According to the excerpt, what motivated most of the conspirators?

• A. Loyalty to Caesar
• B. Jealousy of Caesar
• C. Desire for power
• D. Fear of punishment

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is what motivates people to join a conspiracy when they see a rival gaining power. In the excerpt, the conspirators are driven by jealousy of Caesar’s rapid rise in power and popularity. They fear he will crown himself king and leave them with little influence or status, so they see removing him as a way to restore balance and protect their own standing. This focus on envy and rivalry explains why they act together, not out of loyalty to Caesar or mere fear of punishment, but from a personal feeling that Caesar’s success threatens them. The text contrasts that with other possible motives by showing the conspirators’ actions as a response to Caesar’s ascent itself, rather than a simple desire for power for its own sake or compliance with a threatened order.