Question

cumulative exam
cumulative exam complete
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read the excerpt from act 3, scene 2, of julius caesar.
antony but heres a parchment with the seal of caesar;
i found it in his closet. tis his will.
let but the commons hear this testament—
which, pardon me, i do not mean to read—
and they would go and kiss dead caesar’s wounds,
and dip their napkins in his sacred blood,
yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
and, dying, mention it within their wills,
bequeathing it as a rich legacy
unto their issue.
what is the best summary of this monologue?
○ antony incites anger in the people by displaying and reading caesar’s will to show how rich caesar has become as the leader of rome.
○ antony suggests that the people go to caesar’s body to take relics to show their disrespect and dislike for caesar.
○ antony displays caesar’s will and says that if the people read it, they would worship caesar so much that they would want something from him to worship as a relic.
○ antony has caesar’s will and reads it to the crowd even though it offers further evidence of caesar’s ambition and greed will upset the people even more.

Explanation:

To summarize the monologue, we analyze Antony's actions and intentions. Antony has Caesar's will and describes how the people would react if they read it: they'd worship Caesar, want relics (like kissing wounds, taking hair) and see the will as a rich legacy for their descendants. Let's evaluate each option:

• Option 1: The will isn't about showing Caesar's wealth as a leader, but about the people's potential reaction to it. Eliminate.
• Option 2: Antony doesn't suggest disrespect; he implies the people would revere Caesar. Eliminate.
• Option 3: Matches the analysis—Antony says if people read the will, they'd worship Caesar and want relics to worship as a relic. Correct.
• Option 4: The will doesn't show ambition/greed, and Antony doesn't read it (he says he doesn't mean to read it). Eliminate.

Answer:

C. Antony displays Caesar’s will and says that if the people read it, they would worship Caesar so much that they would want something from him to worship as a relic.