When thinking of famous oration, one speech in literature is a classic example that contains persuasive techniques. The speech given by Marc Antony to mourn Caesar in Shakespeare’s work Julius Caesar has been referenced for ages as an example of a convincing argument. Everyone recalls the opening line, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears,” and all know what follows the speech – war leading to the establishment of the final triumvirate (Shakespeare 3.2.82). However, in praising Antony’s words, audiences tend to forget the other convincing orations that make appearances in Julius Caesar. Aristotle first described these in his discourse on types of rhetoric in Ancient Greece. They are pathos, logos, and ethos and all are found in the …show more content…
This appeal works best when made to those who possess high ethical or moral standing. Though audiences with which this is highly effective are difficult to find, Cassius succeeds with his appeal with Brutus as his audience. The example here is when Cassius is convincing Brutus to join his plot. Brutus is susceptible to ethos because he is constantly worried about the good of Rome and the plebeians, a trait that is seen and respected by Romans. “This was the noblest Roman of them all,” Antony remarks at Brutus’s death, proving that Brutus did not act for himself, but for the empire and for unselfish reasons (5.5.74). This makes ethos the most effective appeal for him, because Brutus’s morals are for Rome’s benefit, not himself. Firstly, in order to turn Brutus, Cassius reminds him of his dedication to Rome, “There was a Brutus once that would have brooked / Th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome…” (1.2.168-69). Brutus would do anything to keep his status and his home as Rome, claims Cassius. He would even make deals with the devil, and this solidifies Brutus’s relation to Rome. To be separated from Rome is unacceptable to Brutus. Cassius then proceeds about an underhanded plot to bring Brutus to his side. He writes letters posing as plebeians and pleads with Brutus in them to save Rome from the threat of Caesar. “Speak, strike, redress!” calls the plebeian Cassius has created (2.1.49). The plebeian asks Brutus to make known his …show more content…
Their success rests on the audience listening to it. Pathos works best with the less educated masses, the plebeians serving as said population in the play. Antony uses this to his advantage in order to stir emotion for Caesar, causing them to grieve for a man that moments ago, seemed a tyrant. Brutus is a master of logos, convincing the highly educated, the senators turned conspirators, through logic and reasoning to see and agree to his points. This leaves Cicero from the plot and solidifies the decision not to harm anyone but Caesar. Cassius’s ethos has a more selective audience with which to be effective. However, an audience with high moral codes and ethics is found in Brutus and is shown to work as Brutus joins the plot. Since all these audiences are vastly different and are incomparable to one another, the appeals cannot be judged as equals, but as effective in their own
In Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, pathos, logos and ethos are evidently and effectively used to persuade the audience into believing Caesar was not ambitious and that he was an innocent man. Throughout the speech the citizens were easily persuaded, but Anthony’s intellectual speeches made the audience question and imagine what they have turned into. Anthony used these three rhetorical appeals to win back the citizens just like many people do today. The power of pathos, logos and ethos in a speech can change one mind in an instant and if successfully used can change a mind to be fully persuaded without confusion.
He describes that his ancestor was responsible for killing the last king of Rome thus making it Brutus’s diplomatic responsibility to strongly consider the assassination. Dishonesty is represented by Cassius in his Soliloquy as he stated, “I will this night, In several hands, in at his windows throw, As if they came from several citizens,” (311-313). Here, Cassius attempts to influence Brutus’s thinking further by throwing stones with letters attached through his window written by citizens of Rome expressing their great respect for Brutus. Many situations allow the reader to deconstruct intentions of characters and distinguish their true characteristics which contribute to defining ones priorities. As Cassius enables Brutus to believe that many people would support his decision to turn against Caesar, this exposes Brutus as a fool, however, it more importantly demonstrates that Cassius is a liar. This act is most primarily associated with adulation as well as dishonesty as it relates to a potion of the text where Cassius is calculatingly ranting about how his worthiness and popularity is unbounded, “ That you have no such mirrors as will turn your hidden worthiness into your eye that you might see your shadow. I have heard where many of the best respect in
Brutus is shown as being easily manipulated in the play. This trait is shown a few times in the play. At the beginning, Brutus is tricked by Cassius into believing that killing Julius Caesar would be for the better of Rome (1, 2, ll. 32-321). Cassius is able to deviously influence Brutus into thinking that Caesar is no different from Brutus. He says, “Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that Caesar?/ Why should that name be sounded more than yours?” (1, 2, ll. 142-143) Cassius also uses many other examples to manipulate Brutus. Later on, when the conspirators gather at Brutus’ home, Brutus believes that the other conspirators are killing Caesar for the good of Rome as well (2, 1, ll.114-116). After Brutus and the conspirators have killed Caesar, Mark Antony masks his anger ...
After using pathos as a strategy of persuasion Antony still used another one called ethos or qualification to be in charge of the rebellion against the conspirators. Antony said “I choose to wrong the dead than to wrong myself or you” which is a strategic way to show that you are worried and care about them or the crowd. This persuaded the crowd showing how Caesar was qualified to
The central theme of Act III, Scene ii of “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare is the power of rhetoric because it shows the effect of two funeral orators’ on the crowd. In this scene, Antony and Brutus have similar purpose in talking to the public, which is to gain the support of the Plebeians according to their conflicting views about Caesar’s assassination. This essay focuses on comparing the orations of the two speakers in this part of the play according to Aristotle’s rhetoric system. According to Aristotle’s writings, Antony’s speech is more persuasive than Brutus’ speech, because he is able to provide logical, emotional and ethical appeals to his audience. Firstly, in comparison to Brutus’ logic, Antony provides more evidence to prove that Caesar was not ambitious. Secondly, Antony’s emotional acts and speech moved his audience more than Brutus. Finally, Antony acts more noble than Brutus does.
The people of this county, the Romans of this city please listen to me. I have came to Tell you the good about caesar. Brutus has given me permission from all the conspirators to tell the good about Caesar and that I will speak nothing bad of them. Brutus had told you guys that. Caesar was way to committed to do something, he always wanted to thrive in anything and everything and that's why he was killed . both Brutus and caesar are both very nice and noble to their countries and will die if they need to. I am not trying to say that brutus did something wonderful for the community but he could have did it differently. Remember what caesar has done for us, remember what he has done for the poor. I can't read his will aloud because it will make
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
Imagine yourself listening to a political debate, undecided as to which leader you agree with. One candidate begins to speak about unjust societal issues, such as the horrifying amount of people in the world that do not have food on their table. The candidate also begins to touch upon the topic of taxes and how he will lower them if he is elected. You find yourself being persuaded in the direction of emotions and morals. The power of language used to appeal others is not only present in the modern world, but also in the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written by famous English playwright William Shakespeare. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar portrayed a story of how an aspiring leader, Julius Caesar, is assassinated by a group of schemers, lead by Marcus Brutus, who disagreed with Caesar’s decrees and ways of governing. Over the course of the text, it demonstrated the use of two rhetorical charms: ethos and pathos. While ethos refers to the moral and ethical appeal and pathos invokes to the emotional aspect, each one was evidently shown in the funeral speech for Caesar given by his best friend, Mark Antony. Prior to Antony’s speech, Brutus had given the plebeians a synopsis of what had occurred. However, Mark Antony knew that what Brutus had told the plebeians was false. In such manner, he allured the plebeians onto his side of the tragedy by touching upon ethical and emotional appeals.
In the beginning of the Book Cassius uses anecdotes of Caesar’s weakness and faults, argumentum ad antiquatum, and ethos on Brutus to persuade him to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar, this works on Brutus and shows that anyone, even people as stoic as Brutus, can be persuaded by appealing to their motivations. Cassius, a very suspicious character thru ought the play tells Brutus to “be not jealous on me” (827), in the quote he tells Brutus to not be suspicious of him because he is just a friend who genuinely cares. Cassius does this to put himself on Brutus’ side and not seem like a distant person, this allows him to criticize Caesar and suggest that he is a bad influence on Rome which appeals to Brutus’ desire to keeping Rome safe. After setting himself up as a friend to Brutus, Cassius uses harsh anecdotes on the weakness of Caesar to show that he isn’t fit to rule Rome. Cassius recollects on a time when he and Caesar went swimming in the river Tiber and Caesar screamed “Help me, Cassius or I sink” (828) to de...
Brutus made his speech effective in persuading the people by using tone and rhetorical devices. Brutus was compassionate when referring to how he loved Caesar as much as Caesar`s friends of his speech. Brutus was showing compassion on lines18 - 20 when he said, "If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to him I say that Brutus's love to Caesar was no less than his." Brutus said this to help the people understand the sorrow he felt for the loss of Caesar, but he felt he killed Caesar for the good of Rome. Brutus anticipated an objection by the people when he said he loved Caesar , so he went on to say on lines 20 - 23, "If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I love Caesar less, but Rome more."Brutus manipulated the people with rhetorical questions. He asks them on lines 29 - 33, " who is so base, that they would be a bondman, who is so rude, that they would not be a Roman, and who is so vile, that will not love his country," the people do not want to be against their country nor do they want to be so base to be a slave....
In William Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, Caesar is assassinated, and the city of Rome becomes enraged, demanding the death of the conspirators that murdered him. Brutus, one of the main assassins, talks to the mob and persuades them to understand that they are at an advantage without Caesar, the tyrant, as the dictator of Rome. He then leaves Mark Antony, who has meticulous orders to not try to pin the murder on the conspirators’ selfishness, but can speak numerous praises about his superior. Mark Antony then speaks to the persuaded crowd about Caesar’s endeavors and the benefits that Caesar gave to the kingdom, giving everything that was necessary and more. Mark Antony’s speech riles the citizens of Rome to mutiny without actually revealing his personal intentions of wishing to do so. In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Mark Antony’s speech is more persuasive that Brutus’ speech
Brutus’ leadership and compassion for others make him a popular figure amongst the Roman people, and it is his reputation that establishes him as an influential individual. For example, despite the fact that Brutus loves Caesar like a brother, he warily joins the conspiracy to assassinate him. He does this because he believes that Caesar’s ambition would become tyranny and that Caesar’s death is a necessary evil in order to preserve the liberties of the Roman people. In his own words Brutus claims, “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general.”(Act 2, Scene 1, Page 1116). In addition, Brutus takes the reins of authority from Cassius and becomes the leader of the conspiracy. He gains this prerogative because of his convincing tongue and powerful influence. His leadership is evidenced when he begins to challenge Cassius’ ideas. When Cassius asks the conspirators to “swear our resolution”(Act 2...
“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.
... been a totally different story. Cassius tries to turn brutus against Caesar and does turn out to be successful. Later, Brutus and Antony speak at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus appeals to logic and the crowd is initially on his side. Antony appeals more to emotion, and the crowd consents with him much more than Brutus. This leads to havoc and a mutiny against the conspirators. It is conspicuous that Antony is the most convincing character in the play because of his use of appealing to the mental state of others. He is also humble, yet deceptive. To conclude, persuasion and rhetoric are essential factors in the death of Julius Caesar and the events that trail the tragedy.
One of these important virtues necessary for rule is the ability to move a large crowd with impressive orating skills. This ability is seen particularly by Brutus in his first speech, as he manages to move the Roman crowd from fear at the assassination to disdain of the now late Julius Caesar. As Brutus spoke to the masses, he made sure to cleverly weigh his loyalty to Caesar to his loyalty to Rome, as he claims, “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more” (III, ii, 23-24). He even more cleverly sets the crowd with himself and against Caesar as he dares those loyal to Rome to challenge his judgement: “Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak, for him have I offended. I pause for a reply” (III, ii, 33-36). Thus, while playing on the crowd’s loyalties and using his love for Rome and...