In William Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the character Marc Antony is given emotional and intellectual depth for the first time during his soliloquy with Caesar’s body in act three scene one. This is the first time the audience’s opinion of Julius Caesar is softened. Before Caesar’s death, the audience only knows the conspirators’ opinion on the ruler of Rome. “think him a serpent’s egg which hatched, would as his kind grow mischievous, and kill him in the shell.” Those who killed Caesar did not stab him for something he had done, but rather, for what he had the potential to do given enough power and opportunity. Marc Antony does not share this sentiment. He loved Caesar as much as Brutus did, but without doubting what Caesar would do with the power he is given. “Thou art the ruin of the noblest man that ever lived in the tide of times” Depending on who is playing the role of Antony, this can be a very moving scene. The emotional depth of Marc Antony plants a seed of doubt in the audience’s mind as to whether Caesar should have died or not. Marc Antony believes this assassination to be …show more content…
Before Caesar’s death, Marc Antony’s character is static and meek. The conspirators think of him as more of a limb to the mind of Caesar than the string politician he is. Before the conspirators leave to prepare for Caesar’s funeral, Antony assures them all that he is on their side despite his love for Caesar. Alone, he makes it clear he does not intent to let Brutus, Cassius, or any of the others get away with their crime. Antony knows what a crowd, big or small, wants to hear. Only when he is alone with Caesar’s body are his true intentions revealed. “A plague shall light upon the limbs of man, domestic fury and fierce civil strife shall cumber, all the parts of Italy” Not only is Marc Antony accurately predicting the future, the audience gets the sense that this prophecy will come to pass because Antony will make it