He begins by insisting that Brutus and the other murderers are honorable, but then proceeds to slowly undermine that statement by pointing out how their chief gripe against Caesar, his ambition, could not be true. The crowd is as good as sold there, but Antony manages to stealthily bring it around to the opinion that Caesar has been killed wrongfully. That's when Antony takes over, with this famous beginning: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." (These folks are really missing the democratic message of his speech.) Brutus politely dismisses himself and asks everyone to stay and listen to Antony's speech. (Sounds like foreshadowing to Shmoop.)Įveryone is so happy with Brutus that there are some calls to give him a statue among his ancestors and to make him the new Caesar. Brutus introduces Antony to the crowd and closes his speech by restating that he slew his best friend for Rome's sake and that he will turn the same dagger on himself if his country ever needs his death. That's when Antony shows up with Caesar's body. Brutus says he was bad so he must have been bad. It doesn't really matter that the people loved Caesar so much that they wanted to crown him king. So obviously Caesar had to die.Įverybody buys it. Brutus asks whether anyone doesn't love Rome and freedom, and of course the answer is no. To have let him live would be to submit to slavery, and that's downright un-Roman. While Caesar was a lot of good things, he had to die for his ambition. If Caesar were still living, they'd all be slaves. Brutus says he rose against Caesar not because he didn't love him, but because he loved Rome more. He asks if anyone can say they loved Caesar more than he did. He delivers an earnest, honest, and simple speech.įirst, he says that the people should trust his honor, which they know to be true. Brutus ascends to the pulpit and the crowd falls silent. Why is Caesar dead? How come no one told us? Who killed him? So Brutus and Cassius hit the streets to set the record straight. Brutus reasons that, even though he and Caesar are BFFs, killing Caesar is the only way to save the Roman Republic.īut after they do it, people start asking questions. Brutus and his friends decided to kill Caesar because the man might become a complete tyrant if he gains more power.
He was stabbed in the back by his own buddies. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,Īnd I must pause till it come back to me. O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,Īnd men have lost their reason. What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? You all did love him once, not without cause: I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:Īmbition should be made of sterner stuff: Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: He hath brought many captives home to Rome He was my friend, faithful and just to me: Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest. The good is oft interred with their bones I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears
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