Question

read the excerpt from act 5, scene 2, of julius caesar.
brutus: ride, ride, messala, ride, and give these bills
unto the legions on the other side.
loud alarum
let them set on at once, for i perceive
but cold demeanour in octavius wing,
and sudden push gives them the overthrow.
ride, ride, messala, let them all come down.
exeunt
how would the meaning of the passage be affected if
the phrase \all come down\ were changed to
\advance\?
the tone would become one of despair and
negativity.
the tone would become more angry and vengeful.
the tone would be less urgent as the enemy moves
more slowly.
the tone would become one of indifference as both
sides act indecisively.

Explanation:

"All come down" implies a sense of urgency as Brutus is commanding a swift movement of his forces. "Advance" is a more neutral term. If we change "all come down" to "advance", the sense of urgency is reduced. When Brutus says "all come down", it's like a strong, urgent call for his troops to move quickly. "Advance" doesn't carry the same level of immediacy. The original phrase shows Brutus perceiving a threat (the "cold demeanour in Octavius' wing" and the "sudden push gives them the overthrow") and needing a quick response. Changing it to "advance" makes the action seem less urgent as "advance" can be a more measured movement compared to the forceful and urgent connotation of "all come down".

Answer:

The tone would be less urgent as the enemy moves more slowly.