ipl-logo

Rhetoric In Julius Caesar

709 Words3 Pages

“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful” is what Edward R. Murrow says about what persuasiveness is and how it is effective (“Persuasive” 1). Throughout the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, rhetoric is used not only to convince other friends to believe certain situations, but it is used against enemies as well. After Brutus and the other conspirators successfully execute their plan to murder Caesar, both Brutus and Marc Antony speak at the funeral in order to convince the audience to support their cause. While Brutus does make a compelling case about how he killed his best friend for the good of Rome, Antony ultimately wins the audience over through his use of sentimental appeals and repetition. In Antony’s speech, a sentimental appeal is used in order to persuade the Romans by manipulating their emotions to feel pity for Caesar. Brutus, before he stabbed Caesar, was one of the latter’s closest friends, and Antony does not hesitate to mention this in his speech. He explains the intimacy between Brutus and Caesar, and how much the victim loved the convict. In order to really rub it in how Brutus betrayed Caesar, Antony describes, “This was the most unkindest cut …show more content…

Though the rhetoric used by both Brutus and Marc Antony is highly refutable at times, it is safe to assume that Antony’s is the least refutable. Because he presents evidence that touches the audience in a more emotional way than Brutus does, Antony succeeds in persuading the audience to support his side of the argument. Not only that, but he even persuades them to take action after his speech is over. By appealing to his audience’s sense of pathos, Antony was effectual with regards to the purpose of his speech. Manipulating the use of multiple rhetorical strategies proved useful in surfacing feelings of sentiment and pity in the Romans, and, by doing this, Antony was able to salvage the reputation of his

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Appeals In Julius Caesar

    574 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marc Anthony's funeral speech in the tragedy of Julius Caesar uses good persuasion techniques. With his use of rhetorical appeals, Anthony is able to sway the crowd and turn them on the conspirators who murdered Caesar. One of his most effective rhetorical appeals that Anthony uses on the crowd is logos. Through his speech, he repeats the phrase "Brutus is an honorable man" multiple times, each time with a slightly different tone. At first, the logos he uses seems to be a way of praising Brutus, but as the speech goes on, it’s clear that Anthony is using the phrase ironically.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Rhetorical Devices

    602 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play Julius Caesar, there were two men who spoke at the funeral of Julius Caesar. They were Mark Antony and Brutus. Mark Antony is able to easily refute Brutus with three main persuasive devices used in his speech. The three main devices Antony uses are, rhetorical questions, pathos, and lastly repetition.

    Read More

  • How Does Antony Use Rhetoric In Julius Caesar

    809 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antony the Rhetorician In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, there are a few rhetoricians who used their speaking skills to trick others into accomplishing their plan. First, Cassius used his speaking skills to convince Brutus to join the conspiracy. Then, Brutus used his abilities to convince the people of Rome that killing Caesar was the right and only thing to do for them. Finally, Antony used his rhetoric to convince the crowds, who just accepted what Brutus told them, to turn against the conspirators, now called traitors, and kill them. Out of these rhetoricians, Cassius, Brutus, and Antony, Antony was the best.

    Read More

  • Rhetoric And Persuasion In The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar

    690 Words  | 3 Pages

    Brutus and Antony use persuasion throughout the play to explain further on why Brutus helps kill Caesar and how Antony gets the people of Rome to turn against Brutus. First, Brutus tells the people of Rome that he had only killed Caesar so they could finally all be free from his power. For example, when Brutus says,”not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved/ Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and/ die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all/ freemen?”(3.2.23-26). Brutus says this shows the

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In Julius Caesar's Speech

    1215 Words  | 5 Pages

    Mark Antony overmatches Brutus. His oration is powerful, persuasive and has a strong emotional appeal. He carefully constructs his rhetoric that contradicts Brutus’s arguments that Caesar was ambitious and the assassination of Caesar was noble. He successfully turns the emotions of the crowd. His speech is

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Mark Antony's Speech

    207 Words  | 1 Pages

    Mark Antony is trying to win over the people of Rome by his very effective use of rhetoric. In his speech, his overall point is to persuade the Roman citizens that Brutus’s claim of Caesar being ambitious is not true. Antony’s use of rhetorical devices such as a rhetorical question give the people a good message. When he is telling them that Caesar brought many captives to Rome, he asks, “Did this in Caesar seem ambitious” (3.2.18). Antony’s rhetorical question was very effective since he is making the people question Brutus’s claim.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices In Julius Caesar

    978 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Tragedy of Julius Caesar- Rhetorical Analysis In the novel, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, after Brutus brutally executes Caesar in Act 3 Scene 2, Antony is allowed to give a speech to the people of Rome whom have seen witnessed this fatal tragedy in Scene 3. Antony uses anaphora, connotative diction and details throughout his speech to persuade the Romans to change their perspective of Caesar and Brutus. The way Antony speaks about both Caesar & Brutus are a dispute of what he is actually trying to announce to the Romans. At the end of his speech, Antony hopes to reach the Romans emotionally (pathos) by enraging them against Brutus’s false statements against Caesar.

    Read More

  • Antony's Speech Using Rhetorical Appeals In Julius Caesar

    949 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antony’s Speech Using Rhetorical Appeals In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, after Caesar’s death, the Romans are conflicted about what should be done. After Brutus’ speech the Romans are ready to crown Brutus king and be on the conspirators’ side. Though Brutus then leaves the crowd while Antony delivers his speech, the crowd realizes what should be done of Caesar’s murder and Antony prevents the conspirators from getting away with the murder of Caesar.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Cassius Speech Against Caesar

    381 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Cassius’s eloquent speech against Caesar, he primarily utilizes persuasion through tools such as pathos, rhetorical questions, and compare and contrast. Cassius uses pathos to begin his monologue when he claims, “I know that virtue be in you, Brutus, / As well as I do know your outward favor” (Shakespeare 1.2.95-96). By expressing that Brutus has “virtue” and “outward favor”, Cassius appeals to Brutus’s emotions, but not to an exaggerated extent. This emotional appeal is a persuasion technique because it is used in moderation and in pertinent locations. The context is appropriate since rather than using it as a tool to feed on Brutus’s emotions, Cassius only uses it to get Brutus’s attention as an appropriate hook.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    833 Words  | 4 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar, Mark Antony uses rhetorical devices such as paralipsis, rhetorical questions, and verbal irony in his speech to the plebeians in order to plot them against the conspirators. During his speech to the plebians, Antony uses paralipsis in order to kindle curiosity and interest in the audience. Antony mentions to the plebians that he had Caesar’s will with him but tells them, “Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it; It is not meet you know how much Caesar loved you” (3.2.152-153). By drawing attention to Caesar’s will, something Antony desperately wants to show the plebeians, but then dismissing the idea of reading it, Antony uses a type of verbal irony called paralipsis. Antony is aware that the contents

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Appeals In Julius Caesar

    558 Words  | 3 Pages

    Near the beginning of his candid speech, he uses several rhetorical devices to sadden the crowd. Antony talks about his friendship with Caesar: O judgement, thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason! — Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices Used In Brutus And Antony's Speech

    721 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rhetoric in the Speeches of Brutus and Antony The death of Caesar is a controversial topic and was even more controversial at the time of his funeral when when senators were trying to benefit from his death by getting the Roman citizens on their side. At Caesar’s funeral, two senators gave speeches as an attempt to get the roman people on their side. Out of the two speeches, Marc Antony’s speech was more effective because of his use of appeals and biases, being 100% true and had a larger variety of rhetorical devices.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Appeals In Brutus

    755 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar one of the main characters Caesar is killed in Scene 3 act 2.Then Brutus and Antony both give speeches about how bad they feel. Brutus gives a good speech by using all three of the rhetorical appeals to persuade the crowd to want to listen to what he say by using logos,ethos,pathos to his advantage. Brutus gives a better speech that draws the audience attention,Antony not as much. Therefor here are some very valid points on why Brutus’s speech used the Rhetorical Appeals better.

    Read More

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Marc Antony's Speech

    617 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Brutus And Antony's Speech

    884 Words  | 4 Pages

    Brutus delivers his speech in a laudatory manner by conveying Caesar’s deeds and claiming he was ambitious, although Antony contradicts Brutus’ claims and says Caesar spurned the crown with the intent to merely rule as a de facto dictator. Brutus’ speech reveals his motives were truly for the benefit of Rome given his nationalistic tone and Antony’s speech was merely used to obscure his true motives, which was to embroil Rome in a series of civil wars to attain power. Brutus and Antony’s speeches consisted predominantly of Pathos and Ethos, but it is Antony who ultimately it is Antony who prevails because of his almost disingenuous attitude and even use of Logos which is seen when claims that reading Caesar’s will would dishonor his compeers and even Caesar

    Read More

More about Rhetoric In Julius Caesar

Open Document