Question

ANTONY. You all did love him once, not without cause:

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 Caesar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,

William Shakespeare

Which is the best summary of the central idea of this part of Antony’s speech?

He says the Roman people once had good reasons to love Caesar.
He needs to take a break from the speech because he is too upset.
He questions why the Romans no longer love Caesar and have turned against him.
The Roman people have become brutes and are unreasonable.

Answer 1

The best summary of the central idea of this part of Antony’s speech is:

**He questions why the Romans no longer love Caesar and have turned against him.**

This captures Antony's disbelief and sorrow over the crowd's shift in sentiment towards Caesar, prompting them to reflect on their past feelings for him.