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Shakespeare history plays
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The most complex characters in julius caesar
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William Shakespeare’s historical play, Julius Caesar, is a tragic display of betrayals of friendship due to power. A betrayal of friendship is shown when conspirators -which consisted of close friends to Julius Caesar –plan against him in fear of Rome putting him in the position to be a dictator. Following the brutal murder, citizens of Rome are upset with the conspirators, so they start an uprising against them. Realizing what they have done and the trouble that they have made, the conspirators feel incredibly guilty, especially Marcus Brutus, who was Caesar’s closest friend. One after another, the conspirators take their own lives as a result of the heavy burden of guilt they brought upon themselves. Shakespeare’s display of multiple rhetorical …show more content…
A good example of the use of ethos is when Shakespeare writes, “Octavius, I have seen more days than you…” (4.1.18). Antony uses the power of character while talking with Octavius telling him that because he is older and more experienced, he gets to make the final decisions. Another useful example of ethos is when Brutus tells Messala, “Now as you are a Roman tell me true” (4.3.186). Not wanting to disgrace Brutus and lie, Messala keeps good character and tells the truth to Brutus. A third example of the use of ethos is when Clitus asks Dardanius, “What ill request did Brutus make to thee” (5.5.11)? Dardanius then replies that Brutus made the request “to kill him, Clitus…” (5.5.12). Brutus used his power to have his army fulfil his final requests of killing someone. The use of ethos through the play helps the reader understand how much power and character played a role in how decisions were made in those times. Only those who were in power were able to make final decisions or have things done for them, because they were loved and backed by the people of the …show more content…
The presence of logos in the play allows the reader to think about the thoughts of the characters in the play. When Brutus hears about the death of his love, Portia, he replies, “Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala, with meditating that she must die once…” (4.3.189-190). Brutus uses logic while trying to endure the pain that his love is gone. By saying that we all must die at some point, he tries to accept her death. A second use of logos by Shakespeare is within the conversation when Cassius tells Brutus, “’Tis better that the enemy seek us; so shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers, doing himself offense…” (4.3.197-200). Cassius is trying to explain his thinking of waiting and giving the soldiers a rest while the enemy uses up energy looking for them. A final example of logos is when Lucilius states, “When you do find him [Brutus], or alive or dead, he will be found like Brutus, like himself” (5.4.24-25). Lucilius knows that no matter how they find Brutus, he will be his brave and strong self, not changing for anything or anyone. Logos is a useful tool throughout the play that Shakespeare incorporates multiple times which improves the play in many
Shakespeare uses dramatic pathos, ethos, repetition and logos in the case of Antony to make his speech memorable in his effectiveness to sway the audience’s opinion. William’s use of Antony having the last word and subterfuge powerfully displayed a moment of literature memorable for the art of persuasion and manipulation. He veiled the true intent. The weaker written speech for Brutus had one effective point. The point that he killed Caesar for Rome. The breakdown of Brutus’s speech makes readers feel the tension and
One of the characteristics Brutus and Antony use in their speeches is Ethos. They both give points that have credibility or believability. Brutus, for example, spoke in prose instead of blank verse. He did this to show them that he is one of them and not some high ruler trying to take power. He also uses his reputation to try to get them to listen and believe him. On the other hand, Antony speaks in blank verse instead of prose. He did this to show his authority to the crowd. He spoke that way to show his significance to the crowd and to get their attention. Another thing that he
When making the appeal to ethos, Mark Anthony decided to demonstrate how credible and trustworthy he is. In both speeches this process happens in the beginning. Brutus made the appeal by calling the audience,"Romans, countrymen and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be
The death of a friend or relative can elicit overwhelming feelings of anguish, grief and rage in an individual, an emotional roller coaster experienced by Marc Antony upon the murder of Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar. This vehement sensation of anger prompts him to seek vengeance on the conspirators that had wronged Caesar and punish them in a way that would mirror their misdeed. A cunning politician well versed in rhetoric, Antony exacts revenge by persuading the plotters to accede to his request to speak at Caesar’s funeral and the Roman populace to concur with him. Antony’s multifaceted choice of rhetorical appeals adds cogency to his arguments, making him the most persuasive character in the play. Overall, Marc Antony
For example, when he addresses the crowd in his funeral speech, Brutus states, “Believe me/for mine honor and have respect to mine honor/that you may believe” (3.2.15-17). Brutus appeals to ethos and establishes his credibility by repeating “honor”. The public now believes that he does indeed have “honor”. He also convinces the public that he is trustworthy by appealing to ethos. Similarly after Brutus’ death Antony states, “This was the noblest Roman…/All of the conspirators, save only he/did that they did in envy of great Caesar” (5.5.74-76). Antony is the enemy of Brutus and yet he still refers to Brutus as the “noblest Roman”, which verifies that Brutus is actually honorable. Antony is stating that while all the other senators kill Caesar out of “envy”, Brutus’ intentions to kill Caesar was for the good of Rome and its citizens. This reveals that Brutus has no other hidden agenda for wanting to execute Caesar, and therefore Brutus has the most purest intentions out of all the other conspirators. This confirms that he is the most noble Roman because he is not thinking about what he wants. Instead, he is thinking about the people and how they would feel if Caesar becomes a dictator. Brutus possesses nobility and honor. Those two qualities are vital to being an effective leader because the people can then
Word: a single distinct meaningful element of speech. In William Shakespeare’s, Julius Caesar, words are being utilized to show two different peoples reasonings behind the death of their dear friend in the form of funeral speeches. Through the uses of rhetorical and literal devices, Brutus and Anthony deliver contrasting tones of proud and manipulative to convince the citizens of Rome.
Is Shakespeare overrated? Is the mind behind the rhetorically brilliant pieces of art that have withstood over 400 years, nothing but smoke and mirrors? For every question there is, the answer lies within the work itself. Revolutions don’t come in a dozen, especially not in the magnitude of Shakespeare’s groundbreaking franchises. Speaking of such masterful work, one specific play written by him called, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” about the fictional portrayal of the Roman leader and a group of conspirators, holds within a lot of the traditional Shakespeare rhetoric that all people in the world of literature (and other worlds) have come to know and respect. The play began in the streets of Rome, focused on two tribunes named Flavius and
In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, the funeral speeches given by both Brutus and Mark Antony ARE TWO of the most significant parts in the play. Shortly after Brutus and many other conspirators killed Caesar in the Senate, the eulogies took place. Shakespeare utilizes ethos, logos, and pathos throughout the speeches of Brutus and Antony in order to sway the audience. Although this is true, in the end the audience is only swayed by the man who executes his persuasive skills the best and sends out the most powerful message. Not only did it influence the outcome of the play, but each speech also offered a unique insight into the speaker and their true feelings about the death of Caesar. Shakespeare demonstrates how to powerfully persuade the people of Rome through his words in the speeches of Brutus and Mark Antony.
The opportunity to influence public opinion of a situation often presents itself during vulnerable times, such as a national tragedy. This allows an astute speaker to evoke the core values of a society to affect change. In Julius Caesar, Marc Antony’s eulogy at Caesar’s funeral effectively capitalizes upon Caesar’s death in order to reveal injustice.
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a tragedy that takes the reader on a short adventure of Julius Caesar’s rule, death, and the aftermath of his death. Caesar was a great ruler until he, in the minds of Cassius, Brutus, and several others, inevitably became over-ambitious, which, in turn, led to his downfall. The aforementioned who believed that Caesar had become over-ambitious began to conspire his assassination. After his assassination, the people of Rome were left very confused and it was up to them to decide whether Caesar’s death was just or unjust. Two of Caesar’s closest confidants, Brutus and Marc Antony, both deliver a speech to the people: one for how Caesar’s death was justified, and the other for how Caesar’s assassination
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
In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, two speeches are given to the people of Rome about Caesar's death. In Act 3, Scene 2 of this play Brutus and Antony both try to sway the minds of the Romans toward their views. Brutus tried to make the people believe he killed Caesar for a noble cause. Antony tried to persuade the people that the conspirators committed an act of brutality toward Caesar and were traitors. The effectiveness and ineffectiveness of both Antony's and Brutus's speech to the people are conveyed through tone and rhetorical devices.
Brutus’ approach to the Roman people suggest his extreme amount of self confidence. He attempts to relate to the people by speaking alike the plebians in prose. His constant use of ethos in his speech shows the audience how highly he thinks of himself. Brutus states
In the world of politics, influential men use persuasion and rhetoric to make an audience sway one way or another. Political leaders can make people act in a certain way than how they would normally. When rhetoric is used powerfully and correctly, it can convince an audience to support the claim the writer is making. William Shakespeare demonstrates this through his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar multiple times by having characters give persuasive speeches that make the audience change their opinions such as when Antony was able to make a crowd who loved Brutus to wanting to kill him.
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar , he reveals his historical influences by incorporating aspects of Roman Society, such as the plebeians struggle against Roman hierarchy. Additionally, Shakespeare formulated the play’s main conflict around Caesar and his ambition, which can be attributed to the cause of man’s demise, and he based Caesar’s character after the actual Caesar motivations and conquests. He also reflects English society by including parallels between Queen Elizabeth I and Julius Caesar. Lastly, through the play’s conflict, he conveys his political views on civil war and expresses his concern for the fate of England’s government. Most importantly, Shakespeare demonstrates how age-old stories, such as the betrayal of Julius Caesar, can be applied to current society. By understanding Shakespeare's motivations and influences, readers are not only able to glimpse into the age of Roman Empire, but also, they are able to understand the political turmoil in England during Shakespeare's