Who suggests we liken Caesar to a serpent's egg?

• A. Caesar
• B. Casca
• C. Brutus
• D. Cassius

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is recognizing a metaphor that justifies taking drastic action to prevent a future danger. Brutus uses the image of a serpent’s egg to express a cautious, preemptive mindset: Caesar’s growing power is still in embryo, not yet dangerous, but it has the potential to hatch into tyranny. By likening Caesar to a serpent’s egg, Brutus argues that Rome must act now to prevent that future threat from becoming real. This aligns with Brutus’s concern for the republic and his belief that removing Caesar before he can crown himself king is the safeguard of liberty. The other figures are not the ones who frame this embryo-of-danger idea in this moment, since the metaphor centers on Brutus’s philosophical stance about preemptive action to protect Rome.