Question

Read the excerpt from act 4, scene 1, of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.

[Exit LEPIDUS]

ANTONY. This is a slight, unmeritable man,
Meet to be sent on errands. Is it fit,
The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it?

OCTAVIUS. So you thought him,
And took his voice who should be pricked to die,
In our black sentence and proscription.

ANTONY. Octavius, I have seen more days than you.
And though we lay these honors on this man.
To ease ourselves of divers sland’rous loads,
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears
And graze in commons.

What does this interaction reveal about Antony? Select two options.

Antony is incredibly loyal to Lepidus.
He values the efforts of Lepidus and will reward him.
His opinion of the conspirators has changed, and he now agrees with their cause.
Antony uses people to get what he wants and then dismisses them.
Antony is not as trustworthy as he seemed in the speech at Caesar’s funeral.

Answer 1

- Antony uses people to get what he wants and then dismisses them.
- He describes Lepidus as an “ass” who will “bear” their burdens and be unloaded and turned off once he’s served their purposes.

- Antony is not as trustworthy as he seemed in the speech at Caesar’s funeral.
- His cynical, manipulative language shows he’s willing to deceive and exploit allies (giving Lepidus honors only to “ease ourselves of divers sland’rous loads”), contradicting the loyal, principled image he projected at the funeral.