Question

What did Strato mean in the following passage from Julius Caesar? STRATO: Free from the bondage you are in, Messala; The conquerors can but make a fire of him; For Brutus only overcame himself, And no man else hath honour by his death. A. Brutus finally overcame his flaws and so, finally, in the end, had some honor. B. Brutus conquered himself; he was conquered by no other man. C. Brutus was overcome with himself, and so would not honor any of his friends. D. Brutus was so jealous of Messala that he knew what he had to do. © BUMHOLE​

Answer 1

Answer:

"If it be aught toward the general good,

Set honor in one eye and death i' th' other

And I will look on both indifferently;

For let the gods so speed me as I love

The name of honor more than I fear death" (1.2.92-96).

Spoken By: Brutus

Spoken To: Cassius

Meaning:

"If it's for the good of all Romans, I'd do it even if it meant my death. Let the gods give me good luck only as long as I love honor more than I fear death."

Significance:

Brutus admits that, above all else, he loves Rome. He loves Rome more than Caesar and more than his own life. Cassius, upon hearing this information, is able to push Brutus towards killing Caesar by emphasizing that the assassination would be for the betterment of Rome.

"Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:

Brutus had rather be a villager

Than to repute himself a son of Rome

Under these hard conditions as this time

Is like to lay upon us" (1.2.180-184).

Spoken By: Brutus

Spoken To: Cassius

Meaning:

"Until then, my noble friend, think about this: I'd rather be a poor villager than call myself a citizen of Rome under the hard conditions that this time is likely to put us through."

Significance:

Riding off of the first quote, Cassius is now using Brutus' love of Rome to plant seeds of dissent in Brutus' mind over whether Caesar will lead Rome to triumph or destruction.

Explanation:

Answer 2

Answer:

C. Brutus was overcome with himself, and so would not honor any of his friends.

For Brutus only overcame himself, And no man else hath honor by his death. Free from the bondage you are in, Messala. The conquerors can only make a fire of him, because only Brutus triumphed over himself, and no other man gets to triumph in his death.