Guide thou the sword.

Which quotation from the passage best supports the theme that feelings of guilt are difficult to escape?

"O coward that I am, to live so long, / To see my best friend ta’en before my face!"
"Whatsoever I did bid thee do / Thou shouldst attempt it."
"Come now, keep thine oath. / Now be a freeman."
"Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts."

Answer 1

"O coward that I am, to live so long, / To see my best friend ta’en before my face!"

Answer 2

Answer: The quotation from the passage that best supports the theme that feelings of guilt are difficult to escape is "O coward that I am, to live so long, / To see my best friend ta’en before my face!".

Step-by-step explanation: The passage provided belongs to William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, which focuses on the conspiracy to murder Julius Caesar. In the play, Cassius, who is one of Julius' longtime acquaintances, is also part of the conspiracy. After the Roman general is murdered, Cassius cannot stop feeling guilty about it. He expresses his guilt when he calls himself a coward in front of Pindarus ("O coward that I am") for allowing his best friend to be murdered ("To see my best friend ta’en before my face!").