Cassius utilizes pathos, ethos, and logos to undermine Caesar’s credibility and persuades both Brutus and the audience that Caesar is not as strong as he seems to convince Brutus to overthrow Caesar. Cassius initially is able to appeal to Brutus’s emotions by explaining, “Therefore good Brutus, be prepared to hear. And since you cannot see yourself as by reflection, I, your glass,” (Shakespeare 1.2 72-74) Through this approach, Cassius intends to make Brutus trust him by using flattery, making him believe that he has hidden knowledge about Brutus that he otherwise would never get to know. This sparks curiosity and opportunity in Brutus, and it could spark the thought that Brutus could potentially be more powerful than Caesar with the help of Cassius. …show more content…
Cassius questions Brutus about his ethics, “And, after, scandal them, or if you know that I profess myself in banqueting to all the rout, then hold me dangerous.” (Shakespeare 1.2 79-81) This passage displays a hyperbole, as Cassius displays an exaggerated reason for why Brutus would not trust him. Cassius does this to demonstrate that if Brutus does not trust him, Brutus believes the exaggeration he gives. This creates a moral dilemma for Brutus, as well as makes him believe that Cassius would not give this opportunity to anyone and that he must go along with Cassius’s plot. To further undermine Caesar's credibility, Cassius explains what he would do to help Brutus, “Will modestly discover to yourself that of yourself which you do not yet know of.” (Shakespeare 1.2 72-73) Cassius describes how he would realistically help Brutus discover more about himself, without exaggerating anything or telling him something untrue. This displays Cassius as a logical, honest person in the eyes of Brutus, and it provides logic to Cassius’s
In William Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar, rhetorical devices are used throughout Decius Brutus’s speech to Caesar to persuade him to attend the senate, and ultimately meet his demise. Decius Brutus uses repetition to directly play into Caesar’s ego and convince him to show at an event he was previously very unsure of. Decius first uses repetition to make Caesar feel as if he were an irreplaceable addition to the senate. He addresses Caesar as, “most mighty Caesar…” (2.2.74) multiple times throughout his oration. The repetition of “mighty” draws Caesar’s attention away from the fact that he really must not go to the senate and instead focuses on why he must. Caesar is known to be easily persuaded by the promise of attention or rewards. Decius
In the beginning of the Book Cassius uses anecdotes of Caesar’s weakness and faults, argumentum ad antiquatum, and ethos on Brutus to persuade him to join the conspiracy to kill Caesar, this works on Brutus and shows that anyone, even people as stoic as Brutus, can be persuaded by appealing to their motivations. Cassius, a very suspicious character thru ought the play tells Brutus to “be not jealous on me” (827), in the quote he tells Brutus to not be suspicious of him because he is just a friend who genuinely cares. Cassius does this to put himself on Brutus’ side and not seem like a distant person, this allows him to criticize Caesar and suggest that he is a bad influence on Rome which appeals to Brutus’ desire to keeping Rome safe. After setting himself up as a friend to Brutus, Cassius uses harsh anecdotes on the weakness of Caesar to show that he isn’t fit to rule Rome. Cassius recollects on a time when he and Caesar went swimming in the river Tiber and Caesar screamed “Help me, Cassius or I sink” (828) to de...
Cassius truly believes Caesar has a frail state of mind and is unfit to have any form of authority in Rome. At first glance, his words and ideology seem to strive for the end of tyranny and become the savior of Romans, but it is clear he puts more emphasis on his rank rather than the well-being of others. When he states that their ranks were not their fault and should be taken into their own hands he intends to take his place by force with no regards for the Roman people or government. Additionally, Cassius shouldn’t be commended for saving Caesar from drowning because he remembrances on that deed to convince others that Caesar is feeble than most, yet he is treated like a god. Cassius’s greed for power motivates his murderous motivations but his ability to manipulate others to his will is also evident in his words. He refers to Caesar’s overwhelming power similar to a Colossus while he and the others “…walk under his huge legs… ” or are hidden in his glory. In reality though, the senators are more esteemed than despised. Another way Cassius misleads others is by faking Caesar’s fascist behaviors toward the commoners. He does so by forging negative letters about “Caesar’s Ambition” for Brutus to be pressured into joining his cause. Consumed by envy, he convinces Brutus to assassinate Caesar for the righteousness of the people but his incentive has
Rhetorical devices have been around for many centuries, and they are used to convince and persuade people to believe in their cause. These strategies exploit individuals by influencing them to feel sympathy or trust the speaker. In Julius Caesar, a historic tragedy written by the prominent Shakespeare, Antony’s brilliant rhetorical strategies are used to trump Brutus and prompt the Roman people to unite with his rebellion against the unjust butcher of the beloved Julius Caesar.
Brutus’ ignorance creates an expectation that develops a path which leads him awry. When Brutus mentions,“ I would not Cassius; yet I love him well” (1.2.81-88 ), he portrays his internal conflict. Brutus depicts the rendering struggle between Cassius’ acquisitions and Caesar’s actions. His oblivion toward the truth and goodwill concerning the greater health of Rome prompt him astray. He acts with the innocence of a child, deceive and swindle by Cassius, Brutus is an
Initially, Brutus was wary of Cassius when Brutus said, “Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius?” (1.2.69). Subsequently, Brutus is persuaded as he states, “.what you have said / I will consider” (1.2.176-177). Cassius is willing to control any person who stands in his way. Cassius successfully turned Brutus against his best friend in order to achieve what Cassius believes to be best for Rome.
“Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” (3.2.24) This quote reflects the motive of Brutus for the assassination of his friend, Caesar. I believe Brutus killed him not out of disrespect, but in a selfless act to protect Rome from the decree of Caesar yet to come. I also believe that he did this out of force from the manipulation from his “friend” Cassius. In Shakespeare's “Julius Caesar”, Brutus’ two most significant characteristics are virtue and unconscious hypocrisy. In order to fully understand these characteristics, it is necessary to analyze all other contributing characteristics, the manipulation of friendship that Cassius uses against him, and the motivations for
Cassius first shows his character of deceit when he put false notes from people in the window of Brutus. This was so Brutus would think a lot of people would be with him if he ...
Cassius’ seek for power over others beings once he realizes how useful it would be to have Brutus as a
At the beginning, Brutus is tricked by Cassius into believing that killing Julius Caesar would be for the better of Rome (1, 2, ll. 32-321). Cassius is able to deviously influence Brutus into thinking that Caesar is no different from Brutus. He says, “Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that Caesar?/ Why should that name be sounded more than yours?” (1, 2, ll. 142-143) Cassius also uses many other examples to manipulate Brutus.
In addition to this characteristic of Cassius, he also has a devious nature. This attribute allows him to invent informed manipulative plans to eliminate his opponents. For instance, after saying his farewells to Brutus, he gives a soliloquy that reveals his idea of throwing writings of different handwritings in Brutus’ windows “as if they came from several citizens” all of which “tending to the great opinion that Rome holds of his name, wherein obscurely Caesar’s ambition shall be glancéd at” (Shakespeare I. ii. 306-309). Since Brutus and Cassius have been friends for a long period of time, Cassius holds an abundance of knowledge pertaining to his values--in this case being his honor and desire to please Rome’s citizens. This undermining plot Cassius has devised is based on an informed opinion of the most effective way to subvert Caesar’s authority, and because of the valid observations made of Brutus by Cassius, the likelihood that this clever scheme will be carried out successfully should make Caesar concerned about the intentions of his judicial
In his play Julius Caesar, Shakespeare employs various rhetorical strategies such as direct address, repetition, and apostrophe in Antony’s eulogy to convince the crowd into believing that Caesar was a good ruler. His excellent use of rhetoric begins before he starts his speech through the establishment of familiarity. Before Antony begins his speech, he refers to the crowd as “friends, romans, [and] countrymen” to establish a personal connection, indicating the use of direct address (3.2.82). By referring to the crowd as “friends,” Antony removes any separation between him and the audience, establishing a close bond by choice. As it came first on his list, it emphasizes the importance of his friendship with the audience as friendship implies
In the midst of his efforts to keep a high reputation, Brutus has many times failed to distinguish the plans of Cassius and Antony. His high esteem fails to filter through his naïve thinking, as when he presumed the fabricated letters written by Cassius were true. Brutus seemed to often underestimate either the problem, or the person. Belittling a man like Antony was likewise one of Brutus’s mistakes that shaped the plot of the story. Even after receiving a second opinion from Cassius, Brutus fails to execute his intentions and consequently loses to Antony during Caesar’s funeral by giving Antony a chance to stir up the emotions of the people of Rome.
...re about Cassius through the things he does, such as persuading others in the direction of things that go towards what he wants. However, Brutus’ character can be more closely examined by the dialogues of others. As a result of all of this, Shakespeare’s audience has a negative attitude towards Cassius and a positive attitude towards Brutus.
In the words of Ludwig Wittgenstein, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” From the myriad of languages spoken by prisoners to the harsh Nazi commands, communication is key in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Language was such an important part of the prisoners’ integrity that it was one of the only things the Nazis could never completely strip away. However, language also serves as a barrier between the prisoners; often unable to express themselves clearly to each other, prisoners had to learn to adapt their speech and learn other tongues to survive. This theme of language and communication largely shaped the world in Auschwitz, by allowing for development in relationships between people, societal power structures, and other nations, and continues to influence cultural identity today.