Caesar has been stabbed to death in the Capitol on the Ides of March. Brutus declared that "ambition's debt is paid", and the conspirators bathed their hands in Caesar's blood. Antony sent a servant to ask for safe-conduct, shook the bloody hands of the conspirators, and asked to speak at Caesar's funeral. Cassius warned Brutus, "You know not what you do", but Brutus agreed, on conditions: Antony must not blame the conspirators, must speak all the good he can of Caesar, must say he speaks by their permission, and must speak from the same pulpit after Brutus. Alone, Antony revealed his rage, calling the conspirators "butchers" and prophesying civil war. A servant reported that Octavius was within seven leagues of Rome.
Foundation first: what the audience already knows
By the time the crowd gathers, three things have been set up. First, Antony has a secret plan of revenge, but only the audience knows it. Second, Brutus has set conditions that look safe but control only what Antony may say, not how he says it. Third, Cassius has warned that Antony's words may move the people. This gap between what the audience knows and what Brutus knows is dramatic irony. Every move in Scene 2 is made more thrilling by it.
Worked examples
Example 1 (short answer, 3 marks). What did Cassius warn Brutus about, and how did Brutus answer him?
Model answer. Cassius said, "You know not what you do: do not consent / That Antony speak in his funeral," because the people might be moved by what Antony would say. Brutus replied that he would speak first, explain the reasons for the killing, and announce that Antony speaks with the conspirators' permission, which he believed would help them.
Why this scores: the warning (1 mark), the reason (1 mark), Brutus's answer (1 mark).
Example 2 (MCQ with a twist, 1 mark). What does Antony call the conspirators when he is alone with Caesar's body? (a) sacrificers (b) honourable men (c) butchers (d) friends.
Solution. (c). "Sacrificers" is Brutus's word. "Honourable men" is what Antony will say in public later, and "friends" is what he pretends.
Example 3 (short answer, 3 marks). Where is Octavius at the end of Scene 1, and what has happened by the end of Scene 2?
Model answer. At the end of Scene 1 a servant says Octavius is within seven leagues of Rome. By the end of Scene 2 another servant reports that Octavius is already in Rome, at Caesar's house, with Lepidus. This shows how quickly events are moving.
Why this scores: both places (2 marks) and the comment on the speed of events (1 mark).
Doubts cleared
Q. Why does Brutus agree to let Antony speak? He thinks the conspirators have been fair and reasonable, and he believes the truth will win. He underestimates how much feeling matters to a crowd.
Q. What is the difference between "the same pulpit" and "after me"? They are two different conditions: Antony must stand where Brutus stood, and he must speak once Brutus has finished. Both help Antony, because he gets the last word.
Q. Why does Antony hide his rage? Alone and outnumbered, he can only act through the funeral. A show of friendship is the price of that permission.
Mistakes to avoid
- Saying that Brutus forbade Antony to praise Caesar. Brutus told him to speak all the good he could of Caesar.
- Forgetting to list all the conditions. Learn them as: after Brutus, from the same pulpit, with the conspirators' permission, without blaming them, praising Caesar. Examiners note that some candidates remember only one or two.
Check yourself
- Who warned Brutus not to let Antony speak?
- Name two of the conditions Brutus laid down.
- Where was Octavius at the end of Scene 1?
Answers: 1. Cassius. 2. Any two: Antony must not blame the conspirators; he must speak well of Caesar; he must say he speaks by their permission; he must speak after Brutus from the same pulpit. 3. Within seven leagues of Rome.