1. What is the occasion of Mark Antony’s speech?
The occasion is Julius Caesar’s funeral. Mark Antony delivers this speech to the Roman citizens after Caesar has been assassinated by Brutus and other conspirators.
2. What is the purpose of the speech?
The main purpose of Antony’s speech is to honour Caesar’s memory, and more importantly, to turn public opinion against the conspirators—especially Brutus—without directly blaming them. He wants the people to see that Caesar was not ambitious and that his murder was unjust.
3. How does Antony use rhetoric to manipulate the crowd?
Antony uses several rhetorical techniques such as:
- Repetition (e.g. “Brutus is an honourable man”) to create doubt.
- Sarcasm and irony to question the conspirators’ motives.
- Emotional appeal by showing Caesar’s kindness and recalling his good deeds.
- Logical arguments (like Caesar refusing the crown) to prove he was not ambitious.
These techniques slowly sway the emotions of the crowd from acceptance of Caesar’s death to anger and a desire for revenge.
4. What does the repetition of the line ‘Brutus is an honourable man’ suggest?
While the line seems respectful at first, its repetition becomes sarcastic and ironic. It suggests that Antony actually questions Brutus’ honour and wants the crowd to do the same without directly accusing him.
5. How does Mark Antony’s speech reveal his own character and motives?
The speech shows that Antony is clever, persuasive, and deeply loyal to Caesar. He hides his anger under polite words and manipulates the crowd skillfully. His true motive is to expose the conspirators and avenge Caesar’s death, but he does it strategically.
6. What impact does Antony’s speech have on the crowd?
His speech completely changes the mood of the Roman citizens. They go from supporting Brutus to mourning Caesar and eventually turning against the conspirators. Antony’s words spark a desire for justice and revenge in the crowd.
7. What are the literary devices you notice in the speech? Mention any two.
Two major literary devices used in the speech are:
- Irony – Antony says he comes “not to praise Caesar,” but he clearly praises him throughout.
- Repetition – The phrase “Brutus is an honourable man” is repeated to subtly question Brutus’ character.
Poetic Devices Table – Completed
| Poetic Device | Definition | Lines from the Text | Function | Your Example / Creation |
| Repetition | repeating words or phrases | “Brutus is an honourable man” (repeated) | to emphasise ideas and sow doubt | Smile, smile at the little things |
| Metaphor | comparison of two unrelated things | “My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar” | to create a strong emotional image | She is the sunshine of our house |
| Alliteration | repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words | “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” | to create rhythm and grab attention | Big blue balloons bounced |
| Irony | saying something but meaning the opposite | “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” | to imply Caesar deserves praise | What a beautiful mess you made! |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration | “You all did love him once, not without cause” (overstated loyalty) | to emphasise loss and emotion | I’ve told you a million times |
| Rhetorical Question | a question that doesn’t need an answer | “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” | to emphasise a point and stir thought | Is the sky not blue? |
Appreciation of the Speech (Mark Antony’s Oration)
Mark Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar is one of the most powerful examples of persuasive oratory in literature. Though he claims to speak only at Caesar’s funeral, Antony cleverly uses rhetorical devices to question the motives of the conspirators, especially Brutus, and stir emotions in the Roman crowd.
He uses repetition of the phrase “Brutus is an honourable man” to slowly create irony and doubt in the listener’s mind. His use of rhetorical questions like “Was this ambition?” forces the audience to reflect. Antony also adds emotional appeal, recalling Caesar’s concern for the poor and how he refused the crown.
By the end of the speech, Antony turns a peaceful crowd into an enraged mob, ready to revolt. His speech shows how words, when used wisely, can change hearts, minds, and even history.
Activity 2 – Features of a Speech Choir
Other features of a speech choir include:
- Choral speaking (unison and solo parts)
- Gestures and coordinated movements
- Voice modulation (pitch, tone, and speed)
- Facial expressions to convey emotion
- Strategic pauses for effect
- Choral formations and stage presence
1. What do you think is the meaning of the image and caption?
Answer:
The image shows a girl pressing her temples and thinking hard. The caption “I racked my brains…” means she is trying very hard to remember something.
So, the idiom “rack your brains” means:
To think very hard or make a big effort to remember or solve something.
2. Guess the Idiom
Idiom: It’s raining cats and dogs
Explanation:
This idiom means it’s raining very heavily. The image shows a person running with an umbrella in a storm where cats and dogs are falling – a funny way to represent heavy rain!
3. Sentences using the following idioms:
- Hold your tongue
I wanted to tell her the truth, but I had to hold my tongue. - Spill the beans
Riya accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party. - A piece of cake
The English exam was a piece of cake—I finished it in 30 minutes! - The icing on the cake
Winning the match was great, but the trophy was the icing on the cake!
diom Pictionary Example
| Idiom | Spill the beans |
| Illustration | A cartoon person dropping a can of beans |
| Definition | To reveal a secret by mistake or excitement |
| Sentence | He spilled the beans about the gift before the birthday! |
Activity 3 – Phrasal Verbs
1.
Guess the meaning of the sentence:
Sentence: Pelayo also set up a rabbit warren.
Answer:
In this sentence, “set up” means to establish or build something.
So, it means Pelayo built or created a place for rabbits to live (a rabbit warren).
2
Match the phrasal verbs with their meanings:
| Phrasal Verbs | Correct Meaning (Matching Letter) |
| 1. bring up | e. to introduce or mention a subject |
| 2. speak up | a. to speak more loudly, or express one’s opinion frankly |
| 3. give up | g. to stop making an effort |
| 4. call up | f. to summon someone or contact over the phone |
| 5. turn up | b. to arrive or appear |
| 6. look up | c. to find or search |
3.
Fill in the blanks with correct phrasal verbs:
Phrasal Verbs to Use:
turn up, give up, get up, make up , set up
Completed Paragraph:
A large number of curious onlookers turned up at Pelayo’s house to catch a glimpse of the mysterious old man with enormous wings.
They made up stories about him and annoyed him by throwing stones and pieces of food at him.
They did everything they could to make the man get up.
As the old man showed no interest, they gave up the idea and left.
Activity (c): Modal Verb Functions
Pick out the statements from the conversation that denote the following functions:
| Function | Statement from the Conversation |
| Advice / recommendation | You should be careful. |
| Permission / possibility | I would, if I get a chance. |
| Moral obligation | I feel I ought to have helped more people. |
| Intention / future action | I’ll try to find you a way out. |
| Obligation / necessity | You must stay in the loft until I come. |
| Ability | Could you get me something to eat? (‘Could’ = polite ability) |
Activity (d): Complete the conversation using modals
Conversation between Pelayo and Elisenda:
Pelayo:
We should try to help the old man.
Elisenda:
That’s right. Will you help me clean his wings?
Pelayo:
Of course, we ought to be careful. We must not hurt the old man.
Elisenda:
Should we keep him indoors? He might fly away.
Pelayo:
He can’t fly. He must wait till he heals.
Activity 2 (a): Sentence Comparison
Original Sentence:
Elisenda bought some pumps with heels, and many dresses of silk.
Modified Sentence:
Elisenda bought some satin pumps with high heels, and many dresses of iridescent silk.
Answer:
The second sentence adds descriptive words (adjectives) such as satin, high, and iridescent, which give more detail and help the reader visualize the objects better.
Activity 2 (b): Function of Underlined Words
Given examples from the story:
- unfortunate invalids
- captive angel
- senile vulture
- supernatural virtue
Answer:
The underlined words are adjectives.
They describe or give more information about the nouns (invalids, angel, vulture, virtue). These adjectives help readers understand the condition, nature, or quality of the subject.
A. Complete the sentences using the words from the box:
Word Bank: enormous, unusual, wings, happy, tremendous, child, enthusiastic, effort, crowd, noise
- Did you hear any unusual noise?
- Pelayo took tremendous effort to pull the old man out of the mud.
- The happy child played with the old man.
- The enthusiastic crowd flocked to Pelayo’s house.
- People came to see the old man with enormous wings.
B. Fill in the blanks choosing from the options:
Sentence Paragraph Answers:
He could scarcely eat, and his eyes had also become so foggy that he went about bumping into posts. Pelayo gently threw a blanket over him and let him sleep in the shed.
Only then did they notice that he had an extremely high temperature at night.
They thought he was going to die. And yet he miraculously survived.
C. Complete the sentences using appropriate forms of words:
Word Bank: quick, nervous, perfect, careful, happy
- John was a quick learner and he quickly grasped the complex concepts.
- The chef carefully prepared the delicate dish, using perfect measurements.
- The perfect summer day ended happily with a stunning sunset.
- Mary is a nervous person who laughs nervously when spending time with friends.
- The happy host greeted her guests nervously, hoping everything would go smoothly.
1. Pick out the words from Passage B that give it clarity and help to connect ideas and events:
Answer:
- Then
- Next
- Meanwhile
- Following this
- Consequently
- Finally
These are called linkers or signposting expressions that help connect thoughts and maintain flow.
2. How does the use of linkers in Passage B improve coherence and flow of information?
Answer:
The use of linkers in Passage B improves coherence by clearly showing the sequence of events and the relationship between ideas. They guide the reader smoothly from one point to another, making the passage easier to follow and understand. It adds clarity, structure, and flow to the writing.
3. Match the linkers to their functions:
| Linkers | Functions |
| then | sequence/order |
| next | simultaneous events |
| meanwhile | consequence/sequence/result |
| following | sequence/order |
| consequently | cause-effect |
| finally | indicates the conclusion |
4. Fill in the blanks with appropriate signposting expressions:
- Pelayo dragged the old man away from the mud and then locked him up in the chicken coop. (also/then/soon)
- Elisenda was burdened with work following the arrival of the crowd to see the very old man. (afterwards/following/additionally)
- Finally, the old man was just an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea. (however/therefore/finally)