Marc Antony’s Speech @ Caesar’s Funeral

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In Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Caesar’s closest friend, is gravely underestimated. Other characters, such as Brutus, failed to understand him and didn’t seem to take him seriously. They also assumed that he would take part in the conspiracy against Caesar. They truly belittled him. Loyal and admirable, Marc Antony demonstrated a strong sense of justice to take revenge against the conspirators of Caesar’s assassination.
Marc Antony asked to speak at Caesar’s funeral, and Brutus only allowed to do so on certain conditions. Conditions were that Brutus would speak first and Antony would speak immediately after. Antony needed to also not blame the conspirators for anything and admit that he was only allowed to speak based on Brutus’s permit (Act III.Scene I.254-271). Cassius is wary of this agreement, and he says to Brutus aside, “...do not consent that Antony speak in his funeral: Know how much the people may be moved by that which he utter?” (Act III.Scene I. 248-253) Cassius was well aware that Antony had the art of knowing the man. Antony’s rhetoric significance of emotional appeal, pathos, is indicated in the way he speaks. Antony denied any ability to “stir men’s blood.” as he puts it.
It seemed like Antony agreed to Brutus’s terms, but on the inside he was appalled. But, Antony did have two advantages over Brutus: his deception and his chance to have the last word. In Act III, Scene II, 277-278 & 294-295, Antony talked about Caesar“...Thou are the ruins of the noblest man that ever live in the tide of time ...and promises retribution through his famous rally, ‘Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!” and promised him that he shall take revenge from the conspirators:
“The question of his death...his glor...

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...nes later, that’s all Antony intended to say...only in a way that was quite compelling. And carrying the acting so far, Antony actually stopped to cry in his speech, increasing effectivity of the speech.
Perhaps more than any other of Shakespeare's works, Julius Caesar is a play that hinges upon rhetoric through Marc Antony—both as the art of persuasion and an deceit used to conceal goal. More alarming, however, is Antony's cynical epilogue to the funeral speech as the crowd departs: "Now let it work: mischief, thou art afoot/Take thou what course thou wilt!" (Act III).There is mischief in the area, so let it take whatever course it wants to. Antony still didn’t lay out his cards, but made his first move in the right direction. As Antony represented, Shakespeare succeeded in writing a spectacular political speech, inserted in a play.

Works Cited

Julius Caesar

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