Which figure is best friends with Caesar and later tries to sway the crowd against Brutus?

• A. Antony
• B. Cassius
• C. Brutus
• D. Cinna

Answer: (A)

Antony is the one who fits this description: a close friend of Caesar who uses his influence and persuasive skill to turn the crowd against Brutus. After Caesar’s death, Antony speaks at Caesar’s funeral and carefully nudges the crowd from mourning Caesar to questioning the conspirators’ actions. He respects Caesar’s memory, but his speech is crafted to stir emotion, reveal Caesar’s generosity through the will, and cast Brutus’s betrayal in a negative light. The result is a dramatic shift in public opinion that undermines Brutus.

The others aren’t the best fit for this role. Cassius is the mastermind behind the conspiracy, not Caesar’s friend who later sways the crowd; Brutus is the target of Antony’s manipulative rhetoric; Cinna is a conspirator and ally in the plot, not a trusted friend who wins the crowd’s support against Brutus. Antony’s unique position as Caesar’s ally and masterful speaker is what makes him the correct choice.