The Virtue Of Dishonesty In Mark Antony's Death

Ever since most people can recall, they have at one point in their lives either completely lied or only partially told the truth, especially to their parents whenever they had done something wrong. As children mature, however, this form of dishonesty tends to evolve to gradually suit the increasingly volatile human society, much of which involves avoiding ridicule by concealing their inner selves. While some endeavors of this manner are more noticeable to the general populace than others, and while they oftentimes transpire in the form of other emotions, such as arrogance and indignation, humans still have an inclination to mask themselves from others, in other words, use facade. Another form of facade is when people wish to hide their imperfections,
Yet again, Brutus shows his facade when he is talking to Cassius in a dialogue later on in the play, “No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead. / Ha! Portia! / She is dead. / How ‘scaped I killing when I cross’d you so? / O insupportable and touching loss! / Upon what sickness? / Impatient of my absense, / And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony / Have made themselves so strong: – for with her death / That tidings came; – with this she fell distract, / And, her attendants absent, swallow’d fire. / And died so? / Even so. / O ye immortal gods! / Speak no more of her” (IV.iii.2145-2160). Although the death of a very close family member is usually a paramount happening that would be very widely talked about, when Portia dies, Brutus acts in the most directly opposite manner: he chooses to have no further discussions on it. This almost seems as though Cassius feels the weight of Portia’s death as more bearing than Brutus feels. But in reality, what is truly happening is that Brutus is once again using facade to mask his true
Since Antony has secret intentions to kill Caesar’s assassins ever since they murder Caesar, he of course must hide his true intentions. Antony manages to deceive Brutus and most of the conspirators, yet only until he is alone leave are Antony’s true feelings revealed. “O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, / That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! / Thou art the ruins of the noblest man / That ever lived in the tide of times. / Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!” (III.i.1483-1487). He creates facades by being friendly to the conspirators, to agreeing with them on many issues at hand, but only when he is alone does he show his true intentions. During his speech to the plebians, which is the main turning point in the tragedy, Antony makes special use of his façade. Mark Antony’s will for revenge and bloodthirsty ways are especially apparent during his soliloquy after he has given his very emotional speech to the plebians,“A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; / Domestic fury and fierce civil strife / Shall cumber all the parts of Italy; / Blood and destruction shall be so in use / And dreadful objects so familiar / That mothers shall but smile when they behold / Their infants quarter’d with the hands of war” (III.i.1491-1497) Whenever Antony is hiding the truth from others, he always agrees with everything and