Question

unit test
unit test complete
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read the excerpt from act 2, scene 1 of julius caesar.
portia. brutus is wise, and, were he not in health,
he would embrace the means to come by it. . . .
you have some sick offence within your mind
which by the right and virtue of my place,
i ought to know of. and upon my knees,
i charm you by my once-commended beauty,
by all your vows of love, and that great vow
which did incorporate and make us one,
that you untold me, your self, your half,
why you are heavy, and what men tonight
have had resort to you—for here have been
some six or seven, who did hide their faces
even from darkness.
what is the best summary of this monologue?
○ portia says that if brutus were simply sick, he would
do something to get better. as his wife, he has made
a promise to her, and she pleads with him to tell her
what is on his mind. she also inquires about the
men who were sneaking around their house.
○ portia pleads with brutus and says that she
deserves to know what is wrong.
○ portia reminds brutus that he owes it to him to be
honest when she is worried and to treat him like his
other half.
○ portia tells brutus that his body is healthy. she
reminds him that, as his wife and other half, she will
stick by him, no matter what happens.

Explanation:

To determine the best summary, we analyze each option:

• First option: Includes details about men sneaking around, but the main focus of Portia's monologue is to get Brutus to share his thoughts, not just the inquiry about the men. So this is not the best.
• Second option: Portia does plead to know what's wrong, but it lacks the context of their relationship (like being his wife/other half) and the part about his health vs. mental burden.
• Third option: Portia reminds Brutus of their relationship (she is his other half, he should be honest when she's worried) and that he owes her honesty. This captures the key elements of her plea about his mental state and their bond.
• Fourth option: Focuses on sticking by him, but the main point of the monologue is to get him to reveal his thoughts, not just loyalty.

Answer:

A. Portia says that if Brutus were simply sick, he would do something to get better. As his wife, he has made a promise to her, and she pleads with him to tell her what is on his mind. She also inquires about the men who were sneaking around their house. (Wait, no, correction: The correct option is the third one. Wait, let's re - check the options:

Wait the options are:

1. Portia says that if Brutus were simply sick, he would do something to get better. As his wife, he has made a promise to her, and she pleads with him to tell her what is on his mind. She also inquires about the men who were sneaking around their house.

1. Portia pleads with Brutus and says that she deserves to know what is wrong.

1. Portia reminds Brutus that she owes it to him to be honest when she is worried and to treat him like his other half.

1. Portia tells Brutus that his body is healthy. She reminds him that, as his wife and other half, she will stick by him, no matter what happens.

Wait, no, the third option's wording: "Portia reminds Brutus that she owes it to him to be honest when she is worried and to treat him like his other half." Wait, maybe I misread. Wait the original Portia's lines: "You have some sick offence within your mind... I ought to know of... By all your vows of love, and that great vow Which did incorporate and make us one, That you untold to me, your self, your half, Why you are heavy, and what men tonight Have had resort to you..."

So the correct summary is the first option? Wait no, let's parse each:

Option 1: Mentions if he were sick he'd get better (from "were he not in health, He would embrace the means to come by it"), her plea as wife (promise, "by the right and virtue of my place", "your vows of love... make us one"), and inquires about the men ("what men tonight... did hide their faces").

Option 2: Too vague, no details about the sick analogy or the men.

Option 3: The wording "she owes it to him to be honest" is incorrect. It's Brutus who should be honest with her.

Option 4: Focuses on sticking by him, not the plea for honesty about his mind and the men.

So the correct option is the first one: "Portia says that if Brutus were simply sick, he would do something to get better. As his wife, he has made a promise to her, and she pleads with him to tell her what is on his mind. She also inquires about the men who were sneaking around their house."