Question

ANTONY. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interrèd with their bones.

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus

Hath told you Caesar was ambitious.

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Caesar answered it.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—

For Brutus is an honourable man,

So are they all, all honourable men—

Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.

–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,

William Shakespeare

Which details support the central idea that Antony is not being straightforward, but is criticizing the conspirators? Check all that apply.

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
“I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
“The good is oft interrèd with their bones.”
“For Brutus is an honourable man”
“So are they all, all honourable men”

Answer 1

The lines that support that Antony is being ironic and criticizing the conspirators are:

- “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” — He says this but then praises Caesar, showing irony.
- “The good is oft interrèd with their bones.” — Implies the conspirators buried Caesar’s good qualities along with his body.
- “For Brutus is an honourable man” — Repetition and tone make this sarcastic, undermining Brutus’s claim.
- “So are they all, all honourable men” — Extends the same ironic critique to the other conspirators.

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” does not; it’s an attention-getting opening, not a criticism.