A crowd of plebeians follows Brutus and Cassius, demanding satisfaction. Half of them follow Cassius to hear his explanation, and half follow Brutus.

Brutus begins to speak, asking his countrymen to believe him out of respect for his honor, and to use their wisdom to judge him. He explains that he rose against Caesar not because he loved Caesar less than anyone present, but because he loved Rome above all.

Insofar as Caesar was good, Brutus honors him, but insofar as he was ambitious, Brutus slew him. He, too, should be slain for the good of Rome, should the day come when that’s necessary. The people shout their approval of Brutus.

As Mark Antony enters with Caesar’s body, Brutus departs, charging the crowds to hear what they’ve given Antony permission to say.

Antony begins, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”

As Antony ascends the pulpit, the plebeians talk among themselves, saying that Antony had better not speak ill of Brutus, and that Rome is blessed to be rid of Caesar.

He restates Brutus’s charge that Caesar was ambitious, observing that “Brutus is an honorable man,” a line he repeats several times. He also makes several observations about Caesar’s so-called “ambition”—that he wept for the poor, for example, and that he refused the crown. At one point, he weeps himself, prompting several plebeians to remark that “there is much reason in his sayings,” that Caesar was wronged indeed, and that no man is nobler than Antony.

When Antony resumes his speech, he says that he would sooner wrong the dead than wrong the “honorable” Brutus and Cassius by stirring the public to mutiny. Then he shows them Caesar’s will, but declines to read it aloud, claiming that Caesar’s love for them would inflame the people too much.

However, the people shout to hear the will read, denouncing the conspirators as traitors and murderers. They beg Antony to descend from the pulpit, and they all gather in a ring around Caesar’s body.

Antony tells the people to get ready to cry. He points out Caesar’s mantle and recalls the first time Caesar ever wore it, pointing out the rips in the fabric caused by various conspirators—“the unkindest cut of all” having been given by Brutus. As the people weep, Antony lifts the mantle so they can see Caesar’s body itself. The people cry out for revenge, swearing to follow Antony to the death.

Antony reminds the people that they haven’t heard the will yet. He reads it: Caesar has left each man some money, as well as all of his property, to be used as recreational parks.

The people are pleased, preparing to take Caesar’s body and also burn down the traitors’ houses.

As they go, Antony remarks, “Mischief, thou art afoot; Take thou what course thou wilt.” Meanwhile, the servant returns and reports that Octavius is now in Rome, and that Brutus and Cassius have fled the city. Antony attributes their flight to his success in stirring up the people against them.