ANTONY'S ORATION

A GROUP of conspirators, comprising

Brutus, Cassius, Casca, and others, have assassinated Julius Cæsar. The Roman populace loved Cæsar, and Brutus addresses them explaining why it was necessary to slay Cæsar.

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"Not that I lov'd Cæsar less, but that I lov'd Rome more. * As Cæsar lov'd me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him."

Brutus, in further explanation of his action, declared, "that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please my country to need my death."

The fickle Roman populace shouted in approval,

"Live, Brutus! Live, Live!"

Antony and others now come in with Cæsar's body. Brutus allows Antony to speak the funeral oration and even exhorts the people to hear Antony and to show respect to the dead

Cæsar. The following is Shakespeare's idea of what Antony must have said under the circumstances. The oration is one of the most remarkable discourses of the kind that has ever been written, changing as it does the attitude of the hostile populace and moving them to believe and act in behalf of the murdered Cæsar. Plutarch's Life of Julius Cæsar doubtless formed the basis for this play. This extract is Plutarch's account of Antony's oration and its effect:

“Afterwards, when Cæsar's body was brought into the market place, Antonius making his funeral oration in praise of the dead, according to the ancient custom of Rome, and perceiving that his words moved the common people to compassion, he framed his eloquence to make their hearts yearn the more; and taking Cæsar's gown all bloody in his hand, he laid it open to the sight of them all, showing what a number of cuts and holes it had upon it. Therewithal the people fell presently into such a rage and mutiny, that there was no more order kept among the common people.”

ANTONY. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me

your ears;

I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them,

The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cæsar. The noble Brutus

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Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious;

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cæsar answer'd it.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,—
For Brutus is an honorable man,

So are they all, all honorable men,—

Come I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.

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He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honorable man.

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He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransom did the general coffers fill;

Did this in Cæsar seem ambitious?

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When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept;
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honorable man.

You all did see that on the Lupercal

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? 25 Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And sure, he is an honorable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause; 30
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason!-Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cæsar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.
1ST CITIZEN. Methinks there is much reason in his

sayings.

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2D CITIZEN.

If thou consider rightly of the matter,

Cæsar has had great wrong.

3D CITIZEN. Has he, masters?

I fear there will a worse come in his place. 4TH CITIZEN. Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;

Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

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1ST CITIZEN. If it be found so, some will dear

abide it.

2D CITIZEN. Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with

weeping.

3D CITIZEN. There's not a nobler man in Rome

than Antony.

4TH CITIZEN. Now mark him, he begins again to

speak.

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ANTONY. But yesterday the word of Cæsar might
Have stood against the world; now lies he there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.
O masters! if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,

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I should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong,

Who, you all know, are honorable men.
I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honorable men.
But here's a parchment, with the seal of Cæsar;
I found it in his closet; 'tis his will.
Let but the commons hear this testament,-
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read,-
And they would go and kiss dead Cæsar's

wounds,

And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,

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60

Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their issue.

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4TH CITIZEN. We'll hear the will. We'll hear the will. Read it, Mark

Antony.

ALL. The will, the will! we will hear Cæsar's will. ANTONY. Have patience, gentle friends, I must not

read it;

It is not meet you know how Cæsar lov'd you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but

men;

And, being men, hearing the will of Cæsar,

It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs;
For if you should, O, what would come of it?
4TH CITIZEN. Read the will! we'll hear it,

Antony!

You shall read us the will! Cæsar's will!

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ANTONY. Will you be patient? Will you stay awhile?

I have o'ershot myself, to tell you of it.

I fear I wrong the honorable men,

Whose daggers have stabb'd Cæsar; I do

fear it.

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4TH CITIZEN. They were traitors! honorable men! ALL. The will! the testament!

2D CITIZEN. They were villains, murderers. The will! Read the will!

ANTONY. You will compel me, then, to read the