Question

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

BRUTUS – You wronged yourself to write in such a case CASSIUS – In such a time as this it is not meet That every nice offence should bear his comment.

1. Where are Brutus and Cassius? What prompts Brutus to say ‘You wronged yourself to write in such a case’? (Recalling & Understanding)
2. Why does Cassius feel that they should not argue in ‘such a time’? (Understanding & Analysis)
3. What did Brutus accuse Cassius of? How did Cassius react to this accusation? (Recalling & Understanding)
4. Explain the line:-
   “It is not meet that every nice offence should bear his comment”. (Understanding & Analysis)
5. Brutus accuses Cassius of many wrongs. Was Brutus justified in doing so? Give reasons for your answer. (Evaluation)

Answer 1

1. Brutus and Cassius are in Brutus’ tent at Sardis. Brutus says this because Cassius had written in defence of Lucius Pella, who had been accused of taking bribes, and Brutus felt Cassius was wrong to support him.
2. Cassius feels that this is not the right time to quarrel over every small fault because they are already facing a serious military threat from Antony and Octavius.
3. Brutus accuses Cassius of having an ‘itching palm’, that is, of accepting bribes and selling offices for money. Cassius becomes angry and feels deeply insulted by the accusation.
4. ‘It is not meet that every nice offence should bear his comment’ means that, in such a critical situation, every small fault should not be examined, criticised or discussed in detail.
5. Brutus is justified to some extent because he believes that corruption would dishonour the cause for which they killed Caesar. However, he is also too harsh in the way he accuses Cassius, especially when they need unity in the face of a powerful enemy.