Rhetoric In Julius Caesar

Leaders derive their power from a range of sources – military force, wealth, rank. However, leaders that we most admire win followers through the skill of persuasion. The ability of a speaker to persuade his listeners to agree with him signals that he is a powerful and astute figure. In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, the character of Cassius attempts to convince Brutus that Caesar should be assassinated. Brutus, however, cares deeply for Caesar and is hesitant to kill the beloved hero of Rome.

Therefore, one must look at the similarities to find their strongest points and to see how they drawn in the crowd. Not only that, but also locate the key differences to find their flaws, or to find out how they executed their speeches with different approaches. Above all, the true victor, of persuasion, was Antony. Brutus and Antony had quite a few comparable moments within their speeches.

Brutus continuously mentions that Caesar was ambitious. In his famous quote he says, “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him.” Brutus uses the repetition of ambitious to emphasize the conspirator 's reason for murdering Caesar. By repeating the word “ambitious” he makes sure that the audience knew exactly why Caesar had to be killed. This helps to create the specific effect of justifying the conspirator 's actions because it gives the audience a solid reason for why Caesar was dangerous.

Sydney Stone Mrs. Paul English 10A 16 October 2017 Rhetorical Analysis Essay William Shakespeare, a very famous writer, tells the story of Julius Caesar. In his play, Marc Antony delivers a powerful speech that uses many different rhetorical devices, appeals, and different styles of writing. Some of these include repetition, rhetorical questions, pathos, logos, ethos, and diction. These help enhance Marc Antony’s speech by persuading the audience towards considering that Caesar was a good man.

When it comes to murder, the culprit almost always rationalizes his or her actions to make them seem innocent in the situation. The murderer usually rationalizes their actions by using the victim's characteristics and using that to measure the value of the victim's life. In the play Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, Brutus and others decide to kill Caesar to protect the citizens of their home for they fear Caesar and his “ambition” would enslave the people of Rome. After they murder Caesar, Brutus speaks to the people to explain his actions and Mark Antony, one of Caesar's close companions, speaks on Caesar's behalf. Mark Antony was able to use rhetorical strategies better than Brutus in his speech in order to gain a level of

Persuasion is the action or fact of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something. During the turning point of the play, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Caesar’s good friend, uses persuasion to win over the plebians. In the beginning, the reader sees the beginning of conflict within Rome’s power. As the play continues the conflict grows stronger and leads to the death of Julius Caesar. Mark Antony seems to take the whole situation okay until he is left alone, where he reveals he will avenge Caesar.

Antony wants to remind the Romans that he is credible for speaking of Caesar “that love my friend, and that they know full well, that gave me public leave to speak of him” (III.ii.215-216) Antony uses ethos after telling the Romans everything to convince them in being against that conspirators’ that he can speak of Caesar because he was a close friend of Caesar. Antony convinces the Romans to retribute the conspirators’ for what they have done “In every wound of Caesar that should move the stones of Rome to rise and mutiny” (III.ii.225-226) Antony wants revenge and is convincing the Romans to riot by using pathos. Antony wants the Romans to feel sorry about Caesar’s death “here was a Caesar! When comes such another?”

The first example of pathos appears in line 57-62. During these lines Cassius reveals to Brutus his “Hidden worthiness” and essentially he says how Brutus does not see his true worth and value, and that most Romans would prefer him to rule rather than Caesar. By saying these things to Brutus, Cassius makes him feel special and makes him like Cassius more for saying these kind things to him, therefore he is more likely to do what Cassius wants. Pathos can also be found in lines 136-138 where he suggests the two of them and others, like a curse, will end up dying like slaves. By vocalizing the idea of them dying a melancholy death , similar to one of a slave, an idea placed in Brutus’ head where he will die a horrible death, because of Caesar, and makes him persuaded to like Caesar less.

Antony speaks “You all did love him once not without cause; what cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?”. Antony uses emotional attachment and guilt to convince the audience. But what really made Antony's speech stronger in the sense of pathos, was the fact that Antony used the audiences own feelings against them, which made them feel more guilty, which is what led to Antony making a stronger emotional impact with the audience. - - is effective use Antony delivered a stronger and more persuasive funeral oration due to his effect us Caesar. Antony was very smart about what he said, and all the examples and S - * ch was convincing.

One reason I believe that Brutus is a traitor is how he betrayed the people of Rome by killing Caesar. A common counterargument is that Brutus thought that what he was doing was for the betterment of Rome. However, the people wanted Caesar, as can be seen when they leave their work to celebrate him, as in this quote: “But indeed, sir, we make holiday to see Caesar and to rejoice in his triumph,” and whether or not Caesar was better for the people of Rome, killing Caesar was a betrayal of the will of the Romans. A similar argument is that by trying to explain to the Roman people why he did what he did, he showed how much he truly loved the Roman people.

However some may postulate that Brutus was a noble man in killing Caesar and “saving” Rome. After all Caesar was becoming an overeager tyrant that wanted to take over Rome. Brutus was benevolent in saving the republic rather than let a ruthless tyrant rule Rome. This argument fails to consider that Caesar “hath brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. ”(5.1.87-88)

Caesar is killed by conspirators who wanted freedom, liberty, and democracy. Though Caesar had ruled well, he wanted to be crowned and was ambitious. Caesar was killed because he was the one whose “abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power” (2.1.18, 19). But Brutus thought that “when he once attains the upmost round, he then unto the ladder turns his back” (2.1.24, 25). But Caesar loved the Romans according to what Antony spoke about Caesar 's death, “when that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept” (3.2.89).

In the play Julius Caesar, Antony’s speech was more persuasive than Brutus’s speech. Antony persuaded the people of Rome not by what he said, but by how he said it. Pathos and logos were used as a means of persuasion throughout his speech. He also used lots of literary devices in his speech like irony, bandwagon, strawman, appeal to pity, and symbolism. The most common type of irony used was verbal.

The Better Speech “A speech should not be just be a sharing of information, but a sharing of yourself.” This quote by Ralph Archbold is relevant in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar when Brutus and Antony spoke to the people of Rome, after Caesar’s death. Although Brutus was an honorable man, his speech did not get the outcome he wanted. Antony was very cunning, concise and used pathos to influence the people of Rome. Overall, Antony knew beforehand how to manipulate the crowd with his speech more than Brutus.

Rhetorical Differences The reason Brutus failed to continue to have the citizens of Rome persuaded is simplified in this quote by Robert A Heinlein: “You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their prejudices quicker than you can convince one man by logic.” Brutus failed while Antony succeeded because Brutus relied on logic whereas Antony relied on the emotions of the people. Despite the fact that Antony did it for the wrong reasons, he obviously was more skilled in rhetoric than Brutus.