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Shakespeare's julius caesar rhetoric Ethos
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In William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the speeches were given by both Brutus, and Mark Antony is very persuasive before their audience, but it was rhetorical devices that were being used in various ways that significantly impacted the people of Rome. The play, Julius Caesar, explores what contributes rhetoric its power by putting Brutus's appeal against Mark Antony's. Shakespeare shows Antony's speech to be preferred since he has a compelling influence on the plebeians through pathos and logos.
Straightaway after Brutus's appeal, he made a critical mistake of neglecting Antony since he is a powerful orator that was able to manage and create a skillful speech in which he appeals to emotion. Antony begins by connecting to the public as "friends, Romans, [and] countrymen," and then continues to say how Caesar was a "friend, faithful and just" even weeping right after, needing to "pause till it comes back to me" (3.2.x). This excerpt highlights the immediate contrast between Brutus and Antony, as one greets the populace as friends first, rather than citizens. In fact, by using his skill with language and making public displays of his private emotions, the pauses in his speech theatrically illustrate that he is overcome with emotion and tears, allowing Antony to refute Brutus, that Caesar's death had a much more dramatic effect.
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This scene represents Antony's shrewdness, being able to seemingly respect the promises of the conspirators, but reminds the public of their love for Caesar, and simultaneously casting doubt on Brutus. Furthermore, Antony repeating Brutus's name numerous times suggests irony and dishonor
Throughout his speech, Antony repeats the words “[Caesar] was ambitious” and “Brutus is an honorable man” to create a contrast between the two statements. (3.2.95-96). Through this repetition, Caesar successfully undermines Brutus. Everytime he calls Brutus an honorable man, he lists a positive trait of Caesar that contradicts Brutus’s claim that he was too ambitious. He tells the crowd about the times when Caesar showed compassion for the people and when he refused the crown thrice. Antony’s sarcasm about Brutus’s honor brings into question as to whether his honor deserved. This leads the audience to doubt their feelings upon Caesar’s ambition. Near the end of his eulogy, Antony uses apostrophe when he claims that “judgment ... art fled to brutish beasts” as a reason for why the Roman people believe Brutus. (3.2.114-115). Antony indirectly shames the crowd for their belief in Brutus in that Caesar was a tyrant. Fearing alienation of the crowd, he attributes this belief to a lapse in judgement that beasts have taken. Antony also makes a pun upon Brutus’s name when he comments “brutish beasts.” Antony implies Brutus has caused a lapse in judgement within the Roman people through his oration
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
This also helped get the crowd to listen to him, because they had just heard Brutus and were all fired up about the wonderful things he had said. So both the characters start off their speeches the same, gaining credibility, but because Antony had to work harder to gain it, he performed much better.... ... middle of paper ... ... Two times Antony called the people back from running away in anger and said another thing to deepen the seed he had planted in them.
In act III, scene ii, Antony proves to himself and the conspiracy, that he has the power to turn Rome against Brutus. He deceived the conspirators with his speech during Caesar’s funeral. In this speech, Antony pulls at the heartstrings of the countryman by showing emotions and turning them against their beloved leader, Brutus. The scene takes place the day of Caesar's death. Leading up to this point the people loved Brutus because, reasonably he explains of them about Caesar's death and told them it was necessary. In Antony's speech he showed signs of hatred towards Brutus and the conspirators. He thinks for himself and deceives the people, when he explains how Brutus lied to the people . The plot depends on Antony’s speech.
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
Since the people knew Caesar because of his friendliness and how nice he was to people he was able to get sympathy for his death. When the people remembered how good he was at one point they wanted to get vengeance on the conspirators,Antony had used persuasion and reverse psychology with the crowd to get mad at the conspirators. Brutus had not connected to the people as well because he did not give as much sympathy about Caesar's Death , and what he will give in return. Antony had touched the people when he sad said that he had money and land for the people of rome but he did not want to read it because it would make them made. Once that had hit there was no way Brutus could fight back against Antony's
In William Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar, rhetorical devices are used throughout Decius Brutus’s speech to Caesar to persuade him to attend the senate, and ultimately meet his demise. Decius Brutus uses repetition to directly play into Caesar’s ego and convince him to show at an event he was previously very unsure of. Decius first uses repetition to make Caesar feel as if he were an irreplaceable addition to the senate. He addresses Caesar as, “most mighty Caesar…” (2.2.74) multiple times throughout his oration. The repetition of “mighty” draws Caesar’s attention away from the fact that he really must not go to the senate and instead focuses on why he must. Caesar is known to be easily persuaded by the promise of attention or rewards. Decius
Each both speak out to the citizens of Rome upon Caesar's death while using ethos, pathos, and logos to convince them of what they believe is right. Brutus says “not that I love Caesar less, but I love Rome more.” Here Brutus is showing that even though he helped with the murdering of Caesar, he still cared for him and loved him. Antony says “my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar.” We learn here that Antony also cared deeply for his good friend Caesar. With these quotes we learn that both Antony and Caesar care deeply about their friend Caesar who they were both close with. Caesar was important to both of these men and cared for by each of them. Similarly, each of these men both spoke out to the citizens of Rome using ethos, pathos, and logos to convince them of what truly is right. Antony says “He was my friend, faithful and just to me”. Brutus says “Any dear friend of
To bolster his underlying claim that the conspirators should be held liable for Caesar’s murder, he uses several rhetorical devices. Throughout his speech, Antony reiterates the caustic line, “Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man” (3.2.95-96). In doing so, he undermines Brutus’ character and disproves his allegation of Caesar’s ambition. Additionally, he poses rhetorical questions aimed at provoking thought. These inquiries further refute Brutus and cause the crowd to shift their loyalty to Antony. Among these remarks, Antony appeals to the crowd’s emotion, a rhetorical device known as pathos. He articulates his sorrow about the loss of his friend to spark compassion. “Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me,” Antony expresses to the audience as he pauses to show his mourning, while letting his words penetrate the crowd (3.2.106-108). In all, these devices add depth to Antony’s speech, enabling him to promote himself while drawing the people to mutiny against the
In the passionate play of Julius Caesar, full of betrayal, trials, and patriotism, one can find an incredibly good example of the power of rhetoric. This Shakespearean play, though titled Julius Caesar, does not revolve around said man but instead revolves around one of his murderers and once beloved friend, Brutus. After Caesar's murder, Brutus gives a speech to the citizens of Rome, explaining why he committed such an act and cleverly (attempts) to use rhetoric to change the angry minds of the Romans to side with him.
In the play, rhetoric is used mainly during the eulogies. First of all, Brutus uses rhetoric to convince the people of Rome that the reason he killed Caesar was for their safety. “If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (III.ii.21-24). Secondly, Antony uses rhetoric in his eulogy to convince the people of Rome that what Brutus and Cassius did was unnecessary. “Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, I should do Brutus wrong
... Antony also mixes Logos and Pathos when he says that “when the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept” (873) to show that Caesar was a noble and caring leader of the public and would never try to hurt or harm their liberties. Unlike Brutus, Antony’s logo requires the people to think on what he says, which only helps in winning his argument. He continues this mix when he says that “[they] all did love him once, not without cause” (873) in order to put guilt on the crowd for switching sides on the man they loved and admired so dearly. Antony, with full support of the crowd, uses his sense of loss and anger to guilt the public says that “[his] heart is in there with Caesar”(873) and after reading the contents of Caesar will to the public which gives each citizen 70 drachmas and various other gifts he asks “when comes another [as great as Caesar]?”
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
Firstly, Antony says a general statement that, “the evil that men do lives after them” (III.ii.74), when in fact he is subtly and sneeringly referring to the conspirators actions. The Roman commoners don’t realize that this general statement is swaying them, but the rest of Antony’s speech further convinces them of the evil the conspirators have done. Later, Antony talks about Brutus says that “sure, [he] is an honourable man” (III.ii.98), emphasis on the sure. Because he uses a scornful tone while sarcastically saying this statement, he is really beginning to show the audience his true feelings on the situation. Knowing that even Antony bitterly disagrees with the choices of the conspirators, it further persuades the common people of Rome to turn against Brutus and the rest of Caesar’s murderers. These occasions show Antony’s sour tone, especially towards the conspirators, and Antony’s tone also riles up the Roman citizens. His tone helps to exasperate the commoners with Caesar’s murder, and therefore assists Antony in achieving his purpose to manipulate the audience to turn against
Mark Antony's Speech from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Mark Antony’s funeral oration over the body of Julius Caesar in act three, scene two is the most important speech in the play and effects the development of the play as a whole in many ways. Firstly this speech falls in the play where we have seen Antony’s distraught reaction to the murder of Caesar and his letter vowing allegiance to Brutus in return for being able to live. Act three, scene one prepares us for Antony’s rhetoric as here he states that ‘Brutus is noble, wise, valiant and honest’ which fits in with him repeatedly stating ‘Brutus is an honourable man’. It becomes evident in this scene that Antony has an ulterior motive for forming this allegiance and asking to do the funeral oration when he is ‘swayed from the point by looking down on Caesar’ and then states that ‘friends am I with you all, and love you all’ but still wants to know ‘why and wherein Caesar was dangerous’. Thus we the audience are aware that Antony is not being honest with the conspirators especially when he speaks in a soliloquy of the anarchy he will create when he states ‘blood and destruction shall be so in use…that mothers shall but smile when they behold/