He also used another rhetorical element called rhetorical questions. Rhetorical questions were important in this speech because it got the people to self-evaluate and really consider if they believe that Caesar 's actions justified for him to be murdered. Throughout Antony 's speech he is trying to discredit the conspirators who pose Ceasar as an ambitious man who will enslave everyone and lead Rome to ruin. Antony counters that by describing Ceasar as a person who will weep the loss of someone and asks the peoples if "this in Caesar seem[s] ambitious" (53). By Antony asking that question, the people are reevaluation everything they knew about Ceasar and are being swayed to believe that he was not ambitious.
However, in this scene, he adds the fact that he himself would be a better ruler. This reveals the real intention of Cassius’s plan. This continues to be the subject from the previous scene. Before this, Cassius was convincing Brutus to join the conspiracy to murder Caesar, while in this scene, Cassius is reassuring Casca that this plan is safe. Although this is literally about of the murder of Caesar and Cassius’s power hunger, it hides the message of the plan to murder Queen Elizabeth (which was what was happening while Shakespeare was writing this play).
He acted on greed, hatred, and jealousy instead of having the good of Rome in mind. Author, Donald Wasson, finds that several of the senators, including Cassius, who were involved in the conspiracy against Caesar were “friends and supporters of Pompey who sought both high office and profit” in his article The Murder of Julius Caesar (Wasson). Cassius did not care about what Caesar was doing or would do to Rome with his power, instead he only worried about having power over everyone else. He told Brutus about Julius Caesar’s disabilities and commented about his amazement that “a man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear the palm alone” (I.ii.131-133). Cassius never wanted to be below or feel less than anybody.
In the first act, Cassius sweet-talks Brutus to in order to convince him to consider that Caesar thinks of himself as above everyone. Cassius also writes letters as if they are worried citizens of Rome asking Brutus to fight against Caesar. This pushes Brutus over the edge and convinces him that killing Caesar is the only way to stop his rise. Even though some manipulation by Cassius was used; Brutus already had worries about Caesar before talking with
Two examples of how brutus used ethos appeals can be seen when caesar explains why he made the choice he did. “Not that I loved caesar less, but that I loved rome more.” (shakespeare,3,1) Another example of how brutus tried to use ethos to persuade the people of rome can be seen in stanza four. “Who is here so vile that
A quality all humans possess is questioning leadership. The reasons why we challenge or rebel against our leaders describe what kind of individual we are. Cassius and Brutus have different reasons for questioning Caesars power. Both characters have a common goal but exceedingly different values, thought process, and motives for killing Caesar. Cassius and Brutus are characters who have opposite values.
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 because his reason 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).
The people of Rome along with the conspirators convinced him to kill his former friend, Caesar. His last words before killing Caesar were “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (III.II.19-24) This shows that he cared more about the society and people of Rome, than his friend. It also shows how they could influence him to turn against his friend.
Consequently, the people because of their beastly minds, after hearing Anthony’s speech will act chaotically. Thus proving Anthony’s use of rhetoric in Julius Caesar will unleash chaos because the common people are killing mercilessly and recklessly because they are incited by the rhetoric used in his speech. Although the people at times may think they are entitled to their own beliefs and individuality in this play,the people of Rome killing Cinna mercilessly supports a theme of “Mob mentality influences actions” because the people of Rome are acting based off of generalized group belief which is to kill in order to gain justice for Caesar. In conclusion, In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare,the use of rhetoric has a greater power than it is in itself,but the use of rhetoric is manipulated by two deceiving men Cassius and
In William Shakespeare's play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony wants revenge on the conspirators who killed Caesar. Following Julius Caesar's death, Mark Antony uses many different rhetorical devices such as pathos and ethos in his speech that help convince the Plebeians to go against the conspirators. Attempting to draw the emotions out of the plebeians, Mark Antony uses pathos to persuade them. Mark Antony says, “ My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me” (3.2. 106-107). This statement emphasizes how much Antony loved Caesar and the grief he is now feeling that his closest friend is dead.
Oscar Wilde once said that “a thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.” This statement proved to be true in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Caesar was well loved by the people of Rome until, one day when, Cassius and Brutus decided he would be dangerous to Rome and killed him. In the play, we see a struggle between Brutus as he stands in the middle of the cross fire undecided of killing Caesar or not. We also see Cassius trying to convince Brutus to take action against Caesar later leading to Brutus trying to convince himself Caesar must die.
In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius give speeches about their opinion on the assassination of Caesar. Both Brutus and Cassius feel that their opinions and actions are correct, and believe the other being to be incorrect. They feel what they did was right, and don't feel shame for what they've done. Both of them feel that they're doing what's best for the people Brutus, being the one who planned and took part in Caesar's assassination, cared about Caesar, and respected him, but felt he had to kill him for the good of the people. Cassius felt that Caesar wasn't ambitious or a tyrant, as Brutus believed him to be.
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.
Although Cassius and Brutus play significant roles in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, both men differ in their rank, views of justice, and possess contrasting personalities. Both men knew Caesar but differed in their motives to kill him. For example, the reader may view Brutus as a hero who desires fair treatment in Rome. Cassius may be looked upon as a manipulative and jealous man seeking to fulfill his own agenda. Despite Brutus’ decision to kill Caesar, it can be argued that he is a man of virtue while Cassius is a man of vice.
Idealistic Brutus misplaces his trust on his army and the conspirators. Manipulated, Brutus joins into the conspiracy without knowing the hidden intentions. By the time conspirators had brief meeting at Brutus’s house before the plan, Brutus addresses that “they are all welcome” (2.1.97) and shakes hands with the conspirators without any doubt. He misplaces his trust on the conspirators thinking that everyone share same purpose and intention. After the death of Caesar and Antony’s funeral speech, Brutus and Cassius run away from Rome and set up a camp where they can fight against the army of Antony.