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Marc Antony's Ethos In Julius Caesar

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Shocked. The entirety of Rome is stricken to the core by the tragic death of their leader. The one they admire, worship, and rely on. Gone so suddenly. How must the city react to such an event? In the famous play of Julius Caesar, ethos-, logos-, and pathos-based persuasive techniques are used in the funeral speeches, coming first from Brutus and then Marc Antony, to influence the people of Rome to view Caesar's death as either an asset or a downfall.
Brutus, closest friend and murderer of Caesar, takes a stand in front of the crowd of Romans, intending to enlighten his positive outlook upon the situation. In order to convince his audience, Brutus insists that Caesar was too ambitious, and that type of ambition would bring Rome to ruins …show more content…

Similar to Brutus' speech, Antony starts out by expressing his relatability, beginning with, "Friends, Romans, countrymen . . ." signifying that he speaks to everyone equally (Shakespeare). Concurrently, he addresses his authority by speaking in blank verse, the way in which noble people speak. To contest Brutus' logic, Antony makes multiple conjectures. For instance, "He hath brought many captives home to Rome / Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill," describing how Caesar, too, cared deeply for Rome (Shakespeare). Moreover, Antony brings up the fact that Caesar refused the crown not once, not twice, but three times, proving that he did not crave power like Brutus makes it seem. Furthermore, Caesar's will is mentioned: The will in which money and land is devoted to all Roman citizens. Why would the people turn on a man who would give them such values? There is a sense of guilt, considering Caesar's good hopes. At this point, Brutus' nobility becomes quite controversial due to him guilting Caesar of being so "ambitious," despite evidence that he wanted the best for Rome. Antony emphasizes pathos by saying, "He was my friend, faithful and just to me" (Shakespeare). This draws out sympathy from the crowd, offering empathy for his loss. Also, Antony remarks, "When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept" (Shakespeare). Surely, Caesar cared greatly for his people, he cried when they cried, as he felt deeply for them. Naturally, the crowd is then infuriated towards the conspirators' bold actions and seek retribution. In brief, Antony touched on the generosity of Caesar and doubted Brutus' honor, winning over the people's

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