Marc Antony Hints To The Crowd

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Act III, scene ii, lines 74-148 of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare show Marc Antony’s cunning and genius persuasion skills, as well as how appealing to emotions can change the opinion of a crowd, even if the new opinion does not seem logical. In this speech Marc Antony begins to persuade the citizens of Rome to join him in rising up against a group of conspirators in the senate. The group of conspirators led by Brutus and Cassius had just recently killed Marc Antony's friend Caesar, who was about to become the emperor of Rome. Before Marc Antony spoke, Brutus had given a speech to the public using logic and reason to explain why they needed to kill Caesar. He then, using very poor judgement, allowed Marc Antony to address the crowds. Antony …show more content…

When asked why he would not read the will, Marc Antony tells the crowd, “They would go and kiss Caesar’s wounds/ And dip their napkins in his sacred blood” (III.ii.134-135). In saying that, Antony hints to the crowd that the will contains excellent things in store for them. He uses imagery by painting the picture of them kissing Caesar’s wounds and dipping napkins in his blood because they would be so filled with joy from the compassion of Caesar. Knowing that the image he paints tells the crowd that it may contain excellent rewards for them, Marc Antony knows that the crowd will want him to read the will to them. The use of imagery is one device that Marc Antony uses to convince the crowds to avenge …show more content…

Marc Antony uses a metaphor to get the crowd to feel guilty for siding with Brutus when he compares them to animals saying, “Thou art fled to brutish beasts”(III.ii.105) (III.ii.89-90). Marc Antony says this while weeping over the body of Caesar. He does that to appeal even more to the emotions of the roman citizens by making them feel sad and guilty for the death of Caesar. By being called beasts, the roman citizens feel as if they become just as guilty as the conspirators for the death of Caesar. This makes them begin to sympathize with Marc Antony, and to no longer support Brutus and the conspirators. By using this poetic device, Marc Antony has another way of appealing to the feelings of the Roman citizens and making them rise against the

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