Question

read the excerpt from act 4, scene 1, of the tragedy of julius caesar.

exit lepidus

antony. this is a slight, unmeritable man,
meet to be sent on errands. is it fit,
the three-fold world divided, he should stand
one of the three to share it?

octavius. so you thought him,
and took his voice who should be pricked to die,
in our black sentence and proscription.

antony. octavius, i have seen more days than you.
and though we lay these honors on this man.
to ease ourselves of divers slandrous loads,
he shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
to groan and sweat under the business,
either led or driven as we point the way;

what does this interaction reveal about antony? select two options.

antony is incredibly loyal to lepidus.
he values the efforts of lepidus and will reward him.
his opinion of the conspirators has changed, and he now agrees with their cause.
antony uses people to get what he wants and then dismisses them.
antony is not as trustworthy as he seemed in the speech at caesars funeral.

Explanation:

Analyze Antony's statements about Lepidus

Antony calls Lepidus a "slight, unmeritable man" fit only to run errands, questioning if he should share power in the "three-fold world." This shows he does not value Lepidus and plans to dismiss him after using him.

Analyze Antony's comparison of Lepidus to a beast of burden

Antony compares Lepidus to an "ass [that] bears gold," carrying the burden of their decisions ("sland'rous loads") only to be unloaded and turned out once the work is done. This reveals Antony's manipulative, untrustworthy nature, contrasting with his public persona during Caesar's funeral speech.

Evaluate the options

• Option 1 and 2 are incorrect because Antony explicitly devalues Lepidus.
• Option 3 is incorrect because there is no mention of agreeing with the conspirators.
• Option 4 is correct because Antony plans to use Lepidus and then discard him.
• Option 5 is correct because this cold, calculating behavior shows he is not as noble or trustworthy as he appeared during his funeral oration.

Answer:

• Antony is incredibly loyal to Lepidus.
• He values the efforts of Lepidus and will reward him.
• His opinion of the conspirators has changed, and he now agrees with their cause.
• Antony uses people to get what he wants and then dismisses them. (Correct answer)
• Antony is not as trustworthy as he seemed in the speech at Caesar's funeral. (Correct answer)