TS Board Telangana SCERT Class 9 English Solutions Unit 7B Antony’s Speech (Poem) Textbook Questions and Answers.
TS 9th Class English Guide Unit 7B Antony’s Speech (Poem)
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do Hues after them;
The good is oft interred 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 answer’d 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.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
. But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
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 comes back to me.
Questions and Answers:
Answer the following questions.
Question 1.
What elements in Antony’s speech do you think make him succeed ?
Answer:
Antony’s speech began with the address “Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears”. Throughout his speech he praised the deeds of Julius Caesar, but he never said anything against Brutus; throughout his speech we find ‘And Brutus is an honourable man’.
But the message Antony conveyed was different. The message Antony finally gave was to the Romans. He asked Romans not to stop mourning as they all loved Caesar. He concluded the speech by saying that his heart was with Caesar and he had to pause till it came back.
Question 2.
What is Mark Antony’s message ?
Answer:
Mark Antony’s message was that Caesar was a noble man. He established Caesar’s nobility by giving instances from his life as a king. Antony said he didn’t want to disprove what Brutus said. But the reeil intention was to praise Caesar. Finally Antony said that the people loved Caesar With proper reason. If there is reason they have no reason to stop mourning the death of Caesar. He blamed judgement for going to brutish beasts. Finally he said that his heart was with Caesar and therefore he had to pause till it came back. The real meaning of this might be he would wait till the person who was just like Caesar came. Then he would support him.
Antony’s Speech (Poem) Summary in English
Antony’s speech is an excerpt from ‘Julius Caesar’, one of the famous plays written by William Shakespeare. This is the famous speech and popular scene from Julius Caesar. The speech is delivered by Mark Antony who was a friend of Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor. This is a rousing speech given to the public while keeping the dead body of Caesar before the public. The beginning of this speech is frequently quoted by every literary person.
Antony begins his speech by addressing the public “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” Throughout the speech Antony praises Brutus – but ironically. He doesn’t mean it.
He continues his speech by saying that he came to bury Caesar and not to praise him. The evil deeds done by men live after their death also. But, good is often buried with their death. It might be the same with Caesar.
The ‘noble’ Brutus told you that Caesar was ambitious. It is a fault on the part of Brutus. If that were true, Caesar had answered in a fitting manner.
With the permission of Brutus and others – Brutus is honourable and so are the others – I came here to speak on the occasion of Caesar’s funeral.
Caesar was my friend, he was faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious. Brutus is an honourable man.
Caesar has brought my captives back to Rome. By doing so, did Caesar demand money ? Did he become rich for himself ? What ambition can we see in Caesar in this act of bringing captives back ? When the poor cried, Caesar wept. Ambition is cruel. What cruelty do we see in Caesar ?
Yet, Brutus says he was ambitious. No doubt, Brutus is an honourable man. Friends, you all know, on the day of Lupercal (a festival day) I three times presented him a kingly crown to him. He refused it thrice. Is this an example of ambition ?
Yet, Brutus says he was ambitious. But, Brutus is an honourable man. I didn’t come here to disprove what Brutus spoke. But, this is what I know.
O judgement! you have run away to British animals. Men have lost their wisdom. Forgive me for saying these words. My heart is there – in the coffin, with Caesar. I must pause, till it comes back to me.”
The repetition of the expression “And Brutus is an honourable man” is ironical. It reflects the intention of Antony.
About the Poet:
William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer and the dramatist in the English language. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other play wright.
Glossary:
oft (adv) : often
Inter (v) : bury
grievous (adj) : very severe or serious
answer’d (v) : paid for something (to be punished for doing something bad)
under leave of (phr.v) : with the permission of
funeral : ceremony of burial or cremation
captives : persons who have been taken prisoners or confined
ransom : a sum of money demanded or paid for the release of a prisoner
general coffers (n .phr) : national treasury
stern (odj) : cruel or unkind
The Lupercal : The Lupercal feast day (a festival)
withhold : stop or suppress (an emotion or reaction)
mourn (v) : feel deep sorrow following someone’s death
thou (pron) : you
brutish (adj) : cruel or like an animal. (Notice the pun upon Brutus’s name)
coffin (n) : a long, narrow box in which a dead body is buried or cremated
pause (v) : make a brief stop