The conspirators thought that the plebeians would understand their motives, but, instead,“the city was in shock, and people became increasingly more hostile” after the assassination (Wasson). The commoners sided with Anthony and Octavian, ignoring the lack of justifications that the conspirators and Brutus provided. They were angry that their beloved king had been assassinated by the senators who were supposed to be working and supporting him. The author of The Assassination of Julius Caesar. A People’s History of Ancient Rome and political scientist, Michael Parenti, stated that Caesar’s assassination “marked a turning point in the history of Rome.
Brutus is explaining why he killed Caesar in his funeral speech. Brutus states, “As he was ambitious, I slew him”(JC, III, 28). Brutus is giving a logical statement using facts. His reason for killing Caesar is because Caesar is ambitious. Instead of using logos, Antony decides to use pathos in his speech and he manipulates the romans feelings.
Brutus’ emotional wound ultimately deals with his internal conflict of the decision to kill Caesar in order to better Rome. In addition, he deals with such difficulty over the decision since his reasoning to kill Caesar does not come out of hatred or jealousy, but due to his fear of life under Caesar’s rule. In Act I, scene ii, lines 39-40, Brutus says, “Merely upon myself. Vexéd I am / Of late passions of some difference” (Shakespeare 848). This quote, from Brutus, means that his own thoughts and conflicts overwhelm him.
This pulls on the pathos of the audience because the rhetorical question pulls on their conscience. Their conscience is questioning whether the murder of Caesar is justifiable, since he was not all the ambitious according to Antony. This allows for Antony to take advantage of the easily pliable minds in the audience and flip their introspections to vanquish the conspirators. Shakespeare uses the repetition of the word ambitious in Antony’s speech to instigate the plebeians, and fill their minds with enough doubts to get them to rebel against the conspirators. Talking about how Caesar refused the crown three times at the Luperical, Antony proclaims, “Which he did thrice refuse; was this ambition.
For example, Antony convinces the crowd that Caesar was a good man and they should all kill Brutus for what he has done to their “great leader.” Antony says in his speech to the citizens of Rome, “Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; and Brutus is an honorable man.” Antony is smart and uses his brain to get what he wants, but Brutus on the other hand, is very naive. Brutus is naive because he spoke to the citizens’ emotions and not to what he wants them think like Antony did. Brutus wants the crowd to be happy that Caesar is dead. Which they are, but Antony convinces them not to be.
It’s easiest to tell you a few similarities first. To start off, they both wanted power and were willing to kill for it, whether it was Mark Antony trying to kill Brutus or Brutus killing himself for the better of Rome. Another similarity is that both Mark Antony and Brutus are powerful speakers. Some of their differences throughout the play are their fight in power over Rome, Mark Antony doesn’t care about Rome but Brutus would kill himself if that’s what Rome needed; their personal disposition throughout the play, Antony was very manipulative while Brutus is an honorable man; and the persuasiveness in their speeches to the citizens of Rome, Antony uses his brain and Brutus is very naive. I said earlier, Antony and Brutus have many differences.
He then joins a conspiracy to kill Caesar. After the conspiracy he is considered a murderer and flees his own country, eventually committing suicide. “I would not Cassius, yet I love him well.” (I.II.83), “I killed not thee with half so good a will.” Dies (V.V.51). These two quotes strongly highlight Brutus ' change throughout the play. One aspect changes, but one does not;
“The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous” (Machiavelli 6). Indeed, Brutus is a symbol of idealism in the play. He acts virtuously to cover up the assassination accordingly to his perspective, where he compares the assassination to a rite, and Caesar’s dead body to a holy article. Further more, Brutus consistently doubted himself whether the assassination was an ethical thing or not. “Caesar, now be still: I kill’d not thee with half so good a will” (5.5.56-57).
Marcus Junius Brutus and Mark Antony both deliver speeches to justify the death of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE and both use Logos and Ethos to convince the Roman citizens to join their sides. Both sides deliver their speeches with vehemence and start by elucidating why Brutus killed Caesar to begin with, why Antony’s desire for revenge is justified, and what the future of Rome will be because of his death. Antony teases the citizens of Rome with the will of Caesar that he holds in hand and claims it will dishonor Brutus and the other conspirators and is also one of his vital uses of Ethos in his speech. Most of the citizens, if not all of them side with Antony and will most likely help him accede to a great title of power in the future and also betray Brutus because of what Antony has them believe, i.e. an ignoble assassin.
While Cassius, a man that has a clear hatred for Caesar, may think he persuaded Brutus into thinking Caesar is a bad man that is no good for Rome, it becomes apparent that Brutus has formed those ideas on his own. Cassius is adamant on getting Brutus on his side which seems to be the beginning of their problems. Cassius orders fake letters to be presented to Brutus yo convince him that the people of Rome are unhappy with how Caesar is running the city and that they would much rather have him rule over them. This not only splits the intentions of the men. It makes Brutus more power hungry in the future.