Comparing Brutus And Marc Antony In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

Two of Shakespeare's most famous speeches come from the play Julius Caesar. One speech came from Marcus Brutus, and the other speech came from Marc Antony. The crowd was easily persuaded. At first they all loved Brutus, but once Marc Antony gave his speech, the crowd was very much against Brutus and the conspirators. Marc Antony used the rhetoric skill to make everyone against Brutus and the conspirators. Between the two speeches, Marc Antony’s was the most effective and most successful speech. The speech given from Marcus Brutus was made to inform the people of Rome why he and the conspirators killed Julius Caesar. Brutus is trying to calm down the people of Rome and get them to see why they killed Caesar. In Act III, Sc. 2 Brutus says,

Throughout his speech, he gradually turns the people against Brutus and the conspirators but he never says a bad word about them. In Act III, Sc. 2, Antony says, “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interfered with their bones. So let it be with Caesar” (ln 72-74). When Antony said that, he meant that good deeds are often buried with the person but they are remembered by their evil choices so that should be the case with Caesar. Antony tells the people that Brutus and the conspirators gave him permission to speak at his dear friend Caesar’s funeral. Antony continues to say how honorable Brutus and the conspirators are. He also states all of the good things Caesar did and how they improved Rome. In Act III, Sc. 2, Antony says, “But Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man” (ln 83-84). Every time Antony would say something good that Caesar did, he would say how Brutus said Caesar was ambitious. Each time Antony would say how honorable Brutus was and how Brutus said Caesar was ambitious, the crowd would turn against Brutus more and more. Antony pointed out how Caesar wept when the poor did and how he turned down the crown three times. But Brutus said Caesar was an ambitious man and that’s what Antony told the crowd. When Antony was done giving his speech, the people of Rome were ready to kill Brutus and the