Rhetorical Analysis Of Mark Antony's Speech

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Julius Caesar’s death resulted from chaos amongst the people and throughout the city of Rome. In order to calm the Plebeians and provide them with a reasonable explanation for Caesar’s death, Brutus and Antony speak in attempt to ease their worrying and frustration. Along with the opportunity to have the last word, Antony turns against his word to Brutus and turns the Plebeians against the conspirators and their actions. Mark Antony’s speech effectively persuades the citizens to believe that the conspirators are traitors through emotional, ethical and logical (betrayal against Caesar by the conspirators) appeals. After Caesar's death, all form of government fell apart. The citizens of Rome became violent, uncontrollable and curious and …show more content…

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!” (III.II.82). This shows that Mark Antony tries to get into the Roman crowd’s hearts with his status as a trustworthy man. Antony frequently uses rhetorical irony throughout his speech, constantly questioning the ethos of Brutus. He questions Brutus’s authority by calling him honorable, in order to get the public to think about whether or not Brutus really shows honor. Throughout Antony's speech, he repeats the line, "But Brutus is an honorable man" (III.II.91). The main point in repeating this line acts to undermine him and his character. Shakespeare also uses this specific repeated phrase as an example of irony. Though Antony refers to Brutus as honorable, he really can’t stand up to that statement considering he participated in the murder of his good friend Julius Caesar. As Antony is conversing with the Plebeians about the conspirators, he states, “I fear I wrong the honorable men Whose daggers have stabbed Caesar. I do fear it ” (III.II.163-64). Through the fear that Antony expresses towards the conspirators and the contradiction between Brutus’s ideals and actions, this is what makes Brutus’s label as “honorable” so

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