Question

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

ANTONY – O masters, if I were disposed to stir your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, Who, you all know, are honourable men.

1. Antony shifts the focus of his speech to something else also. What is it? Why does Antony do this? (Recalling & Analysis)
2. What had Antony found in Caesar's closet? What four things would the people do if they came to know of the contents of what Antony found? (Recalling & Understanding)
3. What reasons does Antony give for delaying the reading of the contents of what he had found in Caesar's closet? How does he incite the mob further? (Recalling & Understanding)
4. How does the mention of Caesar's will and Antony's reference to Caesar's stabbing affect the citizens? 
5. Explain - "If I were disposed to stir your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage". (Understanding)

Answer 1

1. Antony shifts the focus of his speech to Caesar’s will. He does this to increase the curiosity of the citizens and make them more emotionally attached to Caesar.
2. Antony had found Caesar’s will in his closet. He says that if the people knew its contents, they would:
   • kiss Caesar’s wounds,
   • dip their handkerchiefs in his blood,
   • beg for a hair of Caesar as a keepsake,
   • pass these objects on as precious memories to their children.
3. Antony says he should not read the will because it would make the citizens realise how much Caesar loved them and would stir them to anger against the conspirators. By pretending to hold back, he actually makes the crowd more eager and excited.
4. The mention of Caesar’s will increases the citizens’ curiosity and sympathy for Caesar. Antony’s description of Caesar’s wounds then changes their grief into anger and fury against the conspirators.
5. ‘If I were disposed to stir your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage’ means that if Antony wanted to provoke the citizens into rebellion and violent anger, he could easily do so. He says this indirectly while actually leading them towards exactly that reaction.