Antony makes the conspirators believe that he is with them if they can explain why Caesar was so much of a threat that he had to be killed. He even goes from man to man shaking each hand, still bloody from Caesar's assassination. Although Cassius does not buy Antony's act that he understands why they did what they did, a trusting Brutus believes that Antony has come over to their side. When Antony requests to be allowed to speak at Caesar's funeral, Brutus thinks it's a good idea to show the people that even Caesar's close friend Antony is with the conspirators. Brutus will talk to the crowd first to explain the assassination, and then Antony will be allowed to say some kind words on Caesar's behalf just as long as he doesn't say anything negative about the conspirators. It was this poor judge of character that allowed Brutus to be dragged into the conspiracy in the first place. Brutus was manipulated by Cassius, and Cassius believes that Antony is doing the same thing with regards to the oration. Unfortunately for Brutus and the rest of the conspirators, Antony is allowed to speak. His words turn the mob against Brutus, and Cassius was probably saying to himself, "I knew it!"
No comments:
Post a Comment