(Image from:www.emwimmler.wordpress.com)

“A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; Domestic fury and fierce civil strife

shall cumber all parts of Italy”(pg 124) These words were spoken by Antony, which showedd a new side of him and showed what he was willing to do for Caesar.

His friendship with Caesar and loath for the conspirators gave him two motivators for his wanting to destroy Rome –love and revenge.

Antony thought of Caesar as his best friend and great ruler of Rome. He never feared for Caesars death, as he assumed everyone in Rome saw him the same way as he did. “I shall not find myself so apt to die: No place will please me so, no mean of death, as here by Caesar.” (pg.116)When the conspirators killed Caesar, Antony wanted to die too, and to be killed with the same weapon that killed his beloved leader. He could not understand why his best friend had to be killed, and assumed that the conspirators were murderers and that they were going to kill him as well. When he realized no one had any intention of killing him, Antony took advantage of Brutus trust. He wanted to speak at Caesars funeral, and joined the conspirators in order to get permission to do so. Even though Brutus spoke at Caesars funeral too, Antony managed to get the Romans on his side. “You all did love him once, not without cause; What cause withholds you then to mourn for him? 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.”(pg.134) He used this as his conclusion in his speech to show the Romans how much he loved his friend and how Caesar had not deserved to be assassinated. The Romans realized how fond Antony was of Caesar and how he spoke of the truth. Antony successfully turned his fellow countrymen against some of the noblest men of Rome.

He was a true friend and had a talent for public speaking, but what Antony’s most strong desire was, after the council of Rome was assassinated, was to get revenge.

When the news of Caesars death reached him, Antony was furious. He could not believe someone actually wanted to assassinate Rome’s great ruler. He was hungry for revenge. He wanted to somehow prove that killing Caesar only made things worse for Rome. When Brutus came to him and explained how the conspirators’ action was noble and honorable, Antony decided to join them, in order for his plan to work. “O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am meek and gentle with these butchers. Blood and destruction shall be so in use, and dreadful objects so familiar, that mothers shall but smile when they behold their infants quartered with the hands of war.” (pg. 124)Antony was disgusted with himself for even talking to Caesars murderers. His range and fury caused him to become a little insane. He wanted to destroy Rome and rebuild it to honor Caesars death. He successfully started a war in Italy. “But if I were Brutus, and Brutus Antony, there were an Antony would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue in every wound of Caesar that should move the stones of Rome to rise and mutiny” (pg.142) Octavius and his soldiers, in addition to the Romans, joined him. Brutus realized that his act was not honorable and that it did not unify Rome, like he had hoped. Antony did not want to kill Brutus, but when he reached him, he had already taken his own life. Antony thought of Brutus as the noblest man of Rome, because he thought of others instead of his own needs.

Antony showed a new side of himself by planning to destroy Italy and showed how far he was willing to go for Caesar. His love for Caesar and hunger for revenge on the conspirators motivated him for his wanting to destroy Rome. Antony partly achieved his goal –he destroyed Rome, but Brutus was killed in the process, which was not part of the plan. Antony only wanted to destroy Rome so it could be rebuilt to honor his best friend. I believe his goal was worthy because his best friend and leader was assassinated without a reason to make Rome a better place. I think Antony had the right to show the Romans and conspirators that killing Caesar did not help Rome in any way at all.