Read the excerpt from julius caesar, act 2, scene 1. brutus. it must be by his death: and for my part i know no personal cause to spurn at him but for the general. he would be crowned: how that might change his nature, there’s the question. it is the bright day that brings forth the adder,* and that craves wary walking. crown him that, and then i grant we put a sting in him that at his will he may do danger with. *an adder is a snake.
which summary of the passage is the best? brutus says he has no personal reason to kill caesar, but wants to anyway. brutus decides that, for the good of the people, caesar must be killed. if they crowned caesar, they would be giving him power, with which he could do damage. brutus compares caesar to a snake and says that they need to tread carefully around him. brutus declares that caesar must die, though he has nothing personal against him. he worries about how caesar would change if he were crowned and explains that evil comes from good—much like dangerous snakes can come out on sunny days, when everyone needs to watch where they step. he says that caesar may do damage if he is crowned.