What does the phrase ‘O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts’ tell us about the speaker’s thoughts?

Question

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;

My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Citizen: Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.

Second Citizen: If thou consider rightly of the matter,

Caesar has had great wrong. (Julius Caesar)

I. What does the phrase ‘O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts’ tell us about the

speaker’s thoughts?

II. Select the line that indicates the speaker's deep grief and emotional connection with Caesar.

III. What do the responses of the First and Second Citizens reflect about the impact of the speaker's words?

IV. What about the extract signifies shifting sentiments among the citizens?

Answer 1

I. The speaker is dismayed at the lack of logic and fairness in the surrounding events.

II. ‘My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar’

III. Their remarks show that they are beginning to question the justice of Caesar's assassination, suggesting that the speaker's emotional appeal is having an effect.

IV. The line- Caesar has had great wrong- indicates that they began to view Caesar's assassination as an act of injustice.