Mark Antony and Honor: A Quote

Friends, Romans, countrymen, listen to me. I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. I know that the evil that men do lives after them. The noble Brutus has told you Caesar was ambitious. If this were so, it was Caesar's fault. Here Brutus and the rest-- For Brutus is an honourable man...So are they all, all honourable men --they gave me permission to come and speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and kind to me, but Brutus says he was ambitious. And Brutus is an honourable man. He brought many captives home to Rome who gave us money in the end. Is this ambitious? When the poor cried, Caesar wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff and yet Brutus says he was ambitious. And Brutus is an honourable man. You all saw that on LupercalI thrice I presented him with a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious. And, sure, he is an honourable man. The quote above comes from the character Mark Antony. This is his speech at Caesar's funeral. In this speech Mark Antony uses the word Honorable in such a way that it makes the people think about whether or not these people were really honorable. This speech sways the people out of the conspirators' favor. This speech and the way that Mark Antony crafts his words causes the people to riot against the conspirators. By using the word honorable in his speech at first it seems that Antony isn't trying to change the people's minds but then, as the speech progresses, the way he uses honorable and his tone changes. This is how this quote relates to honor and is important to the play. -Maya Wills