Question

read the excerpt from julius caesar, act 1, scene 2.
cassius tis just,
and it is very much lamented, brutus,
that you have no such mirrors as will turn
your hidden worthiness into your eye,
that you might see your shadow. i have heard
where many of the best respect in rome-
except immortal caesar-speaking of brutus,
and groaning underneath this ages yoke,
have wished that noble brutus had his eyes.
what does the image of \and groaning underneath this ages yoke\ suggest about the meaning of the
passage? (a yoke is a wooden harness, or collar, put
around the neck of a horse or oxen that is pulling a
plough.)
brutus has been choking because he is ill.
brutus is much older than cassius.
the people of rome raise horses and cattle.
people are suffering under the current leadership

Explanation:

The phrase "groaning underneath this age's yoke" is a metaphor. A yoke is a tool that restricts and burdens animals. Here, it symbolizes the oppressive situation people are in. The "groaning" shows their suffering. The context of the passage (mentioning Caesar's rule) implies that the people are suffering under the current leadership (Caesar's rule as a form of leadership in this context).

• Brutus being ill (choking) is not related to the metaphor of the yoke.
• The age comparison between Brutus and Cassius is not relevant to the meaning of the yoke metaphor.
• The fact that Romans raise horses and cattle is a literal statement about yoke usage but not the symbolic meaning in the passage.

Answer:

People are suffering under the current leadership.