persuasive speech in julius caesar

A Short Analysis of Mark Antony’s ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ Speech

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Mark Antony’s ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ speech from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a masterclass of irony and the way rhetoric can be used to say one thing but imply something quite different without ever naming it . Mark Antony delivers a funeral speech for Julius Caesar following Caesar’s assassination at the hands of Brutus and the conspirators, but he is only allowed to do so as long as he does not badmouth the conspirators for their role in Caesar’s death.

Antony’s references to Brutus as an honourable man subtly and ingeniously show that Brutus is anything but honourable, while also serving to show that Caesar was not the ambitious man Brutus has painted him to be.

The best way to analyse this key speech from the play is to go through it, summarising it section by section.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

Mark Antony has ‘read the room’ and knows the mood among the crowd: they still support the assassination of Julius Caesar and so side with Brutus and the other conspirators.

Mark Antony treads carefully, brilliantly going against their expectations and reassuring him that he is simply there to deliver a funeral oration, not to take the dead general’s side (it’s worth remembering that Julius Caesar was a general, not an emperor: although he was called Caesar, he wasn’t ‘a’ Caesar, the name given to later emperors of Rome in his honour).

The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones;

Daniell notes helpfully that these lines, which have become much more famous thanks to Shakespeare’s play, are proverbial and their sentiment (albeit with different wording) predate Shakespeare.

The meaning is obvious enough: when people die, the bad things they did often stick in people’s memories, while their good deeds are forgotten. As Antony goes on to say, ‘So let it be with Caesar’.

Immediately, then, he is cleverly saying that he is happy for everyone to focus on Caesar’s bad points and forget the good the man did; but in referring to the latter, he is subtly reminding them that Caesar did good as well as evil things. (By the way, a note on scansion or metre: because Mark Antony is addressing the crowd using blank verse or unrhymed iambic pentameter , ‘interred’ should be pronounced as three syllables, not two.)

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.

Mark Antony now takes up Brutus’ words about Julius Caesar and responds to them. He doesn’t contradict Brutus, but instead uses the subjunctive ‘If’: ‘If it were so’. He refuses to say that Caesar was ambitious, but grants that if it were true, it was a terrible fault.

The purpose of this is to cast doubt on the very idea that Caesar was ambitious (supposedly the very reason for his assassination), but in such a way that doesn’t rub the crowd (which still supports Brutus) up the wrong way. He then goes on to point out, however, that if Caesar was ambitious, he’s now dead, so has ‘answer’d’ or paid the penalty for his fault.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest– (For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men) Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.

Mark Antony makes a performative gesture to Brutus’ supposed generosity in letting him, Mark Antony, speak at Caesar’s funeral. He says that such generosity is a sign of Brutus’ honour: he, and the rest of the conspirators, are ‘honourable men’.

He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man.

Antony now slowly begins to ease in some praise for Caesar, but keeps it personal to him, rather than making grand, universal statements about Caesar’s good qualities: he was his friend, and faithful and just to him . But then, Brutus says Caesar was ambitious, and Brutus is honourable, so ‘I guess I was wrong (but I know I’m not)’. Obviously this last bit is implied, not spoken aloud – but that’s what Mark Antony is building towards.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?

Let’s look at what Caesar did: he took many enemies prisoner and brought them here to Rome, and these captives’ ransoms, when paid, helped to make Rome rich. Does this seem ‘ambitious’ behaviour to you?

When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man.

When the poor of the city suffered, Caesar wept with pity for them. Hardly the actions of an ambitious man, who should be harder-hearted than this! But Brutus says Caesar was ambitious, and Brutus is honourable, so … it must be true … right? Note how Antony continues to sow the seeds of doubt in the crowd’s mind.

You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man.

Antony reminds the Romans that at the festival of Lupercalia (held in mid-February, around the same time as our modern Valentine’s Day; so just a month before Caesar was assassinated), he publicly presented Julius Caesar with a crown, but Caesar refused it three times (remember, he was ‘just’ a general, a military leader: not an emperor). Again, Antony appeals to the crowd: does this seem like the action of an ambitious man?

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know.

Although he clearly is disproving what Brutus claimed of Caesar, Antony maintains that this isn’t his aim: he’s merely telling the truth based on what he knows of Caesar.

You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?

Antony reminds the crowd of Romans that they all loved Caesar once too, and they had reasons for doing so: Caesar was clearly a good leader. So why do they now not mourn for him in death? (Note Antony’s skilful use of ‘cause’ twice here: they loved Caesar with good cause, but what cause is responsible for their failure to shed a tear at his passing?)

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.

Observe the clever pun on Brutus’ name in ‘brutish beasts’: Antony stops short of calling Brutus a beast, but it’s clear enough that he thinks the crowd has been manipulated with violent thugs and everyone has lost their ability to think rationally about Caesar. The mob spirit has been fomented and everyone has made Caesar, even in death, the target of their hatred.

Mark Antony brings his ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ speech, a masterly piece of oratory, to a rousing end with an appeal to personal emotion, claiming that seeing Rome so corrupted by hatred and blinded by unreason has broken his heart. He concludes, however, with a final line that offers a glimmer of hope, implying that if Rome would only recover itself, he would be all right again.

You can watch Damian Lewis reciting this famous speech here .

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2 thoughts on “A Short Analysis of Mark Antony’s ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ Speech”

We are going into drama soon and will be studying this speech. You have brought to my attention aspects I had noticed, even though I have taught it for years. Thanks!

Thanks for the comment, Pam – that’s praise indeed! I hope you have a fruitful discussion :)

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Close Reading: Friends, Romans, Countrymen

Today I’m going to do an analysis of one of the most famous speeches in all of Shakespeare: Antony’s Funeral Speech in Act III, Scene ii of Julius Caesar, commonly known as the “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech.

I. Given Circumstances

Antony is already in a very precarious position. His best friend Julius Caesar was murdered by the senators of Rome. Antony wants vengeance, but he can’t do so by himself. He’s also surrounded by a mob, and Brutus just got them on his side with a very convincing speech. They already hate Antony and Caesar. His goal- win them back. Here is a clip of Brutus (James Mason) speaking to the crowd from the Joseph Mankewitz movie version of Julius Caesar:

So the stakes are very high for Antony: If he succeeds, the crowd will avenge Caesar, and Antony will take control of Rome. If he fails, he will be lynched by an angry mob.

II. Textual Clues

If you notice in the text of the speech below, Antony never overtly says: “Brutus was a liar and a traitor, and Caesar must be avenged,” but that is exactly what he gets the crowd to do. So how does he get them to do so, right after Brutus got them on his side?

Antony . You gentle Romans,— 1615 Citizens . Peace, ho! let us hear him. Antony . Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; 1620 So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— 1625 For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men— Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; 1630 And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: 1635 Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, 1640 Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. 1645 You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, 1650 And I must pause till it come back to me. First Citizen . Methinks there is much reason in his sayings. Julius Caesar Act III, Scene ii.

The two main methods Shakespeare uses to infuse Antony’s speech with powerful persuasive energy are the way he writes the verse, and his command of rhetoric.

The greatest gift Shakespeare ever gave his actors was to write his plays in blank verse. It not only tells you which words are important to stress, it gives you clues about the character’s emotional journey; just as a person’s heartbeat can indicate their changes in mood, a subtle change in verse often betrays the character’s pulse and state of mind. Antony uses his own emotions and his powers of persuasion to manipulate the crowd, so his verse helps show how he changes the pulse of the Roman mob.

I could write a whole post on the verse in this page, which I don’t need to do, since The Shakespeare Resource Center did it for me: http://www.bardweb.net/content/readings/caesar/lines.html What I will do is draw attention to some major changes in the verse and put my own interpretations on how Antony is using the verse to persuade the crowd:

The first line of the speech grabs your attention. It is not a standard iambic pentameter line, which makes it rhythmically more interesting. In the movie version, Marlin Brando as Antony shouts each word to demand the crowd to just lend him their attention for a little while. He uses the verse to emphasize Antony’s frustration.
“The Evil that men do, lives after them”- Notice that the words evil and men are in the stressed position. Antony might be making a subconscious attempt to say Brutus and the other evil men who took the life of Caesar are living, when they deserve to die.
“ If it were so..” Again, Antony might be making a subtle jab at the conspirators. Brutus said Caesar was ambitious and Antony agrees that ambition is worthy of death, but he also adds an If, to plant the seeds of doubt in the crowd’s minds. To drive it home, the word if is in the stressed position, making it impossible for the crowd to not consider the possibility that Caesar wasn’t ambitious, and thus, didn’t deserve to be murdered.

B. Rhetoric

One reason why this speech is so famous is its clever use of rhetoric, the art of persuasive speaking. Back in ancient Rome, aristocrats like Antony were groomed since birth in the art of persuasive speech. Shakespeare himself studied rhetoric at school, so he knew how to write powerful persuasive speeches. Here’s a basic breakdown of the tactics Antony and Shakespeare use in the speech:

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

The three basic ingredients of any persuasive speech are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Ethos is an appeal to the audience based on the speaker’s authority. Pathos is an appeal to the emotions of the crowd, and Logos is an appeal to facts and or reason. Both Brutus and Antony employ these three rhetorical tactics, but Antony doesn’t just appeal to his audience, he manipulates them to commit mutiny and mob rule.

Logos Antony has very few facts or logical information in his speech. His major argument is that again, since Caesar wasn’t ambitious, (which is very hard to prove), his death was a crime. Antony cites as proof the time Cæsar refused a crown at the Lupercal, but since that was a public performance, it’s hardly a reliable indication of Caesar’s true feelings.

You see logos as a rhetorical technique all the time whenever you watch a commercial citing leading medical studies, or a political debate where one person uses facts to justify his or her position. If you look at Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Presidental Debate, she frequently cited statistics to back up her political positions

Ethos is an argument based on the speaker’s authority. Brutus’ main tactic in his speech is to establish himself as Caesar’s friend and Rome’s. He says that he didn’t kill Caesar out of malice, but because he cared more about the people of Rome.

BRUTUS: If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say, that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: –Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. JC, III.ii.

Antony employs the exact same tactics, establishing himself as Caesar’s friend and telling the crowd that, as Caesar’s friend, Antony believes that Caesar did not deserve his murder. His use of Ethos therefore, helps Antony refute Brutus’ main claim.

Again, the 2016 debate is another excellent way of showing ethos in action. Hillary Clinton and Brutus frequently cited their political experience and their strength of character to justify their views. There’s an excellent article that examines Hillary’s use of Ethos in her political rhetoric: https://eidolon.pub/hillary-clintons-rhetorical-persona-9af06a3c4b03

Pathos is the most frequently used rhetorical tactic: the appeal to emotion. Donald Trump uses this constantly, as you can see in this clip from the 2016 debate:

https://youtu.be/wMuyBOeSQVs

Pathos is bit more of a dirty trick than Ethos and Logos, which is why Brutus doesn’t use it much. As scholar Andy Gurr writes:

Brutus is a stern philosopher and thinker. His faith in reason fails to secure the crowd from Antony’s disingenuous appeal to their affections, which uses sharp sarcasm and some twisted facts.

Antony’s major appeals to emotion:

His grief over losing Caesar
His painting of Cæsar as a generous, faithful friend
Shaming the crowd for not mourning Caesar’s death
Appeal to piety by showing the body funeral reverence.
His use of Caesar’s bloody body and mantle to provoke outrage from the citizens.
His use of Caesar’s will to make the crowd grateful to Caesar, and furious at Brutus.

Rhetorical Devices

If Ethos, Pathos, and Logos are the strategies of rhetorical arguments, rhetorical devices are the artillery. If you check out the website Silva Rhetoricae, (The Forest Of Rhetoric), you can read about the hundreds of individual rhetorical devices that politicians have used in speeches and debates since ancient history. I will summarize here the main ones Antony uses over and over again in “Friends, Romans, Countrymen.” For another more compete analysis, click here: https://eavice.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/jv-rhetorical-devices-in-antonys-funerary-speech-from-shakespeares-julius-caesar/

Irony The way Antony keeps repeating “Brutus is an honorable man,” is a particularly sinister form of irony, which here means to imply the opposite of what you have said to mock or discredit your opponent. The irony is that the more Antony repeats this idea that Brutus is honorable, the more the crowd will question it. If Brutus were truly honorable, he would not need Antony to remind them. Of course, Brutus can still be honorable whether Anthony mentions it or not, but this repetition, coupled with Antony’s subtle rebuttals Of Brutus’ arguments, manages to shatter both Brutus’ motives, and his good name, at least in the eyes of his countrymen.
Antimetabole is the clever use of the same word in two different ways. Antony manages to work it in twice in this speech:
“If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievou sly hath Caesar answer’d it.”
“You all did love him once, not without cause : What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?”
Rhetorical question This is the most famous rhetorical device which by the way in Antony’s day would have been known as Erotema. Antony asks a series of questions designed to refute the notion that Caesar was ambitious, from his mercy to his captives, to Caesar’s tenderness to the poor, and of course his refusal to take the crown during the Lupercal. Each question calls Brutus’ claims into question and seeds doubt in the crowd.

Performance Notes with link to Globe performance

https://youtu.be/1RL8Wg-b8k

Unlike most Shakespearean plays, with Julius Caesar, we have an eyewitness account of how the play was originally performed. Swiss student Thomas Platter wrote a long description of watching the play at the original Globe Theatre in 1599. This is a translation that I found on The Shakespeare Blog:

On September 21st after lunch, about two o’clock, I and my party crossed the water, and there in the house with the thatched roof witnessed an excellent performance of the tragedy of the first Emperor Julius Caesar, with a cast of some fifteen people; when the play was over they danced very marvellously and gracefully together as is their wont, two dressed as men and two as women… Thus daily at two in the afternoon, London has sometimes three plays running in different places, competing with each other, and those which play best obtain most spectators. The playhouses are so constructed that they play on a raised platform, so that everyone has a good view. There are different galleries and places, however, where the seating is better and more comfortable and therefore more expensive. For whoever cares to stand below only pays one English penny, but if he wishes to sit he enters by another door, and pays another penny, while if he desires to sit in the most comfortable seats which are cushioned, where he not only sees everything well, but can also be seen, then he pays yet another English penny at another door. And during the performance food and drink are carried round the audience, so that for what one cares to pay one may also have refreshment. The actors are most expensively costumed for it is the English usage for eminent Lords or Knights at their decease to bequeath and leave almost the best of their clothes to their serving men, which it is unseemly for the latter to wear, so that they offer them for sale for a small sum of money to the actors. Thomas Platter, 1599, reprinted from: http://theshakespeareblog.com/2012/09/thomas-platters-visit-to-shakespeares-theatre/

So the conclusions we can draw based on Platter’s account include that Antony was standing on a mostly bare stage with a thatched roof, raised slightly off the ground. We can also guess that, since the merchants were selling beer, fruits, and ale, that the audience might have been drunk or throwing things at the actors.

As Platter notes, and this page from Shakespeare’s First Folio confirms, there were only 15 actors in the original cast, so Shakespeare’s company didn’t have a huge cast to play the gigantic crowd in the Roman street. In all probability, the audience is the mob, and Antony is talking right to them when he calls them “Friends, Romans, Countrymen.” I believe that the audience was probably encouraged to shout, chant, boo, cheer, and become a part of the performance which is important to emphasize when talking about how to portray this scene onstage. A director can choose whether or not to make the audience part of the action in a production of Julius Caesar , which can allow the audience to get a visceral understanding of the persuasive power of politicians like Brutus and Antony. Alternatively, the director can choose instead to have actors play the crowd, and allow the audience to scrutinize the crowd as well as the politicians.

In conclusion, the reason this speech is famous is Shakespeare did an excellent job of encapsulating the power of persuassive speech that the real Antony must have had, as he in no small way used that power to spur the Roman crowd to mutiny and vengeance, and began to turn his country from a dying republic into a mighty empire.

If you liked this post, please consider signing up for my online class where I cover the rhetorical devices in Julius Caesar and compare them with several other famous speeches. Register now at http://www.outschool.com

◦ Interview with Patterson Joseph and Ray Fearon RSC: https://youtu.be/v5UTRSzuajo

1. Annotated Julius Caesar: https://sites.google.com/site/annotatedjuliuscaesar/act-3/3-2-57-109

2. Folger Shakespeare Library: Julius Caesar Lesson Plan: https://teachingshakespeareblog.folger.edu/2014/04/29/friends-romans-teachers-send-me-your-speeches/

3. Silva Rhetoric http://rhetoric.byu.edu/

3. Rhetoric in Marc Antony Speech

https://www.google.com/amp/s/eavice.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/jv-rhetorical-devices-in-antonys-funerary-speech-from-shakespeares-julius-caesar/amp/

4. Shakespeare Resource Center: http://www.bardweb.net/content/readings/caesar/lines.html

Julius Caesar "Friends, Romans, countrymen...."

Line Analysis | Readings Page | Home

In Mark Antony's funeral oration for Caesar, we have not only one of Shakespeare's most recognizable opening lines but one of his finest examples of rhetorical irony at work. The speech could serve as a thematic synopsis to Julius Caesar . Perhaps more than any other of Shakespeare's works, Julius Caesar is a play that hinges upon rhetoric—both as the art of persuasion and an artifice used to veil intent.

To be sure, Antony does not have it easy. He is already a man distrusted by the conspirators for his friendship with Caesar. Brutus lets him speak at Caesar's funeral, but only after Brutus, a great orator in his own right, has spoken first to "show the reason of our Caesar's death." Brutus makes it clear that Antony may speak whatever good he wishes of Caesar so long as he speaks no ill of the conspirators. But Antony has two advantages over Brutus: his subterfuge and his chance to have the last word. It's safe to say that Antony makes the most of his opportunity.

Antony's performance on the bully pulpit should come as no surprise. It is obvious from his Act III, sc. i meeting with the conspirators that he means something different in nearly everything he says. He even subtly mocks the senators with his lines "My credit now stands on such slippery ground/That one of two bad ways you must conceit me/Either a coward or a flatterer." Antony is the picture of disingenuous. Brutus, ignoring the more sensible misgivings of Cassius, takes Antony at his word. We, however, know what's in store when Antony in private utters, "O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth/That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!"

Brutus is clearly overmatched at Caesar's funeral, both by Antony's duplicity and oration. Brutus gives a reasoned prose speech that convinces the crowd Caesar had to die. Then, for reasons that remain questionable even taking naiveté into account, Brutus not only yields to Antony but leaves the Forum altogether. Antony will expend 137 lines of blank verse before he's done, using rhetoric and calculated histrionics to incite the crowd into a mob frenzy. All quite masterful for a man who denies any ability to "stir men's blood," as he puts it.

In the speech that follows, Antony merely sets the table for dissent. He progressively hits upon the notes of ambition and honourable in a cadence that soon calls both terms into question. Antony's prime weapons at the beginning are his conspicuous ambiguity regarding Caesar ("If it were so, it was a grievous fault") and Brutus ("Yet Brutus says he was ambitious"), rhetorical questions ("Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?") and feigned intent ("I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke"). More chilling, however, is Antony's cynical epilogue to the funeral speech as the mob departs: "Now let it work: mischief, thou art afoot/Take thou what course thou wilt!" As Antony exemplifies, the art of persuasion is not far removed in Julius Caesar from the craft of manipulation.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interréd with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men— Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.

—Act III, sc. ii

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Poems & Poets

Speech: “ Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears ”

(from Julius Caesar , spoken by Marc Antony) Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest– For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men– Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.

Rhetoric And Persuasion In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

In literature characters use ethos, logos, and pathos to help persuade the readers and other characters in the literature of what they are speaking about. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Brutus speaks at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus tells the people of Rome how Caesar is an ambitious man and how he kills him so all of the people of Rome could finally be free. After Brutus is finished speaking, Antony steps up to speak. He explains to the people of Rome how Caesar couldn’t have been an ambitious man; he has turned down a crown three times. Brutus and Antony use persuasion throughout the play to explain further on why Brutus helps kill Caesar and how Antony gets the people of Rome to turn against Brutus. First, Brutus tells the people of Rome that he had only killed Caesar so they could finally all be free from his power. For example, when Brutus says,”not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved/ Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and/ die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all/ freemen?”(3.2.23-26). Brutus says this shows the …show more content…

For example when Brutus contributes to killing Caesar, he uses rhetoric to gain the people’s trust again and when Antony uses persuasion to turn their mind set around against Brutus and onto his side. Brutus uses pathos to have people make an emotional answer to a rhetorical question; if they want Caesar alive and live as slaves or have him dead and live free. Antony uses his relationship with Brutus to gain people and have them turn away from Brutus and turn towards him in the case of Caesar’s death. After looking at both, Brutus and Antony’s funeral speeches, it is inferred that even though Brutus and Antony both used rhetorical devices in their speeches, Antony used them to his advantage along with his strong relationship with

Antony's Speech Using Rhetorical Appeals In Julius Caesar

Antony’s Speech Using Rhetorical Appeals In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, after Caesar’s death, the Romans are conflicted about what should be done. After Brutus’ speech the Romans are ready to crown Brutus king and be on the conspirators’ side. Though Brutus then leaves the crowd while Antony delivers his speech, the crowd realizes what should be done of Caesar’s murder and Antony prevents the conspirators from getting away with the murder of Caesar.

Mark Antony's Use Of Rhetorical Strategies In Julius Caesar

When it comes to murder, the culprit almost always rationalizes his or her actions to make them seem innocent in the situation. The murderer usually rationalizes their actions by using the victim's characteristics and using that to measure the value of the victim's life. In the play Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, Brutus and others decide to kill Caesar to protect the citizens of their home for they fear Caesar and his “ambition” would enslave the people of Rome. After they murder Caesar, Brutus speaks to the people to explain his actions and Mark Antony, one of Caesar's close companions, speaks on Caesar's behalf. Mark Antony was able to use rhetorical strategies better than Brutus in his speech in order to gain a level of

Examples Of Ethos And Logos In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

Pathos control the emotions of an audience and evoke a certain feeling to persuade the crowd in this case. Finally, logos convince an audience using reasoning and logic. Antony expresses a variety of persuasive techniques throughout his entire speech and change the mindset of the commoners using ethos, pathos, and logos. In Marc Antony’s speech, he used to persuasive technique known as ethos.

Rhetorical Devices In Julius Caesar

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar- Rhetorical Analysis In the novel, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, after Brutus brutally executes Caesar in Act 3 Scene 2, Antony is allowed to give a speech to the people of Rome whom have seen witnessed this fatal tragedy in Scene 3. Antony uses anaphora, connotative diction and details throughout his speech to persuade the Romans to change their perspective of Caesar and Brutus. The way Antony speaks about both Caesar & Brutus are a dispute of what he is actually trying to announce to the Romans. At the end of his speech, Antony hopes to reach the Romans emotionally (pathos) by enraging them against Brutus’s false statements against Caesar.

Rhetorical Devices Used In Brutus And Antony's Speech

Rhetoric in the Speeches of Brutus and Antony The death of Caesar is a controversial topic and was even more controversial at the time of his funeral when when senators were trying to benefit from his death by getting the Roman citizens on their side. At Caesar’s funeral, two senators gave speeches as an attempt to get the roman people on their side. Out of the two speeches, Marc Antony’s speech was more effective because of his use of appeals and biases, being 100% true and had a larger variety of rhetorical devices.

Rhetorical Appeals In Julius Caesar

Antony’s funeral oration is one of the most important speeches in Julius Caesar. Antony is the most skillful speaker because of his ability to turn a mass of uneducated plebeians once faithful towards the conspirators completely against them with emotional appeals. In Antony’s speech, one of his uses of emotional appeals is to create a kind and friendly relationship with plebeians. At the beginning of his discourse, he uses a synecdoche and asyndeton with his appeal.

How Does Antony Use Ethos In Julius Caesar

The assassination of Julius Caesar caused a lot of controversy and change in the minds of people in Rome. In the story, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Mark Antony addresses the crowd of Romans at Caesar’s funeral to persuade the people to take his side and believe his word of what really happened to Caesar and why. In Antony’s ardent speech to the commoners in Rome during Caesar’s funeral, Antony logically makes use of ethos, logos, and pathos to argue that the people of Rome and supporters of the conspirators should trust him instead of Brutus. Consequently, this makes the people believe Antony and start a riot over the controversy. One way that Antony tries to convince the people to trust him is through the ethos

Use Of Pathos In Julius Caesar

In the play Julius Caesar by William shakespeare, Caesar is murdered by the senators of rome, to prevent his power hungry ego from destroying their beloved city. During Caesar's funeral, both Marc Antony and brutus give speeches. Both speeches contain athos, which appeals to emotions, and rhetorical questions, these emphasize both of the speeches in different ways. Although Brutus is a convincing orator, Antony's uses a more effective form of rhetorical questions and pathos, which evokes feelings in the audience.. Pathos is a technique used in writing in order to appeal to the reader's emotions.

Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis

The Persuasion of Rome Julius Caesar has been assassinated. Two speeches follow his murder: One by his “best friend”, Brutus; The other by his best friend, Antony. Since Caesar had potential to be the king of Rome, potentially a corrupt one, a group of Roman senators banded together to assassinate him. Their fears of Caesar destroying Rome's democracy and envy of his power led to his assassination, even though there was no true evidence that permitted his assassination. Although Brutus and Antony both use pathos, rhetorical questions, and logos, Antony used these tactics in a more persuasive manner.

Pathos In Julius Caesar

The play by shakespeare called julius caesar was about the story of julius caesar. The story of Julius caesar was that he was stabbed to death by the whole senate. At one part in the play two people named Mark Antony and Brutus started to argue and try to persuade the people in some way by using different rhetorical techniques. Brutus used pathos to persuade the people that he chose right and he was still honorable and caesar deserved to die, but brutus mourned for his death just like the people. Antony used a logos and pathos technique to persuade the people that brutus was bad and that julius did nothing wrong, by using examples Antony made a valid point.

Julius Caesar Ethos Pathos Logo Analysis

Brutus and Antony use ethos, logos, and pathos in their speeches to convince the commoners of their side of the story. One person just so happens to be more convincing than the other. Using ethos,

Rhetorical Appeals In Brutus

In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar one of the main characters Caesar is killed in Scene 3 act 2.Then Brutus and Antony both give speeches about how bad they feel. Brutus gives a good speech by using all three of the rhetorical appeals to persuade the crowd to want to listen to what he say by using logos,ethos,pathos to his advantage. Brutus gives a better speech that draws the audience attention,Antony not as much. Therefor here are some very valid points on why Brutus’s speech used the Rhetorical Appeals better.

n the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the sole purpose behind Antony’s speech was to effectively sway the opinion of the Roman citizens against Caesar's killers, and through pathos and repetition he did so. As Antony criticizes Brutus’s role as a conspirator, he uses pathos to appeal to the people's feelings, saying, “Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, / and I must pause until it come back to me” (Shakespeare III.ii.105-106). When Antony proclaims his deep sorrows to the crowd, his emotions engender feelings of sadness and empathy; Antony then uses this grief to fuel the crowd’s rage. Through pathos Antony achieves an emotional connection to Romans and manipulates the people to support his disapproval of the

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Socrates 'Apology'

Rhetoric is a way of speaking in a persuasive way to create an impact on the audience or have them think the same way as the speaker. The three main strategies of rhetoric speech is ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos meaning the speaker is dwelling upon themselves, pathos meaning the speaker is using imagination to create emotion, and logos meaning facts and logic is used by the speaker to persuade the audience. Socrates used logos in a way that helped him exhibit an effective speech to prove which type of knowledge is worth knowing. In spite of this claim, Socrates was truly only showing the court that he really did not know much more than his name.

Essay On Rhetorical Devices In Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word ambitious, and direct reference in Antony 's speech to instigate the plebeians and persuade them to rebel against the conspirators. Antony pulls on the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the conspirators. Shakespeare uses a rhetorical question in Antony’s speech to get the plebeians to notice the wrongdoings of the conspirators and excite them to rebel. Antony discusses the money that Caesar left to the countrymen, and with sarcasm he states, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (3.2.99).

More about Rhetoric And Persuasion In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

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To help you look at any scene in Julius Caesar and begin to analyse it, it’s important to ask questions about how it's written and why.

Shakespeare’s plays are driven by their characters and every choice that’s made about words, structure and rhythm tells you something about the person, their relationships or their mood in that moment. You should always try and ask yourself, like actors do, why is the character saying what they are saying or doing what they are doing? What is their motive?

Just like Detectives, we need to look for clues to help us answer those questions each time and below you can find some interrogation techniques we use to analyse text, introduced by the actors that use them.

Analysing Rhetorical Language

The language of rhetoric, or persuasive speaking, is very important in Julius Caesar. Both in Shakespeare’s time and in Ancient Rome, public speaking and the ability to move a crowd was a highly valued skill, particularly in politics.

In this video, you can hear RSC actor, Alex Waldmann talk about Brutus’ use of rhetoric in his speech to the crowd at Caesar’s funeral in Act 3 Scene 2. It is a good idea to keep a list of where these skills are used in Julius Caesar. Here is a list of rhetorical features to look for:

Both Brutus and Antony go head to head in Act 3 Scene 2. Watch Paterson Joseph, playing Brutus, and Ray Fearon, playing Antony, in the 2012 production to see the two characters' different uses of rhetoric in action.

Questions to consider

How do Antony and Brutus each use repetition and antithesis? Ask yourself:

Does Brutus’ use of repetition make him easier or harder to listen to? Which of his words stand out as a result of being repeated? Repetition usually helps to plant ideas in the minds of the people listening. If you write down all the words that Brutus repeats more than others, what would you think his speech was about?
How does Antony talk about Brutus? How many times does he repeat the words ‘honourable man’ and how does the meaning of this statement change each time he uses it?
How many examples of antithesis can you find in Brutus’ speech? Looking back at the first video, what does Alex Waldmann do in performance to make these opposites stand out?

Showing emotion or inspiring emotion in your audience is an important skill for a public speaker. Thinking about these two speakers, ask yourself:

What does Antony say and do in this speech to move the crowd emotionally?
At what moments do you think Brutus or Antony show emotion of their own? How are you able to tell? Which of them feels more emotionally charged and what is the impact of that?
Look at Antony’s speech in the text and think about his use of repetition, antithesis and emotion. Just as Alex thinks about in the first video, when talking about Brutus, can you imagine how an actor playing Antony might perform this speech?

Using Alex’s points on rhetoric, we’ve started to look at how Antony persuades and moves the mob/crowd in his Act 3 Scene 2 speech. See if you can complete the grid and finish four points which explain how he uses language to get the crowd to agree with him.

Explanation

Evidence Select an option

Explanation Click text to edit

Evidence Click text to edit

Point Click text to edit

What else can I do to explore Antony’s language?

Try applying these same strategies to all of Antony’s lines to reveal any changes in his language and behaviour. Pay attention to any soliloquies he has, as these moments can reveal a character’s true thoughts.
Think about how many modern examples you know of great rhetorical speeches. How is political speaking changing? Is rhetoric still important? You can also watch Mark Thompson, the CEO of the New York Times, talking about rhetoric in the modern media and consider why Antony’s speech to the people is so crucial.
Compare how Antony speaks to the conspirators after the murder to how he addresses Caesar’s body after they leave. Notice his choice of words. What do they reveal about where his loyalties and true feelings lie?
Continue exploring and comparing the two speeches we have looked at in Act 3 Scene 2. What do they say about Antony and Brutus’ relationships to the common man?

Analysing Caesar's Language

Caesar only has 5% of the lines in Julius Caesar but his words leave a lasting impression. At the start of the play, Caesar returns after a military triumph to a divided Rome. Some people want him crowned king, others fear his ambition will make him a tyrant if crowned. Ignoring many warnings to his safety, Caesar is murdered in public by people he trusts. A lot of conflicting things are said about Caesar by other characters. He is accused of being ‘weak’, ‘feeble’, ’ambitious’ and ‘superstitious’ by his enemies and considered ‘mighty’, ‘great’ and ‘sweet’ by his friends. By examining how Caesar speaks, particularly about himself, we can create a better picture of who the character really is.

In this video, watch RSC actor, Alex Waldmann explain what the threat of Caesar means to Brutus.

Can you find any evidence of this dangerous ambition in the things Caesar actually says?

In this video, Mark Quartley shares some of the things he looks for to help understand how a character is feeling in a speech. The example he is using is a monologue from The Tempest but you can look for the same clues in Julius Caesar.

After watching, read Caesar’s words from Act 3 Scene 1, just before he is murdered. In this scene, Caesar is hearing petitions outside the Capitol. What do you notice about how Caesar speaks that reveals his character? As you read, see if you can notice the things Mark tells us to look out for:

Word choice

What are the key images that stand out for you in Caesar’s speech? What visual pictures do they suggest in your mind and how does that help you see Caesar as he sees himself?
How different is the way Caesar speaks to that of the other men? What does this say about his position compared to them?
How regular is the metre or number of syllables in his lines? Can you spot any irregularities and if so, what might they reveal about how Caesar is feeling?
What words that he uses stand out to you? What does this tell you about how Caesar wants to affect the people around him?

Using Mark's strategies, we’ve started to look at the language Caesar uses in Act 3 Scene 1. See if you can complete the grid and finish four points which explain what Caesar’s words reveal about him and his ambition.

What else can I do to explore Caesar's language?

Examine how Caesar speaks to others in Act 3 Scene 1. What does it tell you about his opinion of the men around him? How many times does he interrupt people and is he really listening to what they have to say?
What do you notice in the same scene if you emphasise the first and last word of each of his lines? Try applying these same strategies to the other lines Caesar has in the play. Consider how Caesar’s language changes in different moments in the play and what this might reflect about how he feels at those moments.
Look at how Shakespeare introduces Caesar and the first things that are said about him in Act 1. We hear lots of different opinions about his style of leadership and his ability as a leader. Try collecting this evidence together, looking at the language that is used to create a picture of him. What kind of ruler was Caesar?

Analysing the Imagery

As with all of Shakespeare’s plays, there are lots of types of imagery used in Julius Caesar. It’s a great idea to keep a list of the key quotes and imagery used in each act.

Here are three types of imagery that come up a lot in Julius Caesar:

Blood Imagery

Many characters use images of blood throughout Julius Caesar, emphasising the ideas of sacrifice and butchery. Calphurnia has dreams featuring a war in the heavens ‘Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol’ (2:2) and a statue of Caesar which ‘like a fountain with an hundred spouts, / Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans / Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it.’ (2:2) This second image becomes real when Brutus tells his fellow conspirators to bathe their ‘hands in Caesar’s blood /Up to the elbows’ (3:1)
How many examples of blood imagery can you find in the play and what does it reveal about the character who uses it? Why do you think Shakespeare draws on this imagery?

Natural Imagery

The unnatural behaviour of weather and animals feature strongly in this play. Many are seen as omens of bad things to come, as Casca says: ‘I met a lion, / Who glared upon me and went surly by / Without annoying me.’ (1:2)
Characters are also compared to beasts and animals, giving insights to how they are perceived by others. Cassius talks of Caesar in Act 1 Scene 3, saying ‘I know he would not be a wolf / But that he sees the Romans are but sheep; / He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.’
A violent storm begins Act 3 with Casca commenting ‘never till now, / Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.’ (3:1) Cassius also likens fate to a ship in a storm, saying ‘Why now, blow wind, swell billow, and swim bark! / The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.’ (5:1)
How many examples of natural imagery or references to the weather can you find in the play and why do you think Shakespeare uses so many of them? How do they affect the mood of the scene?

Sickness Imagery

Physical illness and sickness are really important in Julius Caesar as they often draw attention to the state of a character’s mind and even the state of Rome itself. In Act 1 Scene 2, Cassius talks about the physical weaknesses of Caesar. When Casca enters, he says ‘He fell down in the marketplace and foamed at mouth and was speechless.’ (1:2) The plot to kill Caesar is also offered as a remedy to cure a sick man when Ligarius braves his illness to visit Brutus. In this scene Brutus describes the assassination plot as ‘A piece of work that will make sick men whole’ (2:1) and Ligarius replies ‘But are not some whole that we must make sick?’, hinting that he knows Caesar must die.
Take a closer look at the extract from Act 2 Scene 1 on this page to explore how Portia uses the imagery of sickness in her appeal to Brutus. Why do you think Shakespeare uses this language so much here? Why is it effective to connect physical illness to an illness of the mind?

Thinking about Act 2 Scene 1, we’ve started to look at what the imagery of sickness and word choices in the scene tell us about Portia and Brutus. See if you can complete the grid below and create three points which explain what this language shows us about their relationship at this point in the play.

Analysing the Themes

As with all Shakespeare’s plays, there are lots of themes that appear in Julius Caesar. It’s a great idea to keep a list of key quotes and examples of these themes in each act as you go through the play, looking at where they come up.

Here are three themes to look out for:

Theme of Superstition

Superstition appears in Julius Caesar from the very start of the play. Within moments of Caesar’s first appearance, he is hailed by a Soothsayer who delivers an ominous warning, saying ‘Beware the ides of March.’ (1:2) Caesar’s very first action in the play is to position his wife close to Antony during a race, thinking it will break her ‘barren curse’, and in Act 2 Scene 2 Calphurnia's dreams prompt Caesar to order a sacrifice to the gods.
There is a surge of omens leading up to Caesar’s murder and both Casca and Calphurnia see significance in so many of them happening at once. Even the cynical Cassius gets superstitious after losing confidence during the battle in Act 5 Scene 1. Which of these signs and omens appear more than others?
See how many references to omens and signs you can find in the play and make note of who says them and their reaction. What does it say about the characters? Who believes in omens and who doesn’t? Who changes their mind about them during the action of the play?

Theme of Ambition

Ambition is the source of most of the conflict in Julius Caesar. Cassius and Brutus are convinced that Caesar is driven by ambition. Brutus describes him as ‘a serpent’s egg’ which ‘hatch’d, would, as his kind, grow mischievous.’ (2:1). Look closely at what Caesar actually says and does in the play. If allowed to become king, do you think Caesar would abuse his power?
Examine how Cassius speaks about Caesar. He tells Brutus that he ‘was born as free as Caesar; so were you.’ (1:2). He describes himself as ‘A wretched creature’ who must bow if ‘Caesar carelessly but nod on him.’(1:2) Do his words reveal more about Cassius than Caesar? Notice what Caesar says about Cassius. How ambitious do you think Cassius is to get his own way? What ambitions do the other conspirators have and how far does this motivate them? Does Brutus have an ambition?
See how many references to ambition you can find in the play. Caesar is not the only character to show ambition. Look particularly at Antony’s path to success throughout the action. What does this reveal about him?

Theme of Loyalty

Loyalty is very important in Julius Caesar as it creates a lot of suspense and drama. Many characters put their trust in people who seem loyal and trustworthy but are not. Antony believes Cassius is loyal, telling Caesar ‘he’s not dangerous; / He is a noble Roman, and well given’ (1:2). Caesar puts his trust in each of the conspirators, who make a show of loyalty before betraying him, calling him ‘Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar’ (3:1). With his dying breath, Caesar even recognises his most loyal friend as his murderer, asking ‘Et tu, Brute?’ (3:1) and showing surprise at Brutus' betrayal. The loyalty between Brutus and Cassius is also tested many times before their deaths. Note how many times they call each other ‘brother’ throughout the play. What kind of relationship do you think they have? Is their loyalty to each other or something else?
See how many references to loyalty you can find in the play. Which characters are particularly valued by others for being trustworthy? Who considers themselves loyal?

Teacher Notes

The following activities will help you to explore the art of rhetoric and persuasive speaking with students.

Rhetoric Activities (2012)

The activities can be found on pages 11-16 and look at different aspects of rhetoric using Antony’s speech in Act 3 Scene 1.

You can also print the PEE grids from each of the sections on this page to help students explore the language of central characters and some of the imagery used in more detail.

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Techniques of Persuasion in Julius Caesar and Othello

Published: April 1997
Volume 81 , pages 309–323, ( 1997 )

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The article is an analysis of the rhetorical techniques of persuasion in Antony's speech to the Roman mob, and Iago's persuasion of Othello in the temptation scene. The analysis is based on the Gricean maxims of the Co-operative Principle, and the Politeness Principle in normal conversation. These models are all quite accessible to literary readers of Shakespeare's text. This is an attempt to find a middle ground between close textual analysis of a philological kind and the broader polemical vistas of cultural materialism. The writer believes that English studies is fundamentally concerned with the close study of literary texts.

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Gilbert, A. Techniques of Persuasion in Julius Caesar and Othello. Neophilologus 81 , 309–323 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004251202026

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Tragedy of Julius Caesar — A Comparison of Brutus’ and Antony’s Speeches: Why Was Antony’s Speech More Effective

A Comparison of Brutus's and Antony's Speeches: Why Antony's Speech Was More Effective

Categories: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar William Shakespeare

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Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1540 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

The essay analyzes the role of speech in Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" and how it plays a crucial part in shaping the plot. It highlights the persuasive power of speeches delivered by characters like Brutus and Antony, demonstrating how they influence the beliefs and actions of the Roman populace.

The essay delves into Brutus's speech, where he justifies Caesar's assassination by portraying him as power-hungry and a threat to Rome's freedom. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, Brutus skillfully manipulates the crowd's perspective and receives their applause.

However, the essay asserts that Antony's speech at Caesar's funeral is more effective than Brutus's due to its multifaceted emotional approach. Antony appeals to the emotions of the crowd by presenting evidence of Caesar's generosity and refuting Brutus's claims of ambition. He cleverly deceives the audience with false details, such as recalling the cloak Caesar wore during his murder, and assigns specific wounds to the conspirators to generate anger and empathy.

Introduction, brutus and antony's speech analysis, works cited, brutus’ speech, antony's speech.

Delaney, Bill. "Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR." Explicator 60.3 (2002): 122. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
Wills, Gary. "Rome and Rhetoric: Shakespeare's Julius Caesar." New Haven, CT : Yale University Press, c2011. Book.
Matthews, Brander. "The Plays from Plutarch." Shakespeare as a Playwright. Brander Matthews. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1913. 254-263. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Mark W. Scott. Vol. 7. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Harley Granville-Barker, “ ‘Julius Caesar’,” in his “Prefaces to Shakespeare, first series, Sidgwick & Jackson, Ltd., 1927, pp. 51-132
Stopford A. Brooke, “ ‘Julius Caeser’,” in his “Ten More Plays of Shakespeare, Constable and Company Ltd., 1913, pp, 58-90
Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar.
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.

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Julius Caesar Translation Act 3, Scene 2

BRUTUS and CASSIUS enter with a crowd of PLEBEIANS.

BRUTUS and CASSIUS enter with a crowd of PLEBEIANS .

We will be satisfied! Let us be satisfied!

We demand answers! Give us answers!

Then follow me and give me audience, friends. —Cassius, go you into the other street And part the numbers. —Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here. Those that will follow Cassius, go with him, And public reasons shall be renderèd Of Caesar’s death.

Then follow me and listen to what I say, friends. [To CASSIUS] Cassius, go on to the next street. Split up the crowd. [To PLEBEIANS] Let those who want to hear me speak stay here. Those who want to hear from Cassius, go with him. We’ll explain the reasons behind Caesar’s death publicly.

FIRST PLEBEIAN

I will hear Brutus speak.

I’ll listen to Brutus.

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ANOTHER PLEBEIAN

I will hear Cassius and compare their reasons When severally we hear them renderèd.

I’ll listen to Cassius, and later we'll compare what they've said.

CASSIUS exits with some of the PLEBEIANS. BRUTUS gets up on the platform.

THIRD PLEBEIAN

The noble Brutus is ascended. Silence!

Noble Brutus has walked up to the platform. Quiet!

Be patient till the last. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I honor him. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak—for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak—for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak—for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

Please be calm until I finish. Romans, countrymen, and friends! Listen to the reasons for my actions, and be silent so you can hear. Do me the honor of believing me, and know that, upon my honor, you can believe me. Be wise in your judgment of me, and keep your minds alert so that you can judge me wisely. If there’s anyone in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, I say to him that my love for Caesar was no less than his. If, then, that friend demands to know why I rose up against Caesar, this is my answer: it’s not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Would you prefer that Caesar were living, and we would all one day die as slaves? Or would you prefer that Caesar were dead and we all lived as free men? Because Caesar was my friend, I weep for him. Because he had so much good fortune, I am so happy for him. Because he was brave, I honor him. But because he was ambitious, I killed him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his bravery, and death for his ambition. Who standing here is so wretched that he wants to be a slave? If there are any, let them speak—because they are the ones that I have offended. Who here is so uncivilized that he does not want to be a Roman? If there are any, let them speak—because they are the ones that I have offended. Who here is so despicable that he does not love his country? If there are any, let them speak—because they are the ones that I have offended. I will wait for a reply.

None, Brutus, none.

No one, Brutus, no one.

Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol. His glory not extenuated wherein he was worthy, nor his offenses enforced for which he suffered death.

Then I have offended no one. I’ve done no more to Caesar than you would do to me. The reasons for his death are on record in the Capitol. His glory has not been reduced where he earned it, nor have the offenses for which he was killed been exaggerated.

ANTONY enters with CAESAR’s body.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying—a place in the commonwealth—as which of you shall not? With this I depart: that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please my country to need my death.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he had no part in killing Caesar, will benefit from his death—full citizenship in the commonwealth. And which of you won't benefit from that? I will depart with these final words: just as I killed my best friend for the good of Rome, I will still keep the same dagger, so that I can kill myself when my country requires my death.

Live, Brutus! Live, live!

Bring him with triumph home unto his house!

Let’s carry him in triumph to his house!

SECOND PLEBEIAN

Give him a statue with his ancestors!

Let’s build a statue of him, near those of his ancestors!

Let him be Caesar!

Let him become Caesar!

FOURTH PLEBEIAN

Caesar’s better parts Shall be crowned in Brutus!

We will crown Brutus, who has all of Caesar’s better qualities.

We’ll bring him to his house with shouts and clamors.

We’ll carry him to his house with shouts and celebration!

My countrymen—

Peace, silence! Brutus speaks.

Quiet! Silence! Brutus speaks.

Hey, quiet!

Good countrymen, let me depart alone. And, for my sake, stay here with Antony. Do grace to Caesar’s corpse, and grace his speech Tending to Caesar’s glories, which Mark Antony By our permission is allowed to make. I do entreat you, not a man depart, Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

Good countrymen, let me leave on my own. And, for my sake, stay here with Antony. Give honor to Caesar’s corpse, as well as to Antony’s speech about Caesar’s glories —which we have given him our permission to make. I beg that none of you leave until Antony has spoken, except for me.

BRUTUS exits.

Stay, ho! And let us hear Mark Antony.

We'll stay! Let us listen to Mark Antony.

Let him go up into the public chair. We’ll hear him. —Noble Antony, go up.

Let him walk up to the platform. We’ll listen to him. [To ANTONY] Noble Antony, mount the platform.

For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you. [ascends the pulpit]

For Brutus’ sake, I am indebted to you. [He steps up onto the platform]

What does he say of Brutus?

What does he say about Brutus?

He says for Brutus' sake He finds himself beholding to us all.

He says that for Brutus’ sake he finds himself indebted to us all.

'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

He’d better not say anything bad about Brutus here.

This Caesar was a tyrant.

Caesar was a tyrant.

Nay, that’s certain. We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

That’s for sure. We’re lucky that Rome is rid of him.

Peace! Let us hear what Antony can say.

Quiet! Let’s hear what Antony has to say.

You gentle Romans—

You noble Romans—

Peace, ho! Let us hear him.

Hey, quiet! Let us hear him.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interrèd with their bones. So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus Hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answered it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all, all honorable men— Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, And, sure, he is an honorable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause. What cause withholds you then to mourn for him? O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me. [weeps]

Friends, Romans, countrymen: give me a moment of your attention. I’ve come here to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do is remembered after they die, but the good is often buried with their bones. May it be that way with Caesar. The noble Brutus told you that Caesar was ambitious. If that’s true, it’s a terrible fault—and Caesar has paid terribly for it. Now, with the permission of Brutus and the others—because Brutus is an honorable man, as all the others are honorable men—I have come to speak at Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend. He was loyal and fair to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man. He brought many captives home to Rome whose filled the public treasury. Did Caesar seem ambitious when he did this? When the poor cried, Caesar cried. Ambition shouldn’t be so tender-hearted. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man. You all saw that on the feast day of Lupercal, I offered Caesar a king’s crown three times. And all three times he refused it. Was that ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious. And, of course, Brutus is an honorable man. I do not say this to disprove what Brutus has said, but to speak about what I know. You all loved Caesar once, and not without reason. So what reason stops you from mourning him? Oh, gods! You have become brutish beasts, and men have lost their reason! Apologies for that outburst. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause until it returns to me. [He weeps]

Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.

I think that a lot of what he's saying makes sense.

If thou consider rightly of the matter, Caesar has had great wrong.

If you think about it the right way, Caesar has been badly wronged.

Has he, masters? I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Has he, good sirs? I worry that someone worse than Caesar will come to replace him.

Marked ye his words? He would not take the crown. Therefore ’tis certain he was not ambitious.

Did you listen to Antony's words? Caesar wouldn’t take the crown. Therefore it’s certain that he wasn’t ambitious.

If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

If it can be proven that he wasn't, certain people will pay dearly for all this.

Poor soul! His eyes are red as fire with weeping.

Poor man! Antony’s eyes are fiery red from weeping.

There’s not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.

There's not a nobler man than Antony in Rome.

Now mark him. He begins again to speak.

Now pay attention to him. He’s starting to speak again.

But yesterday the word of Caesar might Have stood against the world. Now lies he there, And none so poor to do him reverence. O masters, if I were disposed to stir Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong— Who, you all know, are honorable men. I will not do them wrong. I rather choose To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, Than I will wrong such honorable men. But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar. I found it in his closet. 'Tis his will. Let but the commons hear this testament— Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read— And they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s wounds And dip their napkins in his sacred blood, Yea, beg a hair of him for memory, And, dying, mention it within their wills, Bequeathing it as a rich legacy Unto their issue.

Just yesterday, no one in the world would have stood against Caesar's commands. Now he lies there dead, and no one is so humble as to show him respect. Oh, sirs, if I were trying to stir your hearts and minds to rage and rebellion, I would be doing wrong to Brutus and Cassius—who, as you all know, are honorable men. I will not do them wrong. I choose rather to wrong the dead, and wrong myself and you, than wrong such honorable men. But here’s a paper with Caesar’s seal on it. I found it in his room. It’s his will. If the public were to know what was in this will—which, excuse me, I don’t plan on reading to you— they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s wounds, dip their handkerchiefs in his blessed blood, and even beg for a lock of his hair to remember him by. And when they died, they would include the handkerchief or the hair in their wills, passing it on to their own heirs as a treasured inheritance.

We’ll hear the will. Read it, Mark Antony!

We want to hear the will. Read it, Mark Antony!

The will, the will! We will hear Caesar’s will.

The will, the will! We want to hear Caesar’s will.

Have patience, gentle friends. I must not read it. It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you. You are not wood, you are not stones, but men. And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar, It will inflame you, it will make you mad. 'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs. For, if you should—Oh, what would come of it!

Have patience, noble friends. I must not read it. It's not right for you to know how much Caesar loved you. You're not wood, you're not stones. You’re men. And, being men, if you knew what was in Caesar’s will, it would anger you. It will drive you crazy. It’s better that you not know that you are his heirs. Because, if you did know—oh, what would happen!

Read the will. We’ll hear it, Antony. You shall read us the will, Caesar’s will.

Read the will. We want to hear it, Antony. You must read us the will, Caesar’s will.

Will you be patient? Will you stay awhile? I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it. I fear I wrong the honorable men Whose daggers have stabbed Caesar. I do fear it.

Will you be patient? Will you wait a while? I’ve said too much in telling you about it. I’m afraid that I wrong the honorable men whose daggers have stabbed Caesar. I really fear it.

They were traitors! “Honorable men”!

They were traitors, these so-called “honorable men!”

The will! The testament!

They were villains, murderers. The will! Read the will!

You will compel me, then, to read the will? Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar, And let me show you him that made the will. Shall I descend? And will you give me leave?

So you'll force me to read the will? Then form a circle around Caesar’s corpse, and let me show you the man who made this will. Shall I come down? Will you allow me to?

You shall have leave.

We’ll allow you.

ANTONY comes down from the platform.

A ring! Stand round.

A circle! Form a circle!

Stand from the hearse. Stand from the body.

Stand back from the hearse. Stand back from the body.

Room for Antony, most noble Antony!

Make room for Antony, most noble Antony!

Nay, press not so upon me. Stand far off.

No, don’t press up against me. Stand further away.

Stand back. Room! Bear back.

Stand back. Give him room. Move back.

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. You all do know this mantle. I remember The first time ever Caesar put it on. 'Twas on a summer’s evening in his tent, That day he overcame the Nervii. Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through. See what a rent the envious Casca made. Through this the well-belovèd Brutus stabbed. And as he plucked his cursèd steel away, Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it, As rushing out of doors, to be resolved If Brutus so unkindly knocked, or no. For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all. For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms, Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart, And, in his mantle muffling up his face, Even at the base of Pompey’s statue, Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell. O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! Then I, and you, and all of us fell down, Whilst bloody treason flourished over us. Oh, now you weep, and, I perceive, you feel The dint of pity. These are gracious drops. Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold Our Caesar’s vesture wounded? Look you here, Here is himself, marred, as you see, with traitors. [lifts up CAESAR's mantle]

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. You all know this cloak. I remember the first time Caesar ever put it on. It was a summer evening in his tent, on the day he defeated the Nervii warriors. Look, this is the place where Cassius’s dagger cut through it. See the rip that the envious Casca made. The much beloved Brutus stabbed him through this hole. And when Brutus yanked out his cursed dagger, see how Caesar’s blood followed after it—as if rushing out a door to see for sure if it was Brutus knocking so rudely. For Brutus was Caesar’s angel, as you know. Oh gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the cruelest cut of all. When the noble Caesar saw him stab, it was Brutus' ingratitude more than the traitors' weapons that overwhelmed him. Then his mighty heart burst. And with his face covered by his cloak—which was dripping with blood—great Caesar fell at the base of Pompey’s statue. Oh, what a fall it was, my countrymen! Then I, and you, all of us fell down, while bloody treason celebrated its victory over us. Oh, now you weep, and I see you feel the pain of pity. These tears are honorable. Good men, do you weep when all you're looking at is Caesar’s wounded cloak? Look right here, here is the man himself, battered by traitors, as you can see. [He lifts up CAESAR's cloak]

O piteous spectacle!

Oh, what a heartbreaking sight!

O noble Caesar!

Oh, noble Caesar!

O woeful day!

Oh, what a sad day!

O traitors, villains!

Oh, traitors, villains!

O most bloody sight!

Oh, most bloody sight!

We will be revenged.

We will get revenge.

Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay! Let not a traitor live!

Revenge! Look around. Find them! Burn! Set fire! Kill! Slay! Leave no traitors alive!

Stay, countrymen.

Wait, countrymen.

Peace there! Hear the noble Antony.

Quiet there! Listen to the noble Antony.

We’ll hear him. We’ll follow him. We’ll die with him.

We’ll listen to him. We’ll follow him. We’ll die with him.

Good friends, sweet friends! Let me not stir you up To such a sudden flood of mutiny. They that have done this deed are honorable. What private griefs they have, alas, I know not, That made them do it. They are wise and honorable, And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you. I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts. I am no orator, as Brutus is, But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man That love my friend. And that they know full well That gave me public leave to speak of him. For I have neither wit nor words nor worth, Action nor utterance nor the power of speech, To stir men’s blood. I only speak right on. I tell you that which you yourselves do know, Show you sweet Caesar’s wounds, poor poor dumb mouths, And bid them speak for me. But were I Brutus, And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue In every wound of Caesar that should move The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

Good friends, sweet friends: don’t let me stir you up to such a sudden surge of revolt. Those who have done this deed are honorable. I don’t know what personal grudges they had that made them do it. They are wise and honorable, and will give you reasons for their actions, without a doubt . I am not here to steal your loyalty, friends. I’m no orator like Brutus. As you all know, I'm just a plain, blunt man who loved his friend. And those who gave me permission to speak know this very well. I don't have the cleverness, vocabulary, reputation, body language, or eloquence to stir men to passion. I just say what I really think. I tell you what you already know. I show you sweet Caesar’s wounds—those poor, poor, speechless mouths—and ask them to speak for me. But if I were Brutus—and Brutus were me—then that would be an Antony who would fill your spirits with rage, and put in each of Caesar’s wounds a voice that would inspire even the stones in Rome to rise up and rebel.

We’ll mutiny.

We’ll revolt.

We’ll burn the house of Brutus.

We’ll burn Brutus’ house.

Away, then! Come, seek the conspirators.

Let’s go, then! Come, find the conspirators!

Yet hear me, countrymen. Yet hear me speak.

Wait, and listen to me, countrymen.

Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony!

Quiet! Wait! Listen to Antony. Most noble Antony!

Why, friends, you go to do you know not what. Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves? Alas, you know not. I must tell you then. You have forgot the will I told you of.

Why, friends, you don’t know what you’re doing. What has Caesar done to deserve your love? Alas, you don’t know. I must tell you then. You’ve forgotten the will I told you about.

Most true. The will! Let’s stay and hear the will.

That's true. The will! Let’s stay and hear the will!

Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal To every Roman citizen he gives— To every several man—seventy-five drachmas.

Here’s the will, marked by Caesar’s seal. To every Roman citizen he gives—to every single man—seventy-five silver coins.

Most noble Caesar! We’ll revenge his death.

O royal Caesar!

Oh, royal Caesar!

Hear me with patience.

Listen to me with patience.

Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, His private arbors and new-planted orchards, On this side Tiber. He hath left them you And to your heirs forever—common pleasures, To walk abroad and recreate yourselves. Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?

In addition, he’s left you all of his walkways, his private gardens, and newly planted orchards, on this side of the Tiber River. He has left them to you and to your heirs forever—public parks where you can wander and relax. Here was a Caesar! When will there be another like him?

Never, never.—Come, away, away! We’ll burn his body in the holy place, And with the brands fire the traitors' houses. Take up the body.

Never, never. Come, let’s go, let's go! We’ll burn his body in the holy place, and use the torches to set fire to the traitors' houses. Lift up the body.

Go fetch fire.

Go get some fire.

Pluck down benches.

Go get some benches for wood.

Pluck down forms, windows, anything.

Rip down doors, windowsills, anything.

PLEBEIANS exit with CAESAR’s body.

Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot. Take thou what course thou wilt!

Now let it work. Mischief, you are on the loose. Follow whatever path you want!

OCTAVIUS' SERVANT enters.

How now, fellow?

What’s going on?

OCTAVIUS' SERVANT

Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.

Sir, Octavius has already arrived in Rome.

Where is he?

He and Lepidus are at Caesar’s house.

And thither will I straight to visit him. He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry, And in this mood will give us anything.

I'll go straight there to visit him. He comes just when I hoped he would. Fortune is happy and will give us anything in this mood.

I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.

I heard Octavius say that Brutus and Cassius rode their horses like madmen to escape through the gates of Rome.

Belike they had some notice of the people How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius.

They probably got some warning of how much I stirred up the people. Bring me to Octavius.

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8 Caesar's Senate Speech Rewritten by Sallust

Published: February 2007
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Catiline, undeterred by this defeat in the consular elections of 63 bc , persevered with his preparations for a coup. The Senate responded by granting the consuls Cicero and Antony full power to defend the city and the peninsula. Catiline fled the city on 8 November 63 bc ), leaving Lentulus to win over more supporters. Lentulus, Cethegus, and their accomplices were indicted before the Senate and arrested. In the Senate debate that followed, the first to speak was the consul-elect, Decimus Julius Silanus, who demanded the death penalty and won general support. When it was the turn of Caesar, then pontifex maximus and praetor-elect for the year 62 bc , the situation seemed to change: his speech argued a case completely opposite to that of Silanus. Caesar began his speech with an extended overture, in which he stressed the need for a balanced decision rather than one made in anger, and above all the risk of creating a damaging precedent by condemning the plotters, a precedent that might one day be exploited by others to enforce political repression. He then set forth his proposal: in his view the captured conspirators should be held in those towns in which they could best be guarded; their property should be distrained, and there should be no further discussion of their fate, whether in the Senate or among the people; anyone who failed to comply would be declared a public enemy.

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Julius Caesar

by William Shakespeare

Discussion Topic

Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar

In his funeral oration in Julius Caesar , Antony uses emotional appeal, rhetorical questions, and repetition to persuade the crowd. He repeatedly refers to Brutus as "an honorable man" while contrasting it with examples of Caesar's generosity, inciting doubt and anger among the listeners. Antony also displays Caesar’s will and his wounds to evoke sympathy and stir the crowd’s emotions against the conspirators.

characters: Mark Antony

plot: Act 3, Scene 2

literary devices: Irony

literary devices: Repetition

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How did Antony convince the crowd to seek revenge in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar?

Marc Antony's famous funeral oration employs some very persuasive elements. First of all, he puts the angry crowd at ease by claiming that he simply wants to bury Julius Caesar , not praise the fallen dictator. Also, by saying that he will neither speak ill of the assassins nor Caeser, Antony piques the further interest of his audience.

Of course, Antony's goal is to fire up the mob. He wants them to demand vengeance for the fallen leader of Rome. However, because he will not come right out and condemn the conspirators, he employs ironic repetition to do the job. By repeatedly calling Brutus and Cassius "honorable men" in a sarcastic and disingenuous way, he is implying that they are just the opposite. Furthermore, Brutus had just finished a speech calling Caesar overly ambitious. Antony counters by supplying examples of Caesar spurning ambition in favor of his people's love. He then, in a macabre show, points out the bloody holes in Caesar's mantle to show how these "honorable men" betrayed Caesar.

This all serves to convince the people that Brutus and Cassius are hypocrites who killed a beloved leader for self-serving reasons. He ends his speech by reading Caesar's will which is full of gifts for the people. Surely the self-serving and ambitious man that Brutus had described would not be so generous, Antony seems to imply. This fully convinces the crowd that Caesar's death was not justified and that vengeance must be had.

Throughout his stirring oration, Antony seeks to connect himself to the common Roman. He says that he is no great speaker, just a Roman like the rest of them who loved Ceasar and was loved by him in return. This helps to make a powerful connection to the people. Through this he distances himself from the conspirators. He draws a line between those who stood to benefit by the dictator's love and generosity and those who killed him in a bloody betrayal.

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Jackson, Greg. "Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar" edited by eNotes Editorial, 31 Jan. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/topics/julius-caesar/questions/antony-s-persuasive-techniques-in-his-funeral-3118100.

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In act 3, scene 2, Mark Antony begins by speaking highly of Brutus and referring to him as an honorable man. He proceeds to bring up the fact that Caesar is accused of being an ambitious leader before he lists Caesar's benevolent actions, which challenge the idea that he was ambitious. Antony comments on how Caesar brought wealth to the city, sympathized with the poor, and declined the crown several times.

He then reminds the crowd that they once loved Caesar and asks why they refrain from mourning him. Antony proceeds to guilt the crowd for their callous reactions to Caesar's death while simultaneously mentioning that he has no intention of offending Brutus. He then cleverly stirs the crowd's emotions by commenting on Caesar's will, which he says will enrage everyone if he were to read it aloud. Antony then comes down from the pulpit, has the crowd surround Caesar's body, and stirs their emotions by pointing out the various stab wounds throughout Caesar's corpse. As Antony stirs the crowd's emotions, he calls the conspirators traitors before calming the crowd.

Antony then downplays his rhetorical skills and ability to move the crowd before reading Caesar's will aloud. Antony proceeds to inform the crowd that Caesar has bequeathed his magnificent properties to the population and has left each man seventy-five drachmas. The crowd is suddenly whipped into a frenzy after discovering Caesar's benevolence and instantly begins to riot. Overall, Antony presents several moving arguments, which supposedly prove that Caesar was not ambitious, and convinces the crowd to riot against the senators who assassinated Julius Caesar.

Southern, Curt. "Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar" edited by eNotes Editorial, 29 Sep. 2018, https://www.enotes.com/topics/julius-caesar/questions/antony-s-persuasive-techniques-in-his-funeral-3118100.

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Marc Antony's funeral oration is the emotional high point of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare . Brutus made the arrangements for the speeches and foolishly chose to let Antony speak after his speech. In addition, Brutus decides to leave the Senate area, so he does not hear Antony's speech.

Antony has a mission. He wants to accomplish two things: prove that the assassination of the greatest Roman was a terrible wrong and then to move the crowd against the conspirators. His oration accomplishes not only those things but elevates him to the status of the head of the government.

The crowd is still feeling the effects of Brutus's oration when Antony begins to speak. Initially, he has to get the attention of the mob.

Antony begins by complimenting Brutus and calling him honorable. His other strategy is to tell the crowd that his only purpose is to bury Caesar not to compliment him.

At every twist and turn, Antony will connect the killing of this great man to the name of Brutus. The crowd will hear him saying it without prejudice but eventually they will not connect the two things together: assassination of the great Caesar and Brutus the assassin.

Antony lists all of the things that Caesar has done for Rome. He uses words of Brutus and twists them to show that Caesar was anything but ambitious. He had refused the crown...did the crowd not see this happen. How is this ambition?

He asks important questions to the crowd: Did you not once love Caesar? What has made you change your mind?

Antony uses his own emotions to show that he is a man that actually loved Caesar and is mourning his loss. Antony teases the crowd by showing them the will of Caesar.

You will compel me then to read the will? Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar, And let me show you him that made the will. Shall I descend? And will you give me leave?

He puts it away and instead brings out the body of Caesar. As he pulls away the cloak, he indicates where each of the conspirators has stabbed Caesar with special emphasis on the knife wound of Brutus.

His feigned humility comes to the forefront when he tells the audience that he is not the great orator that Brutus is. If he were, he would incite the crowd to seek revenge. Using reverse psychology, Antony reminds the crowd about the will and notes that they may not be interested in what Caesar’s will states. Of course, the crowd responds begging to hear the will. Antony tells the citizens all of the things that Caesar has left to the people of Rome. It is then that Antony’s oration sends the crowd out to find and seek vengeance for Caesar.

Davis, Carol. "Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar" edited by eNotes Editorial, 5 Dec. 2012, https://www.enotes.com/topics/julius-caesar/questions/antony-s-persuasive-techniques-in-his-funeral-3118100.

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How does Antony's funeral speech persuade the Romans against Caesar's killers?

It is an historical fact that Antony's funeral oration caused the Roman mob to revolt against the assassins of Julius Caesar. Shakespeare did not know what the real Marc Antony said. He had to invent his own funeral oration. Antony, posing as a common soldier and not an orator, offered several proofs that Caesar was not ambitious, as Brutus had claimed in his own oration. Antony then appealed to the mob's emotions, reminding them of how much they had loved Caesar just a short time earlier and then showing them Caesar's mutilated body. But Antony's main argument, as he well knew, was his appeal to the mob's avarice. He revealed the parchment containing Caesar's will and, after pretending he wasn't going to read it, got the mob to force him to do so. Caesar had left every Roman citizen a large sum of cash, seventy-five drachmas, as well as some lands to become a public park. This revelation incited the mob to start a riot which drove Brutus, Cassius, and all the other conspirators out of Rome and enabled Antony to seize power with Caesar's nephew and heir Octavius. Antony's funeral oration is the turning point in the play.

Delaney, William. "Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar" edited by eNotes Editorial, 26 Mar. 2012, https://www.enotes.com/topics/julius-caesar/questions/antony-s-persuasive-techniques-in-his-funeral-3118100.

What does Antony convince the crowd of in his funeral speech in Julius Caesar?

Before Antony addresses the mob, he speaks an eloquent soliloquy ostensibly addressed to the dead Caesar. He reveals his intention of betraying Brutus and the others and causing a widespread riot which will drive all the conspirators out of Rome.

Over thy wounds now do I prophesy ......................................................... A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; ......................................................... And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war, III.1

Antony is all alone, and his life is in danger. He feels that his best prospect is to start a general riot, using Caesar's wounds and Caesar's will as his best weapons. If the conspirators are forced to flee the city, that will not mean they are defeated. Brutus and Cassius will raise armies, and there will be chaos throughout Italy for years. Antony intends to try to start a mutiny by persuading the mob attending the funeral that they were all personally injured by the conspirators because Caesar was their best friend and the conspirators committed treason when they butchered him. Antony's thesis might be summed up in the following excerpt from his funeral speech.

Even at the base of Pompey's statue, Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell. O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! Then I, and you, and all of us fell down, Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us. III.2

Shakespeare has Antony speak the soliloquy beginning with

O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers...

in order to show the audience that Antony is not just an athlete and an ignorant soldier, but also a highly intelligent and eloquent man. Otherwise his funeral speech would come as a big surprise. The audience knows that Antony is eloquent, but Brutus does not, or he would not have let Antony speak. Antony's funeral speech is probably the best thing Shakespeare ever wrote. It completely turns the tables on Brutus and Cassius. They are forced to ride out of Rome "like madmen." Antony is successful in triggering a city-wide riot involving arson, looting, and murders. He shows that he has accomplished what he intended when he says:

Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt.

We have seen instances of urban mob rioting in America in recent times. Mobs always behave the same way. The first thing they think of is setting fires. This is what first occurs to the Roman mob.

We'll burn his body in the holy place And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.

Since they are leaderless, they are capable of all kinds of senseless acts of destruction and violence. Shakespeare illustrates this mob-madness in Act III, Scene 3, in which a group of rioters encounter Cinna the Poet and tear him to pieces for no reason. The people at the bottom of society are chronically discontented. Men like Antony have always used the lowest class for their own purposes. Antony doesn't tell the mob what to do. He doesn't care what they do as long as they create total chaos. Eventually Antony, Octavius and Lepidus will take control and quell the worst disorder. But they themselves are in jeopardy. Their triumvirate is unpopular and unstable. In Act IV, Scene 2, Antony tells Octavius:

Brutus and Cassius Are levying powers; we must straight make head; Therefore let our alliance be combined, Our best friends made, our means stretch'd; And let us presently go sit in council, How covert matters may be best disclosed, And open perils surest answered.

To which Octavius replies:

Let us do so, for we are at the stake, And bay'd about with many enemies; And some that smile have in their hearts, I fear, Millions of mischiefs.

Antony fully intended to start a riot by convincing the crowd that they had been betrayed and victimized by Brutus, Cassius and all the other envious conspirators. Antony had no alternative. He could not foresee how such a mob riot would end, only how it would begin. The men who were listening to his speech carried their outrage to others who had not heard Antony's speech. The rioting spread from quarter to quarter like a fire. Order would not be restored until some time after Brutus and Cassius were defeated at the Battle of Philippi, which is dramatized in Act V.

Delaney, William. "Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar" edited by eNotes Editorial, 20 Dec. 2015, https://www.enotes.com/topics/julius-caesar/questions/antony-s-persuasive-techniques-in-his-funeral-3118100.

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What was Antony's speech at the funeral?

Marc Anotny's speech at Caesar's funeral contains some of the most well-known and frequently-quoted lines Shakespeare has written. The speech occurs in Act III, Scene II and begins:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault and grievously has Caesar answered it.

The speech is an example of persuasive rhetoric , designed to stir the emotions of the crowd and inflame their imaginations; in particular, to get them to remember Caesar as a good man and noble ruler, which they are initially not predisposed to do.

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Truitt, Madelyn. "Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar" edited by eNotes Editorial, 19 Aug. 2009, https://www.enotes.com/topics/julius-caesar/questions/antony-s-persuasive-techniques-in-his-funeral-3118100.

Brutus’s Speech Analysis in Julius Caesar: Persuasion and Argumentation

How it works

1.1 Brutus’s Speech Analysis
1.2 Antony’s Speech Analysis
1.3 Comparison and Impact of Speeches
2.1 References:

Introduction: The Power of Persuasive Speeches

Persuasive speeches are quite a tool in order to sway the opinion of an uneducated individual. These speeches must have the power to reform a certain community’s opinion on such a topic that the giver of the speech presents. This form of essay writing follows a strict guideline that must be effective yet, at the same time, subtle in design and composition. They are formed using three such parts of any fundamental argument: the claim, the data, and the warrant.

Toulmin’s Analysis perfectly configures this idea of using these parts of an argument instead of basing it on fellow logical models. This philosophy applies in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. In this play, two of the main characters, Brutus and Mark Antony, give powerful speeches utilizing, to the tea, Toulmin’s Analysis.

Brutus’s Speech Analysis

In Act III Scene 2 of the play, Brutus steps up and gives a speech to the crowd below. At this time, the crowd has very mixed emotions, as some are enraged while others are calmer for their love of Brutus. In this scene, Brutus tells the crowd his claim for killing the great Julius Caesar. Brutus’s claim is essentially that, though he holds Caesar in such a high regard, his death is necessary in order to avoid the pure ambition of Caesar. Though he does not state all the evidence, saying it is in the Capitol, he does use one primary statement to restate and intensify his claim: “As/ Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate,/ I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but,/ as he was ambitious, I slew him.” In this portion of his speech, Brutus directly states Caesar’s nature, one containing only ambition, which Brutus highly believes is dangerous to not only the Senate but the entire Roman Empire. He is also able to spark a certain emotional connection with the crowd, as he openly admits his favorable opinion of Caesar, though his love for him is not as powerful as the one he has for Rome itself.

As a persuasive speaker, Brutus incorporates the third piece of Toulmin’s Analysis to bring his speech from incomplete into a valid argument. In his warrant, Brutus asks the plebeians a simple yet effective question on the entire ordeal: “Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all/ slaves, than that Caesar was dead, to live all free men?” In this quote, Brutus taps right into the ignorance of the plebeians. The plebeians, in their delusion of seeing Caesar as “mighty and powerful” and wanting to make him king, do not take into account what would truly become of them. Brutus presents this idea so that their eyes may be opened to a harsh reality that would be set in stone if Caesar lived with such high power right in the palm of his hand. As such, all the parts of Brutus’s arguments are clearly identified and solidified using Toulmin’s Analysis.

Antony’s Speech Analysis

Going further with this quite powerful analytical tool, one other speech may be dissected into fundamental argumentative points: Mark Antony’s speech. After Brutus gives his speech, the plebeians are all praising Brutus, saying that he will be the next king. Antony, with a solemn look, brings in the body of Caesar. For about the next seven pages, from when he brings in the body towards the end of the scene, Antony gives a very powerful speech to those in attendance. In all his rambling and sympathetic mess of words, Antony has a distinguishable claim to his argument: Caesar is truly a great and honorable man without ambition existing in Caesar’s very nature. He has several forms of data to support his claim about Caesar; however, the most important piece of evidence that Antony gives is Caesar’s lifeless and blood-induced corpse: “Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through; / See what a rent the envious Casca made; / Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabbed…/Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart…”

Antony, in his attempt at cajoling the crowd, shows them the hideous image of what truly transpired between Caesar and the conspirators. As easily as a pigeon feeds on a piece of bread, so does Antony feed on the crowd’s ignorance and present himself as the defender of a man with too many stab wounds to count. He seals off the argument with the warrant. In order to justify the fault in killing Caesar, Antony needs to validate his data; therefore, he uses Caesar’s will, which symbolizes the warrant in Toulman’s Analysis. Antony goads the crowd in him, reading the will. At this point, the crowd has become restless and wants him to read the will to them, which he eventually pursues: “Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal. /To every Roman citizen he gives, /To every several men, seventy-five drachmas.” The commoners, upon hearing this decree, are now infuriated. They see how valiant and honorable Caesar was, and Julius’s death was one of unjustifiable precautions. As such, Antony successfully completes the job he came to do, shed a bad light on the conspirators in order to make Caesar look favorable. He does all this using the basic principles found in Toulmin’s Analysis.

Comparison and Impact of Speeches

Looking back on these two speeches, it is crystal clear to see that one speech is highly superior to the other. That speech is, of course, Antony’s. Though both speeches are formidable and influential, Antony’s has the most notable impact, which can be seen later in the play when most of the plebeians end up fighting on Antony’s side. From a logical perspective, Brutus is definitely lacking one of the most essential aspects of Toulman’s Analysis: the data. Though he says that Caesar, while alive, is ambitious, he does not have sufficient reasoning to support this: “The question of/ his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not/ extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offenses/ enforced, for which he suffered death.” In this scene, he does not tell the crowd all the exact reasons why Brutus and the conspirators killed Caesar. The only thing that Brutus is relying on is his favorable image as a valiant Roman. This bond that the crowd and Brutus have is like a temporary bandage, which Antony rips right off when he comes up to speak. Right at the beginning of the speech, Brutus’s argument collapses as soon as Antony speaks of Caesar’s non-ambitious demeanor.

He makes valid points on how Caesar did what he did not for the benefit of his power but for the benefit of Rome itself, which is now a destroyed dream because of Brutus’s and the conspirator’s violent actions. Another scene in which Brutus’s argument comes to a complete crumble is where Antony begins to characterize himself, with a noticeable motive behind it: “But (as you know me all) a plain blunt man/ That love my friend…/ For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth…nor the power of speech/ To stir men’s blood…/ Show you sweet Caesar’s wounds…/ In every wound of Caesar that would move/ The stone of Rome will rise and mutiny.” Unlike Brutus, who makes himself seem like a person of righteous value for protecting Rome from an inevitable dictatorship, Antony uses a different tactic: make himself seem as if the commoners and he is on equal terms. He flat-out claims that he is no orator like Brutus but a plain man who simply loves Caesar as the commoners all deeply inside do. The motive behind Antony’s words is to light a violent and emotional response in the commoners, which he mentions by saying that Rome “will rise and mutiny.” With him presenting his speech in such a way that presents himself as a fellow Roman instead of a “high and valiant man” as Brutus does, Antony’s speech surpasses Brutus’s, as Antony masterfully creates a ripple effect among the citizens that has a much more significant influence over the crowd, which makes Brutus’s speech look weak in comparison.

Conclusion: Toulmin’s Analysis in Action

Though these two speeches vary greatly, they both follow the strict guidelines constituted by Toulmin’s Analysis. Persuasion and evidence are always key in any argument, which Brutus and Antony try to utilize in order for others to perceive them in a respectable manner. In conclusion, analyzing these two speeches really sets forth the ideals of the modern rhetorician Stephen Toulmin and his now-famous Toulmin’s Analysis, which can be easily seen in Antony’s and Brutus’s speeches through careful Analysis and observation.

References:

Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.” Project Gutenberg, 1990, www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1120.
Toulmin, Stephen E. “The Uses of Argument.” Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Woodward, David. “Rhetoric and Persuasion in Julius Caesar.” Literature/Film Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 1, 1979, pp. 15-26. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43798168.
Miller, Arthur G. “The Nature of Persuasion: A Study of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.” Theoria: A Journal of Studies in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 19, no. 1, 1962, pp. 69-77. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41800984.
Bevington, David M. “The Art of Shakespeare’s Verse.” Harvard University Press, 1992.
Dilworth, Thomas J. “Shakespeare and Aristotle: Overlapping Forms and Ways of Thinking in Julius Caesar.” Studies in Philology, vol. 101, no. 1, 2004, pp. 41-56. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/4174654.
Harkins, Richard P. “Rhetorical Philosophy and Rhetorical Method in Julius Caesar.” College English, vol. 35, no. 6, 1974, pp. 663-676. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/375601.

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COMMENTS

Mark Antony's Speech in Julius Caesar
In conclusion, Mark Antony's speech in Julius Caesar is a compelling example of persuasive rhetoric. Through the strategic use of ethos, pathos, logos, repetition, irony, and other rhetorical devices, Antony is able to effectively turn the crowd against the conspirators and incite them to take action. The speech serves as a timeless reminder of ...
A Short Analysis of Mark Antony's 'Friends, Romans, countrymen' Speech
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Mark Antony's 'Friends, Romans, countrymen' speech from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is a masterclass of irony and the way rhetoric can be used to say one thing but imply something quite different without ever naming it.Mark Antony delivers a funeral speech for Julius Caesar following Caesar's assassination at the hands of Brutus and the ...
15.02.08: Convincing the Masses: Rhetoric in Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Shakespeare, William, and John D. Cox. Julius Caesar. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2013. One of two indispensable texts for the teacher as it includes discussion of. rhetoric that precedes the play as well as the addition of excerpts from Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Grecians and Roman. Wills, Garry.
Summarize Mark Antony's speech in Julius Caesar and identify some
Quick answer: In Mark Antony's speech in Julius Caesar, he uses pathos, verbal irony, and rhetorical questions to persuade the crowd against the conspirators.He begins by addressing the crowd ...
Close Reading: Friends, Romans, Countrymen
Methinks there is much reason in his sayings. Julius Caesar Act III, Scene ii. The two main methods Shakespeare uses to infuse Antony's speech with powerful persuasive energy are the way he writes the verse, and his command of rhetoric. A. Verse. The greatest gift Shakespeare ever gave his actors was to write his plays in blank verse.
The Two Speeches in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
The Two Speeches in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. All great speakers have one thing in common: a seamless ability to use persuasive techniques in order to push a point across. In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, after Caesar's assassination, nobleman and conspirator Brutus makes a speech announcing to the crowd the reasons for his ...
Rhetorical Devices in Julius Caesar: A Study of Persuasion and
Conclusion. In conclusion, Shakespeare's Julius Caesar serves as a profound exploration of rhetoric and its impact on human behavior and political events. Through the speeches of Brutus and Mark Antony, Shakespeare demonstrates the power of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos in shaping public opinion and influencing the course of history.
Shakespeare Resource Center
The speech could serve as a thematic synopsis to Julius Caesar. Perhaps more than any other of Shakespeare's works, Julius Caesar is a play that hinges upon rhetoric—both as the art of persuasion and an artifice used to veil intent. To be sure, Antony does not have it easy. He is already a man distrusted by the conspirators for his friendship ...
PDF Convincing the Masses: Rhetoric in Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar could be viewed as an exploration of the uses and abuses of rhetoric as characters persuade one another most eloquently to engage in or excite violence. Using Julius Caesar as a foundation text, my students will learn about rhetorical devices. As we decode the text and explore themes and characters central to the
Speech: " Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears
Speech: " Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears " By William Shakespeare. Share (from Julius Caesar, spoken by Marc Antony) Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. ... When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
William Shakespeare
We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied. BRUTUS. Then follow me, and give me audience, friends. Cassius, go you into the other street, And part the numbers. Those that will hear me speak, let ...
Rhetoric And Persuasion In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare, in his tragedy Julius Caesar, uses the rhetorical devices of a rhetorical question, repetition of the word ambitious, and direct reference in Antony 's speech to instigate the plebeians and persuade them to rebel against the conspirators. Antony pulls on the pathos, ethos, and logos of the audience to get them to exile the ...
Language analysis in Julius Caesar
The language of rhetoric, or persuasive speaking, is very important in Julius Caesar. Both in Shakespeare's time and in Ancient Rome, public speaking and the ability to move a crowd was a highly valued skill, particularly in politics. In this video, you can hear RSC actor, Alex Waldmann talk about Brutus' use of rhetoric in his speech to ...
PDF Techniques of Persuasion in Julius Caesar and Othello
JULIUS CAESAR AND OTHELLO. Abstract. The article is an analysis of the rhetorical techniques of persuasion in Antony's speech to the Roman mob, and Iago's persuasion of Othello in the temptation scene. The analysis is based on the Gricean maxims of the Co-operative Principle, and the Politeness Principle in normal conversation.
A Comparison of Brutus' and Antony's Speeches: Why Was Antony's Speech
The essay analyzes the role of speech in Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" and how it plays a crucial part in shaping the plot. It highlights the persuasive power of speeches delivered by characters like Brutus and Antony, demonstrating how they influence the beliefs and actions of the Roman populace.
Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 2 Translation
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may 15 hear. Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus' love ...
Caesar's Senate Speech Rewritten by Sallust
Cato's speech, also recorded by Sallust, is memorably harsh and uncompromising. Vellerns writes that Cato was among the last to speak in the session, and that he spoke with such passion (vis ingenii), such conviction (vis ingenii) and such oratorical power (ardor oris) that 'he caused those who in their speeches had urged leniency to be suspected of complicity in the plot'. 3 Thus Vellerns ...
Julius Caesar by Shakespeare
and witness bios, and/or begin writing their persuasive speeches. Day 9: Julius Caesar Study Guide Act III, Scene 1 due. Watch Julius Caesar Act III, Scene 1; stop as needed to discuss plot, ask questions, and help students with understanding. Lecture (Act III, Scene 1): after watching, lecture with a focus on dramatic techniques
Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar
Marc Antony's famous funeral oration employs some very persuasive elements. First of all, he puts the angry crowd at ease by claiming that he simply wants to bury Julius Caesar, not praise the ...
Brutus's Speech Analysis in Julius Caesar: Persuasion and Argumentation
Essay Example: Introduction: The Power of Persuasive Speeches Persuasive speeches are quite a tool in order to sway the opinion of an uneducated individual. These speeches must have the power to reform a certain community's opinion on such a topic that the giver of the speech presents. ... Brutus's Speech Analysis in Julius Caesar: Persuasion ...
THE POWER OF WORDS IN SHAKESPEARE'S JULIUS CAESAR
to the Roman people a er the murde r of Caesar in Shakespeare' s Julius Caesar (3.2.13-34, 74-223) as the moment when rhetor ic bec omes truly crucial to the development of the play .
Rhetoric Power And Persuasion In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar By
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar written by William Shakespeare, there are two speeches relating to the same topic of which are both presented to the people of Rome following Caesar's assassination. The play is deeply concerned with the idea of rhetoric, or persuasion.

A Short Analysis of Mark Antony’s ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ Speech

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Julius Caesar "Friends, Romans, countrymen...."

Speech: “ Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears ”

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Techniques of Persuasion in Julius Caesar and Othello

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A Comparison of Brutus's and Antony's Speeches: Why Antony's Speech Was More Effective

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Antony's persuasive techniques in his funeral oration in Julius Caesar

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