Question

cassius. messala, this is my birthday; as this very day was cassius born. give me thy hand, messala. be thou my witness that, against my will, as pompey was, am i compelled to set upon one battle all our liberties. —the tragedy of julius caesar, william shakespeare which is the meaning of the word compelled in this passage? forced how would the meaning be affected if the word compelled were changed to encouraged? it would imply that cassius wanted to go to battle. it would imply that cassius had a choice. it would show that cassius never wanted to fight.

Explanation:

First, analyze the original meaning of "compelled" which means being forced to do something (against one's will as per the passage: "against my will, As Pompey was, am I compelled..."). Now, "encouraged" means to be inspired or urged to do something, which implies that the person has a choice (they are not forced but rather given an incentive or push, so they can choose to act or not). Let's evaluate each option:

• "It would imply that Cassius wanted to go to battle": "Encouraged" doesn't necessarily mean he wanted to, just that he was urged. Eliminate this.
• "It would imply that Cassius had a choice": Since "encouraged" is not a forceful action, it suggests he could choose to act or not, unlike "compelled" which is forced. This fits.
• "It would show that Cassius never wanted to fight": "Encouraged" doesn't mean he never wanted to, just that he was urged. Eliminate this.

Answer:

It would imply that Cassius had a choice.