Mark Antony’s Motivation in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

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Rome, 44 B.C. a wealthy and powerful empire whose leader has just been assassinated. People are shocked and terrified but one man stands calmly and looks over this mass chaos. Mark Antony, one of Caesar’s best generals and colleagues, he smiles because he knows that he has a chance to have all of the power in Rome.

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare was written in 1599. In the novel Senators worried by the amount of power possessed by Julius Caesar think of a plan to get rid of him. The senators who are part of the conspiracy try to get Brutus to join them. Brutus who is at war with himself joins the conspiracy and decides the death of Julius Caesar is for the good of the Roman people. Mark Antony is motivated both by personal ambition and love for Caesar. Mark Antony wants the Roman People to listen to him, he wants to be more powerful, and he wants to avenge Caesar’s death.

The first reason behind Mark Antony’s motivation is that he wants the Roman People to listen to him now that Caesar is dead. Mark Antony was already the general of the Roman Army and Caesar’s right hand man, he wanted Romans to do what he told them to do. Mark Antony was well respected and gained the trust of the crowd when he was giving his speech at Caesar’s funeral. He gained the control of the crowd because of a will that Caesar supposedly wrote. In it Antony says that Caesar left Rome to them, all of his orchards, parks, and gardens to the citizens. What really got the crowd under Antony’s control was what every citizen was to receive. “Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal. / To every Roman Citizen he gives, / To every several man, seventy – five drachmas.” (III.ii.241-243). Back then this was a substantial amount of money. And the crowd was r...

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...k Antony is satisfied that the conspirators will die and Caesar’s death shall be avenged.

Mark Antony is motivated both by personal ambition and love for Caesar. Mark Antony wants the Roman People to listen to him, he wants to be more powerful, and he wants to avenge Caesar’s death. He wants the crowds to do his bidding and after his speech starts a civil war in Rome. He wants more power, and to control more of the Roman Empire by getting rid of Lepidus. Mark Antony wants Caesar’s Death to be avenged and the conspirators dead. If Caesar wouldn’t have died then would Mark Antony eventually betray him and kill him for power? Mans worst enemy is himself. Mark Antony went thirsty for power and his anger over the death of a great leader lead him to start a civil war in Rome.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. New York: Bantam Dell, 2005

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