Question

Which best summarizes what Antony is trying to do in his speech?

Answer 1

Answer:

c. Make the crowd see that Caesar was not a tyrant.

Explanation:

William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" revolves around the killing of Julius Caesar and the fight for the power of Rome among the leaders. The play deals with themes of loyalty, greed, power, government, good vs evil, appearance, and reality, etc.

Antony's speech at the funeral of Caesar was not done to openly criticize the murderers and conspirators. Instead, he termed them "honorable men" while his tone and expression say otherwise. He expresses his belief that Caesar was not a tyrant and "over-ambitious" like Brutus claimed. But rather, Caesar was one who deemed all of them as his family, as his "heirs". Moreover, he points out that he (Caesar) denied the crown thrice, which is suggestive of his humility and not something that a tyrant would do.

Thus, the correct answer is option c.