Julius Caesar Acting Passage

Act 3 Scene 1, line 147

Brutus: But here comes Antony. Welcome, Mark Antony.

Antony: O mighty Caesar! dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well. I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, who else must be let blood, who else is rank: If I myself, there is not hour so fit as Caesar's death's hour; nor no instrument of half that worth as those your swords, made rich with the most noble blood of all this world. I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard, now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke, fulfill your pleasure. Live a thousand years, I shall not find myself so apt to die: No place will please me so, no mean of death, As her by Caesar, and by you cut off, the choice an d master spirits of this age.

Brutus: O Antony, beg not your death of us. Though now we must appear bloody and cruel, As by our hands and this our present act. You see we do, yet see you but our hands and this the bleeding business they have done. Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; and the pity to the general wrong of Rome - As fire drives out fires, so pity pity - Hath done this deed on Caesar. For you part, to you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony: Our arms in strength of malice, and our hears of brothers' temper, do receive you in with all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

Brutus: Only patient till we have appeas'd the multitude, beside themselves with fear, and then we will deliver you the cause why I that did love Caesar when I struck him, have thus proceeded.

Antony: I doubt not of your wisdom. Let each man render me his bloody hand. First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you; Next Caius Cassius, do I take your hand; Now Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus; Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours; though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius. Gentlemen all - alas, what shall I say? My credit now stands on such slippery ground, That one of two bad ways you must conceit me, Either a coward or a flatterer. That I did love thee, Caesar O, 'tis true! If then thy spirit look upon us now, shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death, To see thy Antony making his peace, shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes. Most noble in the presence of thy corse? Had I a many eyes as thous hast wounds, Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood, It would become me better to close in terms of friendship with thine enemies. Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart; Here didst thou fall; and there thy hunters stand, Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe. O world, thou wast the forest to this hart; And this indeed, O world, the heart of thee. How like a deer strucken by many princes, Dost thou lie here!

This passage is when Antony comes the the capitol to and speaks of how he now follows feels that what the conspirators have done was right. But on the inside he feels the complete opposite.

Partner Christian (Leo) Young

The significance of this quote is that Antony is tricking the conspirators into thinking that he is weak without Caesar. But really he is just as strong or possible stronger.