CASSIUS. Come, Antony and young Octavius,
come,
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius;
For Cassius is aweary of the world,
Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother,
Checked like a bondman; all his faults observed,
Set in a notebook, learned, and conned by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast; within, a heart
Dearer than Pluto’s mine, richer than gold.
If that thou beest a Roman, take it forth.
I that denied thee gold will give my heart.
Strike as thou didst at Caesar; for I know
When thou didst hate him worst, thou loved’st
him better
Than ever thou loved’st Cassius.
–The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,
William Shakespeare
What is the tone of Cassius’s speech?
Which line best supports this tone?