Question

read the excerpt from act 4, scene 3, of the tragedy of julius caesar.
brutus. messala, i have here received letters,
that young octavius and mark antony
come down upon us. . . .
messala. myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.
brutus. with what addition?
messala. that by proscription and bills of outlawry,
octavius, antony, and lepidus
have put to death an hundred senators.
brutus. therein our letters do not well agree.
mine speak of seventy senators that died
by their proscriptions, cicero being one.
cassius. cicero one!
messala. ay, cicero is dead,
what is the central idea of this excerpt?
○ the power of love
○ the value of peace
○ the ruthlessness of power
○ the importance of compromise

Explanation:

The excerpt from The Tragedy of Julius Caesar shows Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus using proscription and outlawry to put a large number of senators (hundred or seventy) to death, including Cicero. This depicts how those in power (Octavius, Antony, Lepidus) act ruthlessly to eliminate opposition. The other options (power of love, value of peace, importance of compromise) are not supported by the excerpt’s content, as it focuses on the harsh actions of those in power.

Answer:

the ruthlessness of power