Do you know the Other Fellow?

Did he ever tell you that what you were doing was right or wrong? Relate an instance.

LXXVI

BRUTUS AND ANTONY

Study of Literature

If you have read Shakespeare's play "Julius Cæsar," you will recognize these selections.

Julius Cæsar had become master of Rome. Brutus, Cassius, and other Roman nobles, although friends of Cæsar, thought that he had too much power and was dangerous to the liberty of the people. So they conspired against him and killed him in the senate house. The people of Rome were greatly excited. Brutus appeared before them and made a speech in defense of the assassination. He was followed by Marc Antony, who was a friend of Cæsar and had not joined the conspirators but hated them. Antony brought Cæsar's body before the people.

Read the two orations and see which you think the more likely to rouse the people and gain their sympathy.

Read:

(1)

Brutus. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear; believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor, that you may believe; censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say that

Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all freemen? As Cæsar loved 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. There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak, for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak, for him have I

offended.

Study of Brutus's Speech:

Why does Brutus, who was a rich noble, address the crowd of rough people as "countrymen and lovers"? Does he seem to you sincere ?

Observe the compound and complex sentences beginning, "Hear me for my cause." (See pp. 278-280.) Do the clauses "that you may hear," "that you may believe," "that you may the better judge," make the imperative verbs hear, be silent, believe, and have respect seem less harsh?

If you had been a Roman citizen, how would you have felt?

Why does Brutus say "Brutus' love to Cæsar" and "Brutus rose against Cæsar," rather than "my love" and "I rose"?

Why does he not continue this form and say, "not that Brutus loved Cæsar less, but that Brutus loved Rome more"?

Observe how he leads up to his reason for killing Cæsar, stating first Cæsar's virtues and their reward

and then his one vice and its punishment. Then observe how he appeals to their love of freedom as his excuse for killing Cæsar.

Would you have believed him?

Observe the words there is tears.

What word would

you use instead of is? In Shakespeare's time people were not so particular about the rules of grammar as they are now.

Select your favorite passage in Brutus's speech, copy it, and commit it to memory.

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.

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.

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

And Brutus is an honorable man.

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.

*

*

[Shows Caesar's mantle, blood-stained and cut.

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle :

Look! in this place ran Cassius' dagger through;

*

Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
And as he plucked his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it,
As rushing out of doors, to be resolv'd
If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Cæsar's angel:
Judge, O ye gods, how dearly Cæsar lov'd him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For, when the noble Cæsar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him: then burst his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's statua,

Which all the while ran blood, great Cæsar fell.
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourished over us.
O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what! weep you when you but behold
Our Cæsar's vesture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.

*

[Shows the body of Caesar.

I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:
I am no orator, as Brutus is,

But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,

That love my friend; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

I tell you that which you yourselves do know,
Show you sweet Cæsar's wounds, poor, poor dumb mouths,
And bid them speak for me: but, were I Brutus,

And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Cæsar that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

Study of Antony's Speech:

Notice how Antony's opening words differ from those of Brutus.

What was Brutus's purpose? What Antony's? Does he mean it when he repeatedly calls Brutus and the rest"all honorable men" "?

Why does he show the mantle ?

What do you think of the figure beginning "Mark how the blood of Cæsar followed it"?

What would be the natural effect upon a crowd, of this display of the mantle?

What does Antony say really killed Cæsar?

Why does Antony compare his oratory with that of Brutus? Does he describe his own accurately?

Was he wise to show first the mantle, then the body?

Do you think prose or verse more effective for speeches such as Brutus's and Antony's? Which of the speeches do you like the better? Why?

LXXVII

TOPICS FOR COMPOSITION WRITING

Correlating Language with Geography

The largest state in the Union.
The smallest state in the Union.
The productions of my own state.
The natural wonders of Arizona.
The sugar plantations of Louisiana.