Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 Today’s Totally Random Line(s)

                 

Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enroll’d in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffer’d death. Here comes his body, mourn’d by Marc Antony.

-Marcus Brutus

Julius Caesar                 Act III, Scene ii, Line 39

 

In other words, here comes trouble, though Brutus doesn’t yet realize it.

This is the scene after Caesar has been assassinated by Brutus and his cohorts. Brutus has now appeared before the citizens and explained that he loved Caesar, but he loved Rome more, and that Caesar, if left uncheckt, would have made himself emperor and all the citizens would have become slaves. He asks them who is offended by this, and they all reply none, upon which he makes the closing remarks that are Today’s Totally Random Lines.

Now he’s going to make the fatal mistake of leaving and letting silver tongued Marc Antony speak. Antony’s going to start with the infamous Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears, and by the time he’s done talking everyone is ready to go kill Brutus.

Marcus Brutus made the unenviable mistake of underestimating Antony’s ability to sway people with his words. It’s interesting to note that Brutus’s speech to the masses is written in prose, and Antony’s in verse, no doubt to highlight the eloquence of the latter’s and the lack of eloquence of the former’s.

Never underestimate the power of words. By the same token, never overestimate the intelligence of a mob.

I could easily go political here, but I won't. Instead, since there's talk of the capitol in today's lines, I'll give you a pic of my associates at the capitol. This pic is from an evening in 2012, back in somewhat less politically polarized times. If you want to go full-blown political with today's lines, that's on you.