Read the two excerpts from act 5, scene 4, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Excerpt 1: BRUTUS. Come hither, good Volumnius. List
a word. VOLUMNIUS. What says my lord? BRUTUS. Why this, Volumnius. The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me Two several times by night—at Sardis once, And this last night, here in Philippi fields. I know my hour is come. VOLUMNIUS. Not so, my lord. BRUTUS. Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius. Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes. Our enemies have beat us to the pit; [Low alarums] It is more worthy to leap in ourselves Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, Thou know'st that we two went to school together. Even for that, our love of old, I prithee, Hold thou my sword hilts, whilst I run on it. VOLUMNIUS. That's not an office for a friend, my lord. How do the moral dilemmas of Volumnius and Strato compare? They both have to decide whether to stay loyal to Brutus.
They both have to decide whether to fight Brutus.
They both have to decide whether to help Brutus kill himself.
They both have to decide whether to help Brutus escape.
The correct answer is: <em>They have to decide whether to help Brutus kill himself</em>
Explanation:
In these two excerpts, we can observe Brutus begging two of his soldiers in two different instances to hold the hilt of his sword so he can run on it and kill himself. Both soldiers (Volumnius and Strato) have to decide whether to help Brutus kill himself but, even though Volumnius knows Brutus since they were children, and due to his obedient nature, only Strato accepts to fulfill Brutus' suicidal wish.
