Who was a friend of Caesar who turned the Plebeians against Brutus?

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

Answer: (A)

Antony is the friend who turns the Plebeians against Brutus through a masterful use of rhetoric after Caesar’s assassination. He stands as Caesar’s ally and uses his persuasive speaking to shape public opinion. In his funeral oration, he carefully contrasts Caesar’s generosity with the conspirators' claims, repeatedly calling Brutus “an honorable man” while planting doubt about the motives behind the betrayal. He also reveals Caesar’s will, which paints Brutus and the conspirators as cruel to the people, storming the crowd’s emotions and turning them against Brutus. This demonstrates how persuasion and emotional appeal can shift a crowd’s loyalties in a political crisis, making Antony the best answer.

The other figures don’t fit this role: Cassius is a conspirator who schemed with Brutus and doesn’t wield the same public-facing, rhetorical sway over the masses; Brutus is the target of the crowd’s anger after Antony’s speech; Cinna is involved in the plot but does not perform the pivotal public persuasion that turns the Plebeians.