Read the excerpt from act 3, scene 2, of Julius Caesar . 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. What are the central ideas of this excerpt? Choose two correct answers.
Answer
A
Antony believes the conspirators should be rewarded with riches for their sacrifice and willingness to kill the ambitious Caesar.
B
Antony does not believe that Caesar deserves a funeral, but unwillingly agreed to speak to please the conspirators.
C
The mistakes men make are remembered after their deaths, but their good deeds more often die with them.
D
Antony wants everyone to know that he wanted Caesar dead.
E
If Caesar was power-hungry, it was a serious flaw, and he paid seriously for it.
Explanation
Antony says that “the evil that men do lives after them,” while good deeds are often buried with the dead. This supports E: people tend to remember others’ wrongs more than their good deeds. He also says that if Caesar was ambitious, it was a “grievous fault” and that Caesar has “answered” for it—meaning he suffered for it—so A is correct.
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