Question

ANTONY. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interrèd with their bones.

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus

Hath told you Caesar was ambitious.

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Caesar answered it.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—

For Brutus is an honourable man,

So are they all, all honourable men—

Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.

–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,

William Shakespeare

Which details support the central idea that Antony is not being straightforward, but is criticizing the conspirators? Check all that apply.
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
“The good is oft interrèd with their bones.”
“For Brutus is an honourable man”
“So are they all, all honourable men”


Read the passage. Then answer the question that follows.

ANTONY. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interrèd with their bones.

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus

Hath told you Caesar was ambitious.

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Caesar answered it.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—

For Brutus is an honourable man ,

So are they all, all honourable men—

Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.

–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,

William Shakespeare

Which is the best summary of this part of Antony’s speech?
Antony calls the assassins "honourable men” but subtly turns the crowd against them.
Antony believes that if Caesar were truly ambitious, he paid the price for it.
When people die, the good they have done is often lost and their evil deeds endure.
Antony agrees with Brutus that Caesar was ambitious.

Answer 1

The details that support the central idea that Antony is criticizing the conspirators are:

- "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." This statement suggests that Antony's true intention is to criticize Caesar, rather than honoring him.

- "The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interrèd with their bones." This line implies that Antony believes that the conspirators have done something evil by assassinating Caesar, and their evil actions will be remembered, while the good things Caesar did will be forgotten.

- "For Brutus is an honourable man, So are they all, all honourable men." Antony repeatedly refers to Brutus and the conspirators as honorable men, but the repetition and the context of his speech suggest that he is being sarcastic and mocking their claim to honor.

The best summary of this part of Antony's speech is:

Antony calls the assassins "honourable men" but subtly turns the crowd against them. This summary captures Antony's use of sarcasm and manipulation to criticize the conspirators while seemingly praising them. He repeats the phrase "honourable men" to emphasize their supposed honor while actually undermining their credibility.