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Analysis of caesar character in shakespeare's play julius caesar
Analysis of caesar character in shakespeare's play julius caesar
Language techniques in Shakespeare
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Friendship is something that most people value in life, but some friendships can lead to a negative impact or even a “tragic” ending. In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar's ambition for power drove the honorable Brutus to think negatively about Caesar’s position of being the king of Rome. The honorable Brutus shows his love by committing an act which seems to him to be the best fit for the city, which is to get rid of Julius Caesar. After Caesar is murdered, Caesars good friend Antony seeks revenge in his honor. Throughout the play, Shakespeare includes many good speeches; one of the best was the one delivered by Antony. Antony’s speech included many persuasive rhetorical devices such as logos, pathos, and ethos. By carefully …show more content…
He appeals to the audience by mentioning many of Caesar’s non-ambitious actions, such as “when that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept” (III.ii.90), this can be considered logos since he was contradicting what Brutus had said just moments before about Caesar not caring about others and eventually leaving them to die. Antony structures his speech in a persuasive yet lucrative way, “ But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar/ I found it in his closet; ‘tis his will.” (III.ii.125-126), Antony attempts to tease people with Caesar’s will. Antony knows that he can get closer to the citizens physically and mentally if he talks little about the will. By taunting them and refusing to read the will, the citizens desire even more to hear the words of the great Caesar. Antony managed to get into the audience's mind by using seductive words such as “friends”, “poor”, “honorable”, “rage”, “compel” and …show more content…
He touched the plebeians hearts by saying, “ O judgement, 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” (III.ii.101-104). At this point in his speech, Antony is showing his anger towards the conspirators making the crowed fill with rage. He also shows his sorrow by pausing in the middle of his speech, showing the crowd that he is mournful towards his noble friend Caesar. He does this to strike compassion in the hearts of the citizens. Another example is when Antony reveals the body of Caesar in front of the citizens, “ 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” (III.ii.190-194). This automatically causes an emotional reaction from the crowd. The act is very important because revealing the bloody wounds to the citizens causes not only an emotional reaction, but an angry and revenge seeking a reaction. Antony knows that if he is able to show them what Cassius and Brutus did to Caesar, he might be able to persuade the citizens to his
In his play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare employs various rhetorical strategies such as direct address, repetition, and apostrophe in Antony’s eulogy to convince the crowd into believing that Caesar was a good ruler. His excellent use of rhetoric begins before he starts his speech through the establishment of familiarity. Before Antony begins his speech, he refers to the crowd as “friends, romans, [and] countrymen” to establish a personal connection, indicating the use of direct address (3.2.82). By referring to the crowd as “friends,” Antony removes any separation between him and the audience, establishing a close bond by choice. As it came first on his list, it emphasizes the importance of his friendship with the audience as friendship implies
Antony reminds the plebeians about the time when he, himself “presented [Caesar] a kingly crown, / Which [Caeasar] did thrice refuse” (III. ii. 97-98). Using logic and reasoning, Mark Antony explains to his crowd that the fallen Caesar couldn’t possibly have been ambitious if he had refused the ticket to become King multiple times. Immediately afterward, Antony made sure to remind the plebeians that Brutus is an honorable man. This use of logos with verbal irony proves to be extremely effective. Since Antony presented the crowd with a compelling fact supporting that Caesar was not ambitious, the phrase “Brutus is an honorable man,” would be even more effective in allowing his audience to realize that Brutus and the conspirators may not be honorable (III. ii. 83). According to Brutus, the conspirator's sole reason to kill Caesar was because they believed he was ambitious, Antony’s statement would then be incredibly useful to turn the crowd against Brutus and his people. The plebeians would start to realize that noble Brutus and his conspirators might not be honorable and could potentially have their own, personal reasons to assassinate Julius Caesar. Once the crowd realizes that Brutus and the conspirators could have murdered their leader for no valid reason, they would begin to feel anger which are the building steps to starting a rebellion just like how Antony
He carried carried out Caesar’s corpse and laid him down before the crowd as he began to speak. Antony has already used pathos as a strong rhetorical device. The sight of a dead body has brought a very serious and saddening atmosphere upon all onlookers. Antony begins by stating “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.” (3.2.2) Explaining to the crowd that he is not going to praise Caesar for the man he was but rather respectively bury him for his funeral has established that he isn’t biased. Conveying that man's good deeds are often forgotten with death has stirred up a feeling of remorse towards Caesar; another usage of
Shakespeare uses dramatic pathos, ethos, repetition and logos in the case of Antony to make his speech memorable in his effectiveness to sway the audience’s opinion. William’s use of Antony having the last word and subterfuge powerfully displayed a moment of literature memorable for the art of persuasion and manipulation. He veiled the true intent. The weaker written speech for Brutus had one effective point. The point that he killed Caesar for Rome. The breakdown of Brutus’s speech makes readers feel the tension and
Antony was devoted and preferred to be dependent upon Julius Caesar since he rather have enjoyed life than to claim the highest position in the government. He wanted the crown to be given to Caesar so that all conflicts could be avoided. However, this additional power contributed to the conspirator's motive to assassinate him. Antony was distraught with Caesar's death and sought revenge first by speaking to the crowd in his speech. He showed how clever and cunning he could be when he convinced the crowd at Caesar's funeral ceremony to side with him and not with the murderers. The people became excited and rowdy when he teased them about the will, waving it in the air and pretending as if he was not going to read it. Reverse psychology is used when he first pretends to respect the conspirators calling them honorable men, and then slowly proving that they are not. He speaks out against them because he wanted power for himself, and unlike Brutus, he is politically ambitious and so believes that if he can take control while the state is in turmoil, he will remain in power. He was alone in making this oration, yet he was confidant in himself and courageous.
Antony also played on the people’s greed, to influence them to his side. “I found it in his closet; ‘tis his will/and they would go kiss Caesar’s dead wounds…” (III, ii, 129, 132-133). Antony is very smart in the way he does this. He knows how to talk to the people to get them to believe his side of the story and revenge Caesar’s death. Likewise, Antony is conniving. He uses this strength by flattering Brutus, and falsely befriending the conspirators into letting him speak at Caesar’s funeral. “I doubt not of your wisdom. Let each man render me his bloody hand.” (III, i, 200-201). Antony presents his case in such a way that Brutus and the other conspirators think that he is on their side, when in fact he really is going to turn the common people against them to revenge Caesar’s death by creating a war. Furthermore, Brutus is an honorable man giving him the chance to be a great leader. Brutus is an idealist man, who is optimistic about assassinating Caesar. “Grant that, and then is death a benefit. So are we Caesar’s f...
... Antony also mixes Logos and Pathos when he says that “when the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept” (873) to show that Caesar was a noble and caring leader of the public and would never try to hurt or harm their liberties. Unlike Brutus, Antony’s logo requires the people to think on what he says, which only helps in winning his argument. He continues this mix when he says that “[they] all did love him once, not without cause” (873) in order to put guilt on the crowd for switching sides on the man they loved and admired so dearly. Antony, with full support of the crowd, uses his sense of loss and anger to guilt the public says that “[his] heart is in there with Caesar”(873) and after reading the contents of Caesar will to the public which gives each citizen 70 drachmas and various other gifts he asks “when comes another [as great as Caesar]?”
Antony’s persuasion is subtle and comes about through his diction and use of rhetorical questions in his speech at Caesar’s funeral. Antony chooses his diction carefully and uses it to influence the thoughts and answers of the masses at the funeral. The use of rhetorical questions directs the minds of the plebeians, not only to see the good in Caesar, however to see the bad in the conspirators who are referred to as ‘honourable men’ (Shakespeare, et al., 2015). Antony repeats the phrase ‘honourable men’ (Shakespeare, et al., 2015). By repeating ‘honourable men’ (Shakespeare, et al., 2015) the importance and significance of the phrase is being slowing lost, and towards the end becomes a cliché. Antony carefully places this phrase alongside the wrongs of the conspirators. ‘I fear I wrong the honourable men whose daggers have stabb’d Caesar’ (Shakespeare, et al., 2015). This statement influences how the plebeians view the conspirators and they start calling them ‘traitors’, ‘villains’ and ‘murderers’ (Shakespeare, et al., 2015). Through the speech, Antony is able to influence the plebeians to avenge the death of Caesar and to follow Antony into battle against the
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a historic tragedy about the brutal murder of the Roman senator, Julius Caesar. Within the play, Caesar has two close friends—Brutus and Antony. Antony is a loyal friend, supporting Caesar and encouraging him in his climb to kingship; Brutus is a king-fearing traitor who leads the plot to murder Caesar. After Caesar is murdered, both friends make speeches—Brutus to justify his actions and Antony to passive-aggressively disprove his claims. In the speeches, they use three rhetorical literary devices: ethos, the appeal to gain the crowd’s trust; pathos, stirring the crowd’s emotions to influence behavior; and logos, the use of logic to reason with the crowd. By comparing the use of ethos, pathos, and logos in each speech and by
Antony asks rhetorical questions and lets the audience answer for themselves. Brutus uses ethos by stating that he a noble man and that is why the people should believe him but infact Antony questions his nobility by saying what Brutus said,” Brutus is an honourable man”(III.ii.79). In a way, Antony states what Brutus states to convince the audience by using examples that Brutus is wrong. Antony himself knows what kind of man Brutus is but lets the people figure it out on their own. In addition, Brutus uses logos by expressing that fact that Caesar died because of his ambition. This argument is severely under supported because his reasons are invalid and simply observations. Antony uses “did this in Caesar seem ambitious” to question Brutus’ argument (III.ii.82). Antony gives examples backing his argument like when Caesar refused the crown thrice to prove his humbleness. The way Antony convinces the people to rebel is by using pathos. He brings the audience in by stepping down to their level and showing them the body of Caesar. While Antony talks at Caesar's funeral, he pauses because” heart us in the coffin there with Caesar “(III.ii.98). When Antony becomes emotional, he reminds the audience about what injust event happened to the much loved
Firstly, Antony says a general statement that, “the evil that men do lives after them” (III.ii.74), when in fact he is subtly and sneeringly referring to the conspirators actions. The Roman commoners don’t realize that this general statement is swaying them, but the rest of Antony’s speech further convinces them of the evil the conspirators have done. Later, Antony talks about Brutus says that “sure, [he] is an honourable man” (III.ii.98), emphasis on the sure. Because he uses a scornful tone while sarcastically saying this statement, he is really beginning to show the audience his true feelings on the situation. Knowing that even Antony bitterly disagrees with the choices of the conspirators, it further persuades the common people of Rome to turn against Brutus and the rest of Caesar’s murderers. These occasions show Antony’s sour tone, especially towards the conspirators, and Antony’s tone also riles up the Roman citizens. His tone helps to exasperate the commoners with Caesar’s murder, and therefore assists Antony in achieving his purpose to manipulate the audience to turn against
Through the whole of his spectacular speech, Mark Antony influences the crowd using his distinct diction. He is able to inculcate a fired up anti-Caesar mass of people, and he makes the populace believe that Julius Caesar’s death was a true tragedy. Antony gracefully applies his proficiency with ‘logos’ and ‘pathos’ to his speech and is able to adroitly gain followers. His strong reasoning and explanations allow the Romans to buy what he has to say. Antony’s ability to speak in a roundabout way is a key constituent of his speech. Withal, he is extremely humble and the way he plays down his prowess is impressive. Mark Antony puts all the parts of his remarkable rhetoric together, and the result is a speech for the ages.
This makes it effortless for manipulators, like Antony, to influence them into doing whatever he passions. Antony operates his beneficial tools in his speech at the heartbreaking funeral of Caesar. Antony expresses in his melancholy speech to the people, “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” (III.ii.90-94). Antony applies the tools of pathos to convince the crowds that were just cheering the name of Brutus, to having the saucy plebs be foes to the untrustworthy conspirators. Antony also cleverly hints Caesar’s secret will to the eager people, which leads them to desperately wanting to see the mysterious will. Antony placidly
Actions at some moments in Julius Caesar speak louder than words. A prime example is when Cassius wants the men to make a pact to follow through with the murder, but Brutus speaks up and says that the pact is unnecessary. Brutus feels as though every man is a true Roman and each man is as trustworthy and noble as he. As for Antony's speech, this is a whole different story. The words Antony spoke to the public helped motivate the people to go against the conspirators. Thought the action of killing Caesar was a publicized one, Antony's speech was far from being unnoticed.
Antony’s goal was to persuade the crowd of plebeians that the conspirators acted impetuously and Caesar did not need to be killed. He uses many rhetorical devices to strengthen his speech and gain the support of the crowd. From rhetorical questions to the use of pathos, Antony masters the art of persuasion. His speech moves the crowd from believing Brutus’ reasoning for killing Caesar, to understanding that Caesar did not have to die.