Thursday, August 25, 2011

What was the content of Caesar’s will and why did Antony make a point of reading it to the people?

The contents of Caesar's will is Antony's key in "turning" the people against the conspirators. (I'll give you the contents in a minute.) The conspirators disliked and envied Caesar, for a variety of reasons: Caesar had numerous affairs with powerful men's wives, he was loved by the common people, and Caesar loved power...(which would dissolve the triumvirate). In essence, the conspirators started a smear campaign against Caesar. He was too old, infirm (epilepsy), proud, couldn't hear, etc...how could he possibly rule? Antony's skillful oration uses plays on words and repetition to sway the fickle crowd into a raging riot. Could a man who left every Roman citizen (not everyone) seventy-five drachmas, walks, arbors and new-planted orchards be as horrible as the conspirators were making him out to be? After seeing Caesar's body and hearing the will, the crowd pursues the conspirators. The conspirators flee Rome.

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