At Caesar’s funeral, Brutus lets Antony’s to speak to the public under two circumstances. Antony was allowed to give a speech only after Brutus’ speech was done and if he promises to not say anything against to the conspirators. Even though Antony promised to not say anything against to the conspirators, he was already planning to take advantage of giving the last words. Antony’s speech is considered as one of the best lines in Shakespeare’s work since it is dramatic significant. At first, it was not obvious how this speech can affect the story until the speech ended. Antony used variety of rhetorical devices in his speech to get what he wants. First, Antony started his speech with “Friends, Romans, countrymen” (3.2.72). Earlier during Brutus’ speech, he mentioned Romans first to appeal the reasons while Antony approaches to the crowd friendlier, more personally and emotionally by putting the word “Friends” first. This beginning helped Antony to take the crowd’s full attention throughout his entire speech. …show more content…
He questions whether Caesar is actually ambitious like what Brutus described with a few examples of what Caesar has done. For example, “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” (3.2.89-92) makes the crowd to rethink about whether Caesar was actually ambitious. Furthermore, after the line above, then Antony says, “And Brutus is an honorable man” (3.2.93). Antony keeps mentioning that Brutus is an honorable man after questioning what Brutus said about Caesar being ambitious is right or wrong. By doing this so, it makes the crowd to rethink and doubt about Brutus’ speech. This tactic makes the public to lose their credibility towards Brutus and gain towards Antony. Antony making his perspective neutral shows how honest and credible he
Throughout his speech, Antony repeats the words “[Caesar] was ambitious” and “Brutus is an honorable man” to create a contrast between the two statements. (3.2.95-96). Through this repetition, Caesar successfully undermines Brutus. Everytime he calls Brutus an honorable man, he lists a positive trait of Caesar that contradicts Brutus’s claim that he was too ambitious. He tells the crowd about the times when Caesar showed compassion for the people and when he refused the crown thrice. Antony’s sarcasm about Brutus’s honor brings into question as to whether his honor deserved. This leads the audience to doubt their feelings upon Caesar’s ambition. Near the end of his eulogy, Antony uses apostrophe when he claims that “judgment ... art fled to brutish beasts” as a reason for why the Roman people believe Brutus. (3.2.114-115). Antony indirectly shames the crowd for their belief in Brutus in that Caesar was a tyrant. Fearing alienation of the crowd, he attributes this belief to a lapse in judgement that beasts have taken. Antony also makes a pun upon Brutus’s name when he comments “brutish beasts.” Antony implies Brutus has caused a lapse in judgement within the Roman people through his oration
Analysis of the Funeral Speeches of Brutus and Marc Antony from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar At the funeral of Julius Caesar two characters make speeches to the plebeian mob, Brutus and Marc Antony. Shakespeare shows us the personalities of the two orators and gives one an advantage over the other. Marc Antony has an advantage over Brutus because he speaks after Brutus and he has Caesar’s body. He also interrupts Brutus’ speech.
In his speech, Brutus appeals to the loyalism of his audience by making intertwining arguments of ethos, pathos, and logos. He begins by establishing his ethos by asserting his status as an honorable fellow Roman worthy of their respect. He expands on this ethos by dividing it into three parts: his love of Caesar, his loyalty to Rome, and his relationship to his audience. Brutus tells his audience that he was a “dear friend” to the man he murdered, invoking a pathetic sense of sympathy from his audience. However, as he says himself, it was “not that [he] loved Caesar less, but that [he] loved Rome more,” strengthening his ethos as a loyal countryman with the interests of his audience at heart. After establishing an emotional connection to his audience and earning their trust, Brutus explains his logic
Ambition and honorable are the most frequently used words that Antony uses when he describes Brutus and what Brutus says of Caesar. Brutus tells the plebeians that because Caesar was too ambitious he would bring Rome to the ground. Antony rebuts this by saying, “He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill; Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?” (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 88-90). Caesar was helping Rome by taking captives and using the ransom money on them to fill the public funds. Antony also says, “You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 95-97). His repeating of the word ‘ambition’ shows the people that Brutus’s statements were wrong and that Caesar was a better man than that. The repetition of honorable is used against Brutus as most people see him as an honorable and trustworthy man. “He was my friend, faithful and just to me; But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man.” (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 85-87). Antony repeats that ambition and honorableness aren’t wholly correct. Antony uses the repetition of ambition of Caesar and Brutus’s honorableness hand-in-hand to show the fault in each statement. Caesar wasn’t ambitious and Brutus isn’t
Depending on the cause and how they speak is how an audience will react. The ending can make or break how it went, you always want to leave the crowd with your main point or something to get across to them. Brutus mentions Antony “Do grace Caesar’s corpse and grace his speech”(3.2.62-63), this leaves people in anticipation of Mark Antony’s speech and to give him respect and time. Agnes Heller says “Brutus is not a man without passions...such as friendship, courage, magnanimity, temperance, and justice.”(Heller) this can show that Brutus does not know any better than to tell the people about Mark Antony and support him because he is too kind hearted to purposely not give Antony a chance to speak. Mark Antony however ends his speech with pathos and emotion, “My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar”(3.2.108) which makes the crowd sympathize for him. Also Antony makes sure to include a dramatic pause for his speech to sink in and for effect, this causes the people to go out into a riot. Antony got the reaction he was looking for by angering the Romans, seeing that Caesar is dead without good cause. In the article “The Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar” Paolucci says that “Marc Antony will be the key figure in the determination of the fate of Rome and of the conspirators/liberators.”(Paolucci). In the play Antony does become a key factor in their fate, this speech is part of it because he quickly turns the Roman citizens against them. The kind of reputation that you have in a community can also have a huge part in making people listen to you. Brutus was known as the nobleman throughout Rome that people would often listen to and trust. Mark Antony was known as Caesar’s loyal friend but also did not have to bad of a reputation in Rome, maybe not as good as Brutus but it was not bad. “Here comes his body mourned by Antony”(Shakespeare, 3.2.42) shows empathy to Mark Antony and makes the audience start focusing on Antony instead of himself and
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
Antony pledges loyalty to Brutus and asks to speak at the funeral. Cassius is wary of Antony’s persuasiveness while Brutus allows him to make a speech at Caesar’s funeral (Shakespeare III. i. 200-276). In the end, Antony convinces the public to mutiny against the conspirators behind Caesar’s death (Shakspeare III. ii. 267-276). Brutus is ignorant of Antony’s intentions to cause mutiny as he allows him to be influential to the public by permitting him to speak at Caesar’s funeral. In addition, Brutus’ actions also show his ignorance of Antony’s eloquence, by allowing Antony to speak at the funeral and influence the public. Brutus neglects the possibility that Antony will be more convincing than him as he tells
Brutus is seen by all of Rome as a good man and Antony sees the self-important side of Brutus which has developed from this. He notices this and uses it against Brutus. Through repeatedly stating the idea that ?Brutus is an honorable man?, he then points out the fact that Brutus is claiming to be so ?honorable? because he murdered Caesar.
To control the angry crowd, Brutus addressed the crowd and gave reasons why Caesar was a tyrant. After Brutus delivered his speech, he foolishly left and he did not hear what Antony wanted to say. Anthony’s speech was filled with irony and sarcasm. Antony knows that
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.
In this piece, Antony shows that he was a firm supporter and lover of Caesar. It is obvious that his loyalty was not to Brutus and the conspirators, but he never said that to the citizens. Antony bashed Brutus in the most respectful way he could have; he stated the greater things Caesar has done. The use of Antonys wordplay led to comments from the crowd such as:
Antony was able to have a good connection with the audience, making his speech superior to Brutus’. Having an ethical connection with the audience is important because it lets the people know who they can trust and feel comfortable around. Antony tries to get the Romans to feel important “For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men” (3.2.10-11). Not only does he call Brutus honourable, but he says everyone else is as well, making them all feel comfortable and trustful with Antony. During Brutus’ speech, he does not use as much ethics as Antony, “Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe” (3.2.3-5). Brutus makes no attempt to compliment and appeal to the people. Instead he just
Mark Antony's Speech from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Mark Antony’s funeral oration over the body of Julius Caesar in act three, scene two is the most important speech in the play and effects the development of the play as a whole in many ways. Firstly this speech falls in the play where we have seen Antony’s distraught reaction to the murder of Caesar and his letter vowing allegiance to Brutus in return for being able to live. Act three, scene one prepares us for Antony’s rhetoric as here he states that ‘Brutus is noble, wise, valiant and honest’ which fits in with him repeatedly stating ‘Brutus is an honourable man’. It becomes evident in this scene that Antony has an ulterior motive for forming this allegiance and asking to do the funeral oration when he is ‘swayed from the point by looking down on Caesar’ and then states that ‘friends am I with you all, and love you all’ but still wants to know ‘why and wherein Caesar was dangerous’. Thus we the audience are aware that Antony is not being honest with the conspirators especially when he speaks in a soliloquy of the anarchy he will create when he states ‘blood and destruction shall be so in use…that mothers shall but smile when they behold/
“Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare is the story of the assassination of Julius Caesar. Two speeches were made after his death, one being by Mark Antony. He uses many rhetorical devices in this speech to counter the previous speech and persuade the crowd that the conspirators who killed Caesar were wrong. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion and these many devices strengthen this by making points and highlighting flaws. Antony uses many rhetorical devices, all of which are used to persuade the crowd that the conspirators are wrong and Caesar did not need to be killed.
...ve in his cause rather than Brutus's. Finally, while the crowd is in awe of Brutus's raw power and booming authority, Antony uses sarcasm to rip down any respect the Roman people may have built for Brutus and the conspirators. In his funeral oration, Antony insults Brutus ten times by stating that he is "an honorable man" (Act III, scene ii, line 84) in a tone of biting mockery, therefore questioning Brutus's credibility.