Hi Everyone!! This article will share Mark Antony’s Speech Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have shared the questions & answers of The Last Stand at Thermopylae, On Killing a Tree and The Battle of Blenheim so, you can check these posts as well.
Mark Antony’s Speech Questions & Answers
Question 1: What is the citizens’ opinion of Caesar and Brutus at the beginning of the scene?
Answer: The people are loyal to Brutus and hold him in high esteem; they do not want Antony to harm Brutus in any manner. They believe that Caesar was a tyrant and that Brutus did right in killing him.
Question 2: To justify his point of view and reinstate Caesar, Antony gives three proofs of Caesar’s modest ambition. Mention the proofs.
Answer: Antony says that:
i. If Brutus had said that Caesar was ambitious, then by dying Caesar had paid for it.
ii. Caesar brought many captives home and their people paid ransoms for them which have filled the state treasury.
iii. When the poor suffered, Caesar suffered with them.
Question 3: For Brutus is an honourable man. This phrase that is repeated several times throughout text, sparked doubt in people’s minds. Bring out two instances where these words have a strong underlying meaning.
Answer: The two instances where these words have a strong underlying meaning are:
i. When the poor cried Caesar wept with them, this is not ambition, yet Brutus says he was ambitious; and Brutus is an honourable man.
ii. Caesar was offered the crown three times which he refused, yet Brutus says he was ambitious and sure Brutus is an honourable man.
Question 4: Why does Mark Antony refers to Caesar’s will but not read it out? What reason does he give for his refusal to do so? how does public react at this instance?
Answer: Antony intentionally does not read the will and tells the citizens that is not right to read because they will know how much Caesar loved them; he wants to provoke their curiosity. He instigates them further by saying they are men with emotions and that once they hear the will it will provoke them. Very skilfully he says, “It is good that they do not know that they are heirs of Caesar.” The public is curious, excited and insistent that the will be read out to them.
Question 5: What does Mark Antony hope to achieve by giving a detailed description of the assassination? Does his plan success?
Answer: Mark Antony wants to incite the mob to rage and mutiny so they revolt against the conspirators Brutus and Cassius. Yes, his plan succeeds.
Question 6: Why does reading out Caesar’s will further inflame the crowd and turn them into a mob?
Answer: Reading out Caesar’s will further inflames the crowd and turns them into a mob because Antony with his excellent oration has subtly conveyed to the citizens that Caesar was not ambitious and he loved them dearly and as his heirs he was willed to each citizen seventy-five drachmas and given to the public his property, his private gardens orchards and walks. He plays upon their emotions by pointing out the numerous gaping wounds from every stab of the dagger. The mob, in an emotional upheaval of loyalty and love for Caesar, are not only convinced of the murder committed by the traitors, Brutus and Cassius but are incited to mutiny and turn against the assassins to avenge the death of righteous Caesar.
Question 7: What does the mob plan to do to avenge Caesar’s assassination? Was this the reason Mark Antony requested permission to address the citizens?
Answer: The mob plans to burn down Brutus and Cassius’ house to avenge Caesar’s assassination. Yes, it was Mark Antony’s aim to avenge Caesar’s assassination through the citizens and have the killers punished for their evil deed.
Mark Antony’s Speech Questions & Answers
Question 8: Read and answer the questions:
Friend Romans, countrymen lend me your…………….so let it be with Caesar.
(a) What does Mark Antony mean by ‘The good is oft interred with their bones’?
Answer: Mark Antony conveys that with the death of a person his good deeds are often forgotten and get buried with his body.
(b) How has Caesar answered his grievous fault?
Answer: Caesar has grievously answered for his fault with his death as penalty.
(c) Explain play on word grievous.
Answer: Grievous is used in two connotations:
i. serious fault of ambition in Caesar’s nature to be king as told by Brutus.
ii. Caesar has paid for it with his death.
(d) Who has told the citizens that Caesar is ambitious? What did he want to justify?
Answer: Brutus has told the citizens that Caesar was ambitious. Brutus and Cassius have murdered Caesar; to justify his action, he accuses Caesar of his ambition to rule over free Rome.
Question 9: Read and answer the questions:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?…………………..And Brutus is an honourable man.
(a) What proof has Antony given to ask: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
Answer: Antony has given proof by saying that Caesar brought many captives home to Rome, whose ransoms filled the general coffers.
(b) How does the reference to Lupercal further weaken the doubt of Caesar’s ambition? Explain what happened at Lupercal?
Answer: Antony revived the Roman celebration at the feast of Lupercal, where in the presence of all the citizens Antony had offered Caesar the crown thrice and each time, he had waived it away. This further strengthened the citizens’ doubts about Caesar’s ambition as they were all witness to this refusal.
(c) Mention two remarks Antony makes about Brutus and means something different.
Answer: The two remarks that Antony made about Brutus and meant something different were:
i. For Brutus sake, I look upon you/address you.
ii. And Brutus is an honourable man.
(d) How does this influence the citizens?
Answer: The citizens realise there is much reason in Antony’s words and that Caesar was not ambitious. They realise Caesar has suffered a wrong. If anyone is found ambitious, he shall severely pay for it.
Question 10: Read and answer the questions:
O masters, if I were disposed to stir your hearts………..wrong myself and you.
(a) What has Antony subtly suggested to the citizens?
Answer: Antony says that if he were inclined to it, he would incite the crowd to anger and revolt, but by doing that, he would do wrong to Brutus and Cassius and he did not want to wrong the honourable men. In brief, Antony subtly suggests that it is Brutus and Cassius who have committed murder on the pretext of Caesar being ambitious but in reality, they are ambitious.
(b) What does Antony really mean by: I will not do them wrong…..To wrong myself and you?
Answer: He would do injustice by inciting them to anger and mutiny against Brutus and Cassius and wrong them; instead, he chose to do the injustice to them, himself and dead Caesar, rather than do a wrong to such honourable men.
(c) What does he take out to show the citizens? What influence does he claim it will have on the citizens if he reads it out? Mention one.
Answer: Antony takes out a parchment, saying it is the will of Caesar. He claims that the citizens will go and kiss Caesar’s wounds.
(d) How does the citizens react to this? Was this Antony’s intention when he mentions it?
Answer: The citizens are eager, curious and excited to hear the will and implore Antony to read it. Yes, this was Antony’s intention when he mentions it.
Question 11: Read and answer the questions:
Good friends, sweet friends……………. griefs they have, alas, I know not,
(a) Who are referred to as Good friends, sweet friends?
Answer: Antony in his speech addresses the citizens as Good friends, sweet friends.
(b) What is Mark Antony’s intention when he says ‘not stir you up to such a sudden flood of mutiny’?
Answer: Antony’s main aim in the speech was to incite the citizens to rage and mutiny against Brutus and Cassius and thus achieve justice for Caesar’s assassination and punish the two conspirators for the cold-blooded murder of his friend.
(c) Who are they? What reason does Mark Antony give for this deed?
Answer: They are Brutus and Cassius. He says that they must have some personal reason for doing this of which he has no knowledge or information.
(c) What effect has Mark Antony’s speech had on the citizens? What do they plan to do now?
Answer: The truth had dawned upon the citizens through his speech and with this realization, they are now completely incensed with rage and ready to revolt against Brutus and Cassius. They plan to carry dead Caesar to the holy place and burn his body and with the brands of his funeral fire burn down the houses of the traitors.
So, these were Mark Antony’s Speech Questions & Answers.