The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare

“Nothing is so unbelievable that oratory cannot make it acceptable” ~Marcus Tulius Cicero. After Julius Caesar’s death, his friend Marc Antony decides to speak about the incidents that have occurred in order to clarify what really happened. During Caesar’s funeral speech, Antony utilizes persuasive devices in order to help the plebeians to agree with his point of view. He convinces all of the people using specific evidence from the past, repetition of important words, and statements that create suspense. The reader will recognize the importance of Antony’s use of persuasive devices to convince the listeners during his clever speech. The evidence that Antony talks about truly changes what the people believe.

In order to convince the citizens to think of Caesar as a great man, Antony incorporates specific evidence into his speech from the events that lead up to the assassination. Antony knew that in order to successfully persuade the citizens, he had to speak using validate facts about Caesar’s personality without getting caught by the conspirators. Because they restricted what he could talk about, Antony expresses why Caesar was a great man through recent incidents. During the speech, Antony states, “You all did see on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?” (III, ii, 104-106). Antony specifies that Caesar refused the crown even after it was offered to him three times. That event clearly reinforces the fact that Caesar did not crave for power to rule. Also, Antony claims that Caesar always visited the poor people and those in poverty. Caesar cried when he saw how these people are suffering. Antony states this fact because of the emotion, and that many of the plebeians ...

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... Rome against Brutus and the conspirators. Antony successfully incorporates suspense into his speech for keeping the plebeians to listen. His brilliant speech integrating specific evidence from the past, repetition, and suspense truly impact the beliefs of the plebeians of Caesar.

Antony expresses his opinions of Caesar to the plebeians through a persuasive and emotional speech. He states specific evidence in which proves that what Brutus said was false. Antony also repeats certain words to describe the conspirators and why they performed the assassination. Finally, towards the end, Antony creates suspense in order to keep the citizens listening to the important things he has to say about Caesar and the conspirators. Similar to what Marcus Tulius Cicero said, Antony persuasively delivers the speech to convince the plebeians of an unimaginable viewpoint of Caesar.