Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay

532 Words2 Pages

Zach Sebastian
Mrs Grillo
Sophomore Honors: 1
10 May 2015

The Sway of Public Opinion

Without knowing it, we are very accustomed to the old saying "Save the best for last." In social events and sporting competitions, those in charge use their best to leave a greater impact on their opponents and their audience. We can also see this being used while watching a firework display and the most grand fireworks appear only at the end of the show. William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy, Julius Caesar, is a great example of the saying. In Act III, Scene II of the play, the city of Rome is in mourning after their leader was murdered by conspirators consisting of the city's own Senators. Romans gather near the Roman Senate House to hear Brutus and Marc Anthony's words. By the end of Brutus' speech, the crowd is supporting his actions and justifying him, but by the end of the scene, they are supporting Anthony. What exactly did Anthony say and do to convince the Romans to support his claims and oppose Brutus so much …show more content…

Marc Antony recognizes this point when he speaks to the crowd of Romans. This is why he prefers to ask the members rhetorical questions rather than asking literal questions. Brutus, however; is unaware of the effectiveness of a rhetorical question. Instead, Brutus asks the crowd literal questions, expecting answers from the crowd. Antony’s use of rhetorical questions allows the listeners in the crowd to contemplate, formulate their own opinion, and eventually give their support to Antony. When Brutus asks if he did insult or offend anyone because they don’t want to be a Roman, it seems as though Brutus is trying to get an answer quickly, even stopping for a reply. Had Brutus formulated this as a rhetorical question and continued on with his speech, he would have gained more support with his

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Julius Caesar Rhetorical Analysis Essay