How Does Julius Caesar Use Rhetoric

Aristotle described rhetoric as being, “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. Rhetoric has also been defined as the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing. It is an art, evident in many powerful speakers and writers throughout the ages who can utilize it for good or ill. In William Shakespeare’s historical play, Tragedy of Julius Caesar rhetoric is used quite impressively for certain people to obtain their goals. The play begins with Caesar’s return to Rome, triumphant in battle against Pompey, the other, now dead, Caesar. Overhanging the festive event was the fear that Caesar might become king, simultaneously defeating their republic. Brutus, an honorable and concerned tribune, was troubled

The two most prominent examples of people using rhetoric is Cassius in Act 1 and Mark Antony at Caesar’s speech. Cassius, Brutus‘s friend and fellow conspirator, used his rhetorical abilities to convince Brutus to join and lead the conspiracy. Flattering, laying forth facts, and his strong opinions alternatively, Cassius laid the strong foundation for impelling Brutus to take action. While Cassius made use of rhetoric adeptly, Mark Antony used it in his speech exceptionally. Treading on precarious ground by talking to a crowd entirely ready to make Brutus the next Caesar, Antony carefully and cleverly makes his case. Toying with the emotions and passions of the crowd, he subtly raised support and sympathy for their murdered leader, all the while say nothing obvious against Brutus. Compelled by Antony’s effective speech, the mob went wild even going so far as to kill a poet whose name was the same as one of the conspirators. Both of these examples show how rhetoric was important in driving the play

One that is clearly seen not far into the play is how easily crowds are influenced by whoever speaks at that present moment. There are several instances of this happening. At Caesar’s funeral, Brutus speaks logically and stoically as to their reasons for killing Caesar and that he had loved his leader but loved Rome more. When he came to the end of the speech the crowd was ready to make him the new Caesar. This all changed after Antony made full use of his time to speak and the fickleness of the crowd is revealed. Transformed into a mutinous mob, the crowd went on a rampage. In this is seen how easily people are swayed and the danger of a democracy where the people rule in the place of law. In addition to this insight, the play also points out how those who can manipulate emotions and passions of the people are much more apt and able to gain power. We can see the confirmation of this accurate idea in many political leaders, including Adolf Hitler. After studying for years how to effect the masses emotionally even with his body language, he quickly rose to a powerful position in the German