Julius Caesar Essay: Marc Antony’s Power of Persuasion

Marc Antony's Power of Persuasion in Julius Caesar

In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, although Marc Antony is allowed to make a speech at Caesar's funeral, he must not speak ill of either the conspirators or Caesar. Antony was infuriated with Caesar's assassination, and wants to seek revenge on his killers as well as gain power for himself in Rome's government. He must persuade the crowd that has gathered that Caesar's murder was unjust, and turn them against Brutus and Cassius. He tries to stir his listeners' anger, rousing them into action and yet say nothing bad about his enemies. Marc Antony uses several persuasive devices in his speech, which allows him to successfully convince the citizens of Rome to turn against the conspirators.

The first of these devices, specific evidence, allows Antony to oppose Brutus' explanation for the assassination and prove Caesar was a good ruler. He says, "He hath brought many captives home to Rome,/Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill" (III.ii.97-98). He continues with, "When the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept" (III.ii.100). Marc Antony uses these examples to show the crowd that Caesar cared deeply about Rome and its citizens, and to remind them of the contributions he made. Caesar risked his life to take captives, and then gave the ransom money to the public. Marc Antony says that Caesar was compassionate, he felt his citizens' sadness and wept with them. The audience remembers what a good ruler Caesar was, and regrets that he's gone. Brutus had told the citizens he killed Caesar because of his ambition, but Antony disproves this. He says, "You all did see that on the Lupercal/I thrice presented him a kingly crown,/Which he did thri...

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...ence to feel the opposite of what he's saying

A. "Honorable men"

1. Tone of voice tells his feelings-sarcastic tone

1. Repetition-forget actual message

B. "No mutiny"

2. Connects to "Honorable men" (134)

3. Repetition-loses message

IV. Emotions- Appeals to citizens' sadness, horror, then anger

A. Sadness-shows his own grief

1. (115)

B. Horror

1. Carries in Caesar's body

2. Shows where Caesar was stabbed-(186)

C. Anger-makes conspirators seem evil

1. (235)

2. (135)

V. Props-Keep interest and appeal to grief

A. Caesar's body

1. Appeal to audience's emotions

2. Show personal grief

B. The will

1. Keep audience's interest

a. (140)

b. (155)

1. Show audience how great Caesar was

VII. Conclusion-what happened after speech