Julius Caesar Group

Question:

medstudent1323
medstudent1323
Student
College - Freshman

Could someone paraphrase Antony's lines to the conspirators for me?

I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, who else must be let blood, who else is rank? if i myself, there is no hour so fit as caesars deaths hour, nor no instrument of half thats worth as those your swords, made rich with the most noble blood of all this world.

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Posted by medstudent1323 on Thursday February 19, 2009 at 4:41 PM and tagged with antony, assassination, brutus, caesar, conspirators, julius caesar, marc antony, murder, shakespeare, swords.

Answers:


  1. robertwilliam

    Antony confronts the conspirators who have just killed Caesar, and whose swords are dripping blood. In short, Antony's speech says to the conspirators that, if they intend to murder him too, then he'd like to die now next to Caesar, killed with the same swords that killed Caesar.

    I've paraphrased below the quotes for you:

    I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
    Who else must be let blood, who else is rank?

    I don't know, gentlemen, what you intend to do. I don't know who else's blood you want to shed, or who else you think is evil ("rank").

    If I myself, there is no hour so fit
    As Caesar's deaths hour, nor no instrument
    Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
    With the most noble blood of all this world.

    If you think I should die, then there is no time as good as the time that Caesar's die. And there is no weapon (instrument) I'd prefer to have kill me than your swords, which are now made valuable ("rich") with the most noble blood in the whole world.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/jc-text

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    Posted by robertwilliam on Thursday February 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM