How does Antony Use Language to Manipulate the People?

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Antony deploys an array of persuasive, yet subtle, techniques within his eulogy to Caesar which turn the plebeians back against the conspirators whom, for a short period of time during Brutus’s speech, they had supported. Antony uses a repetitive structure throughout his speech in which he lists Caesar’s triumphs and speaks of how he was a ‘faithful and just’ friend and then finishes each verse commenting ‘But Brutus says he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honourable man’. The irony of this antistrophe has a cumulative effect within the speech and stirs the citizens of Rome into confusion making them susceptible to manipulation by Antony.
Antony’s argument was one of great subtlety and dignity. This was necessary for Antony to uphold so that he did not violate the agreement he had made with the conspirators in the previous scene (III, I) which allowed him to give his speech at Caesar’s funeral. Brutus stated that Antony could ‘speak all the good he can devise about Caesar’ as long as he did not blame them and that he said he spoke ‘by our permission’. Although the terms of this agreement restricted Antony’s words he still manages to indirectly disprove the conspirators’ motives and persuade the audience to question what they had once thought. Antony states in his speech that ‘Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious’, and then retorts ‘You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him [Caesar] a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse.’ By doing this, Antony carefully rebuts Brutus' statement without going against the terms of his pledge to the conspirators. Throughout his speech Antony continues to comply by calling them "honourable men", but the crowd feels a sense of sarcasm each time he calls them that. He then sa...

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...ous scenes that they are very easy to lead and appear to have no opinions of their own.
In his oration, Antony displayed his superior ability to use irony and sarcasm and has proved himself to be the master of rhetoric. His use of Pathos persuasion swayed an entirely hostile side to his cause in fewer than 150 lines which by any means is a true feat of excellence. He also used poetic form and a formal register to establish superiority in a way that allowed him to still seem accessible yet remain in control. Antony uses all these techniques so that he can stay in compliance with the agreement he made with the conspirators to not directly blame them. He uses irony to twist the definition of words and he uses subtle persuasive techniques to reveal the truth behind Caesar’s death and to convince the plebeians that he is helping them and that the conspirators are wrong.

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