Asked by Havon
CASSIUS. Messala,
This is my birthday; as this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala.
Be thou my witness that, against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compelled to set
Upon one battle all our liberties.
–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,
William Shakespeare
Which is the meaning of the word compelled in this passage?
How would the meaning be affected if the word compelled were changed to encouraged?
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
"Compelled" here means forced or obliged — made to do something against one's will. Cassius is saying that, like Pompey, he is left with no choice but to stake their freedom on a single battle.
If you changed it to "encouraged," the line would shift to mean he is urged or persuaded to risk everything (a voluntary, even positive prompting). That would clash with the preceding phrase "against my will" and change the tone and character: from reluctant and coerced to willingly motivated or supported. The tragic, resentful force of the original would be lost.
If you changed it to "encouraged," the line would shift to mean he is urged or persuaded to risk everything (a voluntary, even positive prompting). That would clash with the preceding phrase "against my will" and change the tone and character: from reluctant and coerced to willingly motivated or supported. The tragic, resentful force of the original would be lost.
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