Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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The play Julius Caesar has many different themes as well as views behind it. One famous character, Mark Antony, was seen as being Caesar's friend. But, when Caesar fell, Antony rose to gain a leadership spot to which he led the Roman Republic to its own fate and the rise of the Roman Empire. Throughout Julius Caesar, Mark Anotony had several wants and shifting desires that he got through manipulations and other persuasive techniques for the duration of the play. In the beginning, Mark Antony held Caesar close and remained loyal to him, both Caesar and Antony were friends. The quote “I shall remember, when Caesar says ‘do this!’ it is performed” (cite 1.2), shows the loyalty others, including Antony, had towards Caesar. Another quote that shows …show more content…

When Caesar died, Antony held a speech at his funeral using several rhetorical devices as well as persuasion. Antony not only used rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, logos, and repetition; but also used it to persuade the audience in favor of Caesar and against the conspirators. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears” (cite 3.2) was the start of his speech and he called the conspirators “honorable men” (cite 3.2) as a form of sarcasm. Antony reminds the crowd of who Caesar was and portrays him in a positive light, eventually the crowd begins to be hateful towards the conspirators. In his speech he establishes his credibility, questions motives and evidence, and uses vivid imagery and emotions; all of which contribute to ethos, pathos, and logos provoking the audience. Later on, Antony took a role as an ambitious leader and led into a battle he couldn't win. His ambition, along with other internal conflicts during these times, were part of the downfall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman empire. In the quote, “I shall have glory by this lost day, more than Octavius and Mark Antony by this vile conquest shall attain …show more content…

Meanwhile, Antony says Brutus was the noblest Roman of them all because he acted from high ideals and good, but the other conspirators were motivated by greed for power and jealousy. An example of Mark Antony’s internal conflicts, “In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words. Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart, Crying Long Live! Hail, a sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sassy sas '” (cite 5.1) After Caesar’s death, Antony was still thinking about his friend's death. In summary, the play Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony had various wants as well as shifting desires that he got through manipulations and persuasive techniques. Throughout the beginning, the loyalty Antony and others had for Caesar as well as the mutual respect they had for one another showed until after Caesar's death. An example of not only the friendship between Antony and Caesar was how Antony was able to use ethos, pathos, and logos as manipulation tactics in favor of Caesar. Additionally, Caesar's death affected him and everyone else

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