The Roman Republic has acted as a model for most Western countries and some empires have even tried to name themselves the heirs to this powerful empire. One of the most famous plays about this ancient empire describes the death of Julius Caesar, a well known general dictator of Rome. As we all know, Caesar was murdered by the Roman Senate in order to terminate his dictatorship. The play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, was written by William Shakespeare and includes two speeches which are analyzed frequently for their rhetorical appeals and figurative language. One speech is given by Mark Antony while the other was given by Brutus. Both of the speakers were close friends of Caesar and delivered effective speeches using powerful rhetorical …show more content…
First, the two speakers use different appeals to the audience in order to persuade them. Antony uses pathos, or an appeal to emotions, in his speech while Brutus uses logos, or an appeal to logic. Antony’s emotional appeals can clearly be seen when he declares, “He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept” (Shakespeare 1460-1464). In this excerpt, Antony provides examples of the noble acts of Caesar in order to make the audience emotional. His statement asserting that Caesar wept along with the poor despite his elevated status and examples of sacrifices created a mournful mood. Antony adds to his effective emotional appeals by crying during his speech and prompting outrage from the audience at the death of such a “sacrificial” and “noble” leader. Clearly, Antony uses pathos, or emotions, to convince his audience. In contrast, Brutus uses logos in order to convince his audience when he states, “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I honor him. But as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his valor, and death for his ambition” (Shakespeare 1397-1404). This excerpt very clearly shows Brutus use of logos in his speech. The speaker logically explains his reasons for killing Caesar and the correct reactions to Caesar’s actions. For example, he loved Caesar for his noble actions and killed him for his ambition. Brutus is a very logical man and he incorporated his logic into his speech by directly stating what he did for which reason using a logical sequence.
In the Shakespearean play Julius Caesar, the speech recited by Mark Anthony for Caesar’s death was far superior to Brutus’s because it appealed to the audience's primal emotion while simultaneously relating
Antony reminds the plebeians about the time when he, himself “presented [Caesar] a kingly crown, / Which [Caeasar] did thrice refuse” (III. ii. 97-98). Using logic and reasoning, Mark Antony explains to his crowd that the fallen Caesar couldn’t possibly have been ambitious if he had refused the ticket to become King multiple times. Immediately afterward, Antony made sure to remind the plebeians that Brutus is an honorable man. This use of logos with verbal irony proves to be extremely effective. Since Antony presented the crowd with a compelling fact supporting that Caesar was not ambitious, the phrase “Brutus is an honorable man,” would be even more effective in allowing his audience to realize that Brutus and the conspirators may not be honorable (III. ii. 83). According to Brutus, the conspirator's sole reason to kill Caesar was because they believed he was ambitious, Antony’s statement would then be incredibly useful to turn the crowd against Brutus and his people. The plebeians would start to realize that noble Brutus and his conspirators might not be honorable and could potentially have their own, personal reasons to assassinate Julius Caesar. Once the crowd realizes that Brutus and the conspirators could have murdered their leader for no valid reason, they would begin to feel anger which are the building steps to starting a rebellion just like how Antony
In this day and age, persuasion can be seen on almost any screen. The average American views thousands of advertisements every week. Most ads are simply pushed out of a person’s mind, but the successful advertisements are the ones that resonate with people. Some forms of ads are very annoying to those who put up with them constantly. Online pop-up ads, for example, are proven to do worse for products and business than no advertising at all! This is because this form of advertising does nothing to convince or persuade the person viewing the ad, and no effort is put into actually put into proving what it’s worth to make a point. Pop-ads make zero use of something known as “rhetorical devices”. In Julius Caesar, Brutus and Mark Antony both try to convey their point of view to a large audience of Roman citizens. One had a better speech than the other since he used “rhetorical devices” more effectively. Logos (logical; what makes sense), Ethos (ethics and morals; portraying similar beliefs and values), and Pathos (emotions; natural feelings that can be counterintuitive to logos) are the rhetorical devices that Aristotle
Brutus vs Antony The most predominate and important aspect in the play Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare are the speeches given to the Roman citizens by Brutus and Antony, the two main characters, following the death of Caesar. Brutus and Antony both spoke to the crowd, using the same rhetorical devices to express their thoughts. Both speakers used the three classical appeals employed in the speeches: ethos, which is an appeal to credibility; pathos, which is an appeal to the emotion of the audience; and logos, which is an appeal to the content and arrangement of the argument itself. Even though both speeches have the same structure, Antony’s speech is significantly more effective than Brutus’s. Both speakers used an ethical appeal to the crowd and established their credibility.
Shakespeare uses literary devices to appeal to the audience and persuade them. In Brutus’s speech, he used pathos to appeal to the emotions. When he stated that he did not love ‘Caesar less, but that he loved Rome more, he gave a dramatic sense of patriotic pride. He is so loyal to his own country, he would sacrifice loved ones in order to protect it. It also gave an effect of pity towards him because he sacrificed his friend anyways for the better good. Shakespeare make him appear more sincere.
Brutus uses prose, perhaps showing less calculation than his words would have one think he'd want to flaunt; in understanding his speech theretofore, the divide between his masterfully premeditated words and his apparently hasty organization of said words is seemingly unintentional and perhaps even sloppy. However, such an odd combination can actually withal have the effect of causing his audience to think he conceived of his reasons on-the-fly; his use of prose can be interpreted as his attempt to appear inherently logical and innately judicial by the most brilliant faculty so as to build up an even bigger ethos in an unexpected and confounding way. And it works; consequent cries from the plebeians include, "Live, Brutus, live, live!", a quote that seems far too emotional for an audience who merely just listened to a speech involving much dispassionate logic; yes, it is the prose style of the speech that allows introspection and application to reality of the part of his audience, causing the mob to associate his more calculated claims with human values and attributes instead of those of, say, a statue (3.2.1419). In contrast, Mark Antony uses blank verse, which is fairly poetic and rhythmic; this is likely so as to provide a structure and flow that shows wherewithal and intention and provides a sense of ethos, which the words themselves seem to lack in pursuing the piercing and vivid pathos they did. It can be said that the sobbing on Mark Antony's part contributed to his speech and even bettered it; but sobs alone do no good in this sort of setting if there's no fruitful organization of them. Mark Antony's weeping before the mass of plebeians could simply result in a lump in the collective jugular anatomy of the people there; however, it is not so: because of the deliberate organization of his speech, Mark Antony is able to convert raw emotional power into neat and logical
After the assassination of Julius Caesar, both Brutus and Antony speak to the people of Rome. Brutus speaks to convince his countrymen that he and the others were justified in their actions; Caesar was a threat to their freedom and country. Antony exemplifies in his speech that Caesar was not ambitious and always had the people’s well-being in mind. Both of these speakers are effective in persuading the Romans of their cause but Brutus’s speech is most effective because of the way he was able to communicate his reasoning clearly and make the audience thankful for his actions.
George Orwell once said, “Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn't matter; only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you-that would be the real betrayal”. Brutus cherishes Rome with his heart, for he was an honorable man who murdered his closest friend, Caesar, after reading false letters by Cassius that further encouraged him to act against Caesar’s thrill of power. Surprisingly, Brutus has stabbed Caesar with his blade, showing rebellion against what Caesar and his people have stood for. Consequently, portraying Brutus as a sellout and a murder in the hearts of many, to forever be known as a betrayer to his former comrade and his nation. With that being said, however, there’s nothing to clarify that Brutus had
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.
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 William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony calls upon “Friends, Romans, [and] countrymen” to lend their ears to him in order to convince the populace of Rome to rise against the conspirators that had murdered him. The main conspirators, Casca, Cassius, and Brutus, portray Caesar as a tyrannical ruler with a terrible ambition for power and express that in killing Caesar, they have only done what is best for Rome. However, after indirectly dispelling Brutus’ claim that Caesar was ambitious, Mark Antony’s rhetoric persuades the auditors into a state of rebellion through his cunning use of language. Antony veils his words when speaking to the crowd of Romans because he is given permission to speak at the funeral on the one condition
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a historic tragedy about the brutal murder of the Roman senator, Julius Caesar. Within the play, Caesar has two close friends—Brutus and Antony. Antony is a loyal friend, supporting Caesar and encouraging him in his climb to kingship; Brutus is a king-fearing traitor who leads the plot to murder Caesar. After Caesar is murdered, both friends make speeches—Brutus to justify his actions and Antony to passive-aggressively disprove his claims. In the speeches, they use three rhetorical literary devices: ethos, the appeal to gain the crowd’s trust; pathos, stirring the crowd’s emotions to influence behavior; and logos, the use of logic to reason with the crowd. By comparing the use of ethos, pathos, and logos in each speech and by
Antony asks rhetorical questions and lets the audience answer for themselves. Brutus uses ethos by stating that he a noble man and that is why the people should believe him but infact Antony questions his nobility by saying what Brutus said,” Brutus is an honourable man”(III.ii.79). In a way, Antony states what Brutus states to convince the audience by using examples that Brutus is wrong. Antony himself knows what kind of man Brutus is but lets the people figure it out on their own. In addition, Brutus uses logos by expressing that fact that Caesar died because of his ambition. This argument is severely under supported because his reasons are invalid and simply observations. Antony uses “did this in Caesar seem ambitious” to question Brutus’ argument (III.ii.82). Antony gives examples backing his argument like when Caesar refused the crown thrice to prove his humbleness. The way Antony convinces the people to rebel is by using pathos. He brings the audience in by stepping down to their level and showing them the body of Caesar. While Antony talks at Caesar's funeral, he pauses because” heart us in the coffin there with Caesar “(III.ii.98). When Antony becomes emotional, he reminds the audience about what injust event happened to the much loved
In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus and Antony attempt to persuade the audience of their position on the death of Caesar. While Brutus explains that his death was necessary, Antony claims that Caesar was not deserving of his demise. However, though Brutus does have ample credibility and taps into the emotional link with his audience to some extent, he does not convey as powerful of an argument as Antony, as he fails to provide sufficient factual evidence. Antony, on the other hand, utilizes logical argumentation with solid evidence, creates an emotional connection with his audience, and maintains credibility in order to support his own argument. Through this, it can be seen that Antony’s use of rhetorical appeals and devices is superior to Brutus’s in its ability to persuade the Roman audience.
Brutus repeatedly says, “If any, speak, for him have I offended,” (III.ii.25). Brutus’ tactic is to try to force someone, or dare them, to disagree with him, which no one ends up doing. Brutus tries to make people fear him, which works for a brief period of time. Mark Antony, on the other hand, goes on the attack, rather than the defense, by repeatedly saying, “Yet Brutus said he was ambitious; And… he is an honourable man.” (III.ii.89-90). By going on the offensive side, Mark Antony uses the repetition of this extreme usage of irony and sarcasm to make the audience understand that all of this is Brutus’ fault and that he should be punished for his crimes, no matter his intentions. Both groups use similar rhetorical strategies to prove that Caesar should or should not be dead for what he has done, with differing results. Brutus and Mark Antony also use emotional appeals to persuade their audience that they are correct in the matter of the death of their esteemed