Shakespeare (IV) - People are fickle (II) - Antony speech

“FOURTH CITIZEN What does he say of Brutus?

THIRD CITIZEN He says, for Brutus’sake,

He finds himself beholding to us all.

FOURTH CITIZEN ‘Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

FIRST CITIZEN This Caesar was a tyrant.

THIRD CITIZEN Nay, that’s certain.

We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

SECOND CITIZEN Peace! Let us hear what Antony can say.

ANTONY You gentle Romans.

ALL Peace, ho! Let us hear him.

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 interred with their bones;

So let itbe 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 honorable man; So are they all, all honorable 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 honorable 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 honorable 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 honorable 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 judgement, 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 come back to me.

FIRST CITIZEN Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.

SECOND CITIZEN If thou consider rightly of the matter, Caesar has had great wrong.

THIRD CITIZEN Has he, masters? I fear there will a worse come in his place.

FOURTH CITIZEN Mark’d ye his words? He would not take the crown;

Therefore ‘tis certain he was not ambitious.

FIRST CITIZEN If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

SECOND CITIZEN Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping.

THIRD CITIZEN There’s not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.

FOURTH CITIZEN Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

ANTONY But yesterday the word of Caesar might Have stood against the world. Now lies he there,

And none so poor to do him reverence.

O masters! If I were disposed to stir

Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,

I should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong,

Who, you all know, are honorable men.

I will not do them wrong; I rather choose

To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,

Than I will wrong such honorable men”.

SHAKESPEARE, W. Julius Caesar, act III scene II.

Just in one scene, people change their minds; are not they fickle?, are not they driven like cattle?

It was written in 16th century; the world has not quite changed.  Reasons to be worried.