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In Act 3 Scene 2, Antony uses the term 'honourable' sarcastically to cast doubt on the integrity of the conspirators who killed Caesar, ultimately leading the citizens to question their motives. He incites the mob to mutiny by displaying Caesar's bloodied mantle and highlighting his virtues, stirring their emotions against the assassins. Antony cleverly pretends to be a plain man while using irony and rhetoric to manipulate the crowd into seeking revenge.

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2 views

Worksheet

In Act 3 Scene 2, Antony uses the term 'honourable' sarcastically to cast doubt on the integrity of the conspirators who killed Caesar, ultimately leading the citizens to question their motives. He incites the mob to mutiny by displaying Caesar's bloodied mantle and highlighting his virtues, stirring their emotions against the assassins. Antony cleverly pretends to be a plain man while using irony and rhetoric to manipulate the crowd into seeking revenge.

Uploaded by

Prime Apple
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Act 3 Scene 2

Lines 221-225
Antony: Good friends, sweet friends let me not stir you up

………………………………………………………………………………………………..
That made them do it; they are wise and honourable
1. What is the significance of Antony’s use of the word
‘honourable’ when referring to the conspirators who killed
Caesar?3
Ans: Antony sarcastically repeats the word ‘honourable’ to instil
doubts in the minds of the people about the honour and integrity of
the conspirators. He spreads before the citizens evidences of Caesar’s
virtues that contradict the honourable intentions of the conspirators
and expose lack of justification in assassinating Caesar. His ironic tone
in repeating the term subtly undermines the credibility of the
conspirators and leads the citizens to reconsider who is truly
honourable and just in their actions.
2. What does the mob decide to do at the end of the scene? Who
enters after the mob disperses? What information does the
person bring?3
Ans: The mob decides to mutiny. They first resolve to burn Caesar’s
body in the holy place and set off with pieces of burning wood to burn
the houses of Brutus and other traitors.
After the mob disperses, Octavius’ servant enters.
Octavius’ servant informs Antony that his master has already come to
Rome. He and Lepidus are now at Caesar’ house.
3. What does Antony show the people in order to raise their
mutiny and rage? What does it contain?3
Ans: Antony shows the bloody mantle which Ceasar wore when he
was stabbed by his ungrateful friends. He shows the rents made by
the daggers of Cassius, Casca and Brutus, whose stab was the ‘most
unkindest cut of all’ He stirs up their emotion by saying that Caesar
was betrayed and the betrayal burst his mighty heart that Caesar
covered his face in the mantle in humiliation and fell. The citizens
begin to weep in pity and clamour for revenge.
The mantle contains rents caused by the daggers of Cassius, Casca,
Brutus and other conspirators when they stabbed Caesar.
4. How does Antony compare himself with Brutus? How does he
project himself? Does he really mean when he says, ‘let not
stir you up’?3
Antony compares himself with Brutus saying that the latter is
honourable and wise and has reasons which Brutus will give the mob
for assassinating Caesar. He is not an orator like Brutus.
Antony projects himself as a plain blunt man who loves his friend. He
does not have cleverness, words, merit, gesture, elocution and
rhetoric to incite people’s anger. He speaks directly what the citizens
themselves know.
No. He means to stir up the emotions of the mob to revolt and rage.
He pretends to move them away from ‘mutiny and rage’ while
cunningly and cleverly using a variety of oratorical devices leads them
to mutiny. How does Antony use irony and rhetoric to sway the
emotions of the mob?4
Ans: Antony uses irony when he goes on reminding the mob that
Brutus and other conspirators are ‘honourable men’ until the idea
sounds hollow. The word ‘honourable’ recurs in his speech like a
refrain and in the end ‘honour’ becomes a term of mockery instigating
the mob to think about the real intention of the conspirators in
assassinating Caesar. He uses rhetoric when he directly attacks the
claim of assassins that Caesar was ambitious by giving the mob two
answers. First, he refers to Caesar’ generosity in sharing the spoils of
war with the citizens of Rome and his compassion for the poor. His
statement ‘ambition should be made of sterner stuff’ is a direct effort
to implant love in the minds of the mob for Caesar who was not
ashamed to display his emotions. Second, he recalls Caesar rejecting
the crown thrice at Lupercal proves he is not excessively ambitious.
Rather than accusing the ‘honourable’ assassins, he says he would
rather wrong himself. He makes a direct visual appeal by referring to
the blood-stained rents in Caesar’s mantle and ends with the betrayal
wound inflicted by ‘well- beloved’ Brutus. He succeeds in creating
sympathy for Caesar and antipathy for the assassins. As he refers to
Caesar’s will, he appeals to the greed of the mob who forms the view
that Brutus and Cassius would have cheated them of their inheritance.
Thus he works upon the emotions of the mob pretending not to stir
up to mutiny and rage but intentionally goading them to mutiny.

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