Mark Antony Rhetorical Devices

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Mark Antony, as noble as a bald eagle in the eyes of Rome, was one of the most intelligent, trustworthy, and popular people of his time. After Caesar’s murder, Antony gains the trust of the conspirators to speak to the citizens at Caesar’s funeral. He uses his speech to indirectly turn the people of Rome against the conspirators. Antony was one of many to give a long speech within the story, but what stands out in his speeches is the ability to move a whole population’s tendencies and beliefs to side with himself using the power of rhetoric. Although Antony’s speech may be seen as him just feeding the people’s ears with words they want to hear, the well structured devices used enable the listeners to fill their own ears with their second guessing thoughts.
Mark Antony uses …show more content…

Supporting Details with Evidence: 1. (Act III, Scene II, Lines 128-129 and 140-146) Antony is acting superior and is structuring his speech. When he says he has the will, this makes the people want to hear what it has to say. Antony knows that he can get closer to the citizens physically and mentally if he talks little about the Will. 2. The phrase “Honorable Men” throughout Antony’s speech. Before each time he says it, he gives examples of Cassius and Brutus being non-honorable men and then calling them honorable men. This then gets the crowd rethinking their interpretation of Cassius and Brutus to be non-honorable men. 3. (Act III, Scene 2, Lines 88-89) Antony gives concrete evidence the Caesar was good and valuable to Rome since his smart thinking of capturing enemies and having them pay for their freedom payed for the public funds of the city that the people didn’t have to pay anymore.
Refutation: Some may see no logic used by Antony in his speech, but the Will of Caesar is the heart and soul of him proving logically that Caesar was a good man and did not deserve to

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